In order to maximise its chances of retaining its titles in the FIA World Rally Championship, CitrenRacing will make some changes to its nominations in the second half of the 2010 season.Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia will join the ranks of the Citroen Total World Rally Team inFinland, Japan and Great Britain. Dani Sordo and Marc Marti will play their usual role on the fourasphalt rounds.
At the end of the first six rallies of the 2010 season, the results are positive for Citroen Racing: SebastienLoeb leads the drivers’ championship with 126 points in front of Sebastien Ogier with 88 points. CitroenRacing is also first in the team’s standings, with a total of 189 points. For Citroen Racing, the goalsremain the same as they have been since the start of the season: keeping both world titles. In order tohelp achieve this, adjustments will be made in the nominations for both Citroen Total World Rally Teamand the Citroen Junior Team.
Having made an exemplary start to the start to the season, crowned by a win in Portugal, SebastienOgier and Julien Ingrassia have been able to demonstrate both their speed and their intelligence inmanaging a rally.
Their consistent progress has earned them a Citroen World Rally Team nomination for the three puregravel rallies at the end of the season: Finland, Japan and Great Britain.
On those three rallies, Dani Sordo and Marc Marti will drive for the Citroen Junior Team, which iscurrently third in the manufacturers’ rankings with 106 points. The Spanish crew will fulfil its usualobligations with the Citroen Total World Rally Team on the four asphalt rallies in the second half of theseason: Bulgaria, Germany, France and Spain.
Having already racked up 11 podiums on this surface, they now have another opportunity to bring theirvaluable contribution to the conquest of another manufacturers’ championship.
“Even if we currently hold the advantage in both World Rally Championship classifications, we need tomake sure that every opportunity comes our way,” said Olivier Quesnel, the director of Citroen Racing.
“The 2009 season showed just how easily a favourable situation can reverse itself. Looking at the waythings have gone in the first part of the season, it seems that Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia wouldbe able to help us to achieve our objectives on gravel. But I do not want people to think that this reflectsin any way badly on Dani Sordo and Marc Marti. They have had a slightly troubled start to the seasonand they need to get their confidence back. Driving in the Citroen Junior Team will give them the chanceto compete without pressure and rediscover their form. Given the performance of our crews since the startof the season, I think that this will be the best line-up to help us meet our targets.”
