The Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team secured second place in the Manufacturers’ World Championship* with its eighth podium finish of the season at Wales Rally GB
Mads Østberg and Jonas Andersson finished third overall, with Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle ending up in sixth position, after a dramatic final leg
Mads ended the season in fifth place in the Drivers’ World Championship, Kris finished seventh. In the co-drivers’ standings, Jonas finished fourth and Paul took seventh
After two solid days of rallying, the two DS 3 WRCs set off on Sunday morning for the final six stages of the season in third and fourth positions in the overall standings.
Kris Meeke ran slightly wide into a ditch on the day’s opening stage whilst pushing to try and grab second place.
Despite being faster than Mikko Hirvonen on the opening three stages of the morning, a puncture at the front and a blistered tyre at the rear made matters difficult for the rest of the final leg.
Mads Østberg was full of confidence and secured several stage wins. The Norwegian’s performances ensured he pulled clear of his nearest challengers to consolidate his position.
Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle looked after their tyres in the second half of the final leg, concentrating their efforts on making it to the end of the rally. They dropped just over a minute to finish in sixth place.
Mads Østberg took advantage of Meeke’s misfortune to grab third place in the overall standings. He and his co-driver Jonas Andersson collected another podium finish to add to those secured in Sweden, Portugal and Italy.
The 23 points scored by the crews in Wales equalled the team’s second best result of the season in Sweden. The result ensured that the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team finished as runners-up in the Manufacturers’ World Championship*.
After rejoining under Rally2 rules, Stéphane Lefebvre continued to add to his experience in the DS 3 R5. He finished in eleventh place in the WRC2 category. He concluded his season with the FIA Junior WRC and WRC3 titles*.
QUOTES
Mads Østberg: “The aim was to finish on the podium. We fought a lot at the start of the rally. But intercom and tyre problems left us down in fourth position. This morning, I had a very good feeling again. We were able to win a couple of stages and we have finished the rally on the podium. I’d like to thank the entire team. This first year in the DS 3 WRC has been especially rewarding and the atmosphere in the team is fantastic. I have never experienced anything like it before.”
Kris Meeke: “I made a minor mistake when we were fighting for second place in the rally. After that, I sacrificed the result to make sure Citroën finished as runner-up in the Manufacturers’ World Championship. I’m disappointed but it’s an experience I’ll take forward with me into the future. We have got quicker and quicker throughout the season, and that’s very positive.”
Yves Matton (Citroën Racing Team Principal): “It’s a very good end to the season. Mads’ podium finish is an excellent performance to round off the year. Second place in the championship means we have achieved one of the goals we set ourselves. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the team and our partners for their investment in 2014. The challenge was a big one given that we were competing in two World Championships.”
* Subject to publication of the official results by the FIA.
