Citroen tilts at WRC German record run

Citroen hopes to extend their championship run this weekend (19-21 August 2011) at the WRC Rally of Germany. And if not, the German event could signify the end of another record breaking run, Sébastien Loeb's record of eight wins on the German round, an event that has never seen anyone else other than Loeb on the top step of the podium.

Given this record and Citroen's run so far this season with the DS3, punters could be forgiven for making the Citroen crews the unassailable favourites. However, there is a big 'but' and that is that this is the first event on which the DS3 has competed on Tarmac, what with the 2011 season starting on snow followed by a series of seven Citroen victories on gravel. Citroen have, therefore, been testing hard on the unique conditions of the Rally of Germany during the mid-season break to ensure that they can break a record, not end a record run. Loeb, who started as a tarmac expert before widening his skill-set to include total domination of the sport, is pleased to back on the Rhine and amongst the vineyards.

"Some tarmac at last," smiles Sébastien Loeb, dominant on this surface for more than five years. "I know that everybody will be gunning for me in Germany. We've never been beaten on these roads but the series will come to an end one day. It's up to us to make sure it doesn't! None of the sectors is alike. There are three very distinct parts with the military camp, the vines and the country roads. Generally speaking, the stages are very quick and demanding. We're up against a real challenge. It's vital to have good notes and to be in perfect synchronisation with your co-driver to win."

By winning the last seven rallies, Citroën has pulled out a lead of 65 points in the Manufacturers' World Championship classification. Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, who emerged victorious in Rally Finland at the end of July, lead the Drivers/Co-drivers rankings by 27 points. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia are currently lying third, 31 points behind their team-mates.

Sébastien Ogier has less experience than his team-mate and will start only his third Rally Germany, his second at the wheel of a WRC.

"It's an atypical rally with a lot of differences from one stage to the next," underlines the Frenchman. "I like certain sections more than others. Although I was on the podium last year, I wasn't able to match the pace of the winners. This year, we're determined to show that we've improved."

During testing the former Junior World Championship was able to get a feel for the handling of his Citroën DS3 WRC.

"The car felt good but racing and testing are two very different things. A priori, our rivals should be better armed than in previous seasons. We have to score more points than the current leader even if we know that he has racked up a remarkable string of results in Germany! In any case, it's not going to be an easy rally."

The Citroën Total World Rally Team could also set another record in the ADAC Rally Germany. Another win would make Citroën the manufacturer with the highest number of victories in the World Championship (77 before this event).

Three questions to Sébastien Loeb:

Has your victory in Finland changed your approach to the end of the season?
"There are still five events left to run and a lot of points are up for grabs. My win in Finland was one of the greatest of my career after a battle that lasted three days. It's true that my aim was not to lose too many points on this difficult terrain to stay in the lead in the world championship before the first event on tarmac. I suppose you could say that we achieved this objective! Overall, it was a pretty good result, but it hasn't modified our strategy for the end of the season. We still have to score as many points as possible in each rally."

You're unbeaten in Germany so this makes you the hot favourite, doesn't it?
"I know that this series will come to an end one day. The competition is getting stronger and stronger. This year there's a new, unknown factor with the arrival on new WRCs on asphalt. Despite all this I'm feeling pretty confident. I love Rally Germany. It's a very special event for me. My fans have always given me fantastic backing and its here that I scored my first world championship victory. The Citroën DS3 WRC was very quick during testing, and tarmac is a surface on which we've enjoyed a lot of success."

What did you feel during testing in the DS3 WRC?
"In relation to what we experienced before, the Citroën DS3 WRC is a bit more reactive. Its handling and balance are very good. The central self-adjusting differential has been banned by the new regulations, but the car runs very well without the help of electronics. The Michelin tyres are different to the ones we had in previous years. We ran through a wide range of setups to find the right ones. We know our rivals have also done a lot of work, but we're ready for them!"