Citroën C2 aims for its third victory

The Rally d’Italia-Sardegna has been a constant feature of the Junior World Rally Championship since 2004, when it replaced Sanremo, and it is now running for the fifth time on the JWRC series. Since its World Championship debut the route has constantly evolved, with the organisers gradually replacing the roughest sections. This year is no exception, and there will be about 50 kilometres of new stages.

Just over 344 competitive kilometres are on the menu, concentrated on gravel roads in the island’s interior. In fact, 16 of the 17 special stages run to the south of Olbia with only ‘Lisia Ruja’ (SS17 – 2.69 km) running to the north of the host town on the coast. This stage is run on very rough gravel roads, and is deeply respected by all the drivers.

Samuel Barraud, who works in the technical department of Citroën Sport’s customer division, explains : « While the actual roads on the last round in Jordan was not too tough on the machinery, the temperatures we experienced were a very tough test for both the cars and the drivers. Sardinia is a somewhat different prospect. It will certainly not be as hot, but the cars will suffer more because of the rocks hidden in the road surface, the ruts left by the WRC cars, and a number of jumps. In order to cope with these challenges as best as possible, we have formulated specific set-ups, as we do on every round of the C2 Junior Experience, to suit every type of car that is competing. »

The two opening rounds of the Junior Championship delivered the same result. In Mexico and Jordan, a Citroën C2 Super 1600 claimed the spoils. Nonetheless, the two events were very different. In South America, the car took the lead at the end of the first stage and never lost it until the final podium. Near the Dead Sea, in the Jordan Valley, the same C2 won after fighting its way back up the field. These wins from Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (who are backed by the French Motorsport Federation, the Equipe de France FFSA, but are not participating in the C2 Junior Experience) can only serve to inspire the other competitors…

All the Citroën crews who decided to compete in the JWRC are present. Martin Prokop was absent in Jordan but is now returning. He was third in Olbia in 2007, and has the speed and experience needed to triumph. He will need to defeat another returning driver, Aaron Burkart, who is eager to get back behind the wheel of his C2 Super 1600. Shaun Gallagher was an excellent third in Amman and will be banking on consistency in order to score another podium. The last of the Super 1600s is Sébastien Ogier, who comes to Sardinia leading the championship and can so afford to play a tactical game.

Driving his superbly-liveried C2-R2 MAX, Hans Weijs will start his second World Championship rally in a Citroën. Weijs’s mission is to challenge the competitors in the class above and consolidate his promising performance in the Middle East. Finally, Francesco Fanari has a new team at his disposal and a brand-new C2-R2 MAX with which he hopes to challenge Weijs.

Jean-François Liénéré, in charge of Citroën Sport’s customer competition programme, concludes : «Sardinia has always been an interesting test for drivers and cars. The C2 Junior Experience competitors will need a delicate touch with their cars and tyres if they want a good result. »

Quotes…before the Sardinia Rally

Sebastien Ogier (F) – Julien Ingrassia (F) (Citroën C2 Super 1600) Born 17/12/83 – Single – Lives Forest St Julien (France)

« This will be my first rally in Sardinia. I’ve got no real benchmark, and the few bits of information I have is just stuff I have read or been told about. But I’m heading into the event with a positive frame of mind. The stages will be quite slow and tough on the cars. It will be a question of looking after the car as well as the tyres in order to avoid punctures. At the start of the rally, our pace is sure to be quite careful. Our successes in Mexico and Jordan have put us in a strong position, so we don’t need to win. In Italy, my aim is just to get to the finish in order to keep scoring points. »