Citroen driver solitaire

[Gordini]

Who should Mr Matton pick for his solitaire game?
And what 2 teams in the end?

[A FONDO]

I cant choose names but they both must be youngsters

[Rallyper]

Tidemand and Evans...?

[A FONDO]

Yes, why not, provided Neuville stays at Ford and Paddon goes to Hyunday.

[Eli]

Neuville and Kubica perhaps, or Ostberg and Neuville?

[Prisoner Monkeys]

I think the best move would be to split Hirvonen and Sordo up, putting one in each team and pairing them up with a talented newcomer. But they'll have to take a chance on someone, because they need to find someone who can threaten Ogier. Based on their performances in the WRC-2, I'd be tempted to go for Protasov and Fuchs.

[leighton323]

they need to find someone who can threaten Ogier. Based on their performances in the WRC-2, I'd be tempted to go for Protasov and Fuchs.

OMG.. Are you actually serious? Hahah how in any way have they shown any speed what so ever!

[Mintexmemory]

Chardonnet and Bouffier might be the most acceptable options to Les Grands Fromages at Saint-Ouen. They should sign Meeke, he knows the car and has something to prove!

[kbalaazs]

I vote for Bouffier and Kubica. Both has the pace. Bryan also has experience, He neeeds only opportunity.

[Vaggelis27]

It would be nice to see a 4th car in VW MotorsportII with Tidemand next year!

[Prisoner Monkeys]

OMG.. Are you actually serious? Hahah how in any way have they shown any speed what so ever!
Did I say speed?

No. I said "performances".

And when they both score points in every single WRC-2 outing, they can't be half bad.

[Mintexmemory]

It would be nice to see a 4th car in VW MotorsportII with Tidemand next year!

Wiegand is clearly being developed to take this seat... BUT Neuville speaks German and would be a far better choice.

[miniwintz]

Wiegand is clearly being developed to take this seat... BUT Neuville speaks German and would be a far better choice.
If Neuville goes to VW, we won't see anything else at the top place of both drivers' and manufacturers' championships for the next decade

[Francis44]

I think Neuville might want to stay at Ford, plus I feel sooner or later Ford will want to get envolved officially again so it might be a good choice.

The problem for Citroen is that there isn't anyone capable of fighting Ogier right now so either they try to get someone like Latvala, and even with him I dont think they could challenge.

[tfp]

I can't see citroen bringing in a youngster(even though it would be good) the team aren't really into taking risks.
My guess is Mikko will win in NORF(let's hope!) and citroen will keep the driver line up the same.

[Plan9]

Khalid will be part of the line up in some way to keep Abu Dhabi on side. Has Citroen confirmed the number of cars they will enter next year?

[Sulland]

If Citroen is to swap out any of their drivers, the replacememt need to have speed and stamina from day 1. not many drivers could fill that job description.
but I do agree with their thinking, Mikko will never be a world champion, he lacks the raw speed, as Loeb and Latvala has, but Mikka is a perfect number 2 driver.

So who could fit the bill.

Neuville is not a factory driver as such, so he should be an 'easy' driver to lure over from Ford. He could be a future winner and has matured the øast year.

PG has shown the speed but lacs consistency.

Tiedemand, has the potential, but is no regular winner, podium driver as of today.

Petter, not a long term solution, but could save 2013, and maybe 2014. Not sure if he wants to any more.

Loeb: Same as Petter. Mentally he is done.

Paddon, not shown enough yet to fill this role.

Mikkelsen, is being groomed in with VW, will say no.

Breen, not a bad option, long term.

Bouffier, not quick enough on gravel.

Who have I forgotten that could jump in and surpass Mikko at Citroen?

[noel157]

Did I say speed?

No. I said "performances".

And when they both score points in every single WRC-2 outing, they can't be half bad.

Matthew Wilson always scored points too......
Sorry, no matter what criteria you use your choice isn't realistic.

[Mintexmemory]

If Citroen is to swap out any of their drivers, the replacememt need to have speed and stamina from day 1. not many drivers could fill that job description.
but I do agree with their thinking, Mikko will never be a world champion, he lacks the raw speed, as Loeb and Latvala has, but Mikka is a perfect number 2 driver.

So who could fit the bill.

Neuville is not a factory driver as such, so he should be an 'easy' driver to lure over from Ford. He could be a future winner and has matured the øast year.

PG has shown the speed but lacs consistency.

Tiedemand, has the potential, but is no regular winner, podium driver as of today.

Petter, not a long term solution, but could save 2013, and maybe 2014. Not sure if he wants to any more.

Loeb: Same as Petter. Mentally he is done.

Paddon, not shown enough yet to fill this role.

Mikkelsen, is being groomed in with VW, will say no.

Breen, not a bad option, long term.

Bouffier, not quick enough on gravel.

Who have I forgotten that could jump in and surpass Mikko at Citroen?

The guy they are trialling in Finland - currently has more DS3 experience than anyone else because of the test job and has raw speed. Msr Meeke

[Sulland]

Citroën's General Manager, Frédéric Banzet said one time: “Citroen without Loeb is like Paris without the Eiffel Tower.” #WRC

Meeke is a good choice for Finland. Lets see how he keeps up, and if he is given more than one outing.

[MJW]

[quote="

Petter, not a long term solution, but could save 2013, and maybe 2014. Not sure if he wants to any more.

[/QUOTE"]
You forget Petter was offered an 8 round programme with Citroen, basically the 8 Loeb isnt doing and he turned them down saying it was full season or another form of motorsport.

[Vaggelis27]

I can't see drivers like Ostberg and Sordo to have a factory seat and Petter not.

[irish_tiger]

If Citroen is to swap out any of their drivers, the replacememt need to have speed and stamina from day 1. not many drivers could fill that job description.
but I do agree with their thinking, Mikko will never be a world champion, he lacks the raw speed, as Loeb and Latvala has, but Mikka is a perfect number 2 driver.

So who could fit the bill.

Neuville is not a factory driver as such, so he should be an 'easy' driver to lure over from Ford. He could be a future winner and has matured the øast year.

PG has shown the speed but lacs consistency.

Tiedemand, has the potential, but is no regular winner, podium driver as of today.

Petter, not a long term solution, but could save 2013, and maybe 2014. Not sure if he wants to any more.

Loeb: Same as Petter. Mentally he is done.

Paddon, not shown enough yet to fill this role.

Mikkelsen, is being groomed in with VW, will say no.

Breen, not a bad option, long term.

Bouffier, not quick enough on gravel.

Who have I forgotten that could jump in and surpass Mikko at Citroen?


If your looking for a driver to drive - without the rest of the bull**** that goes with motor racing like , how much money is going to bring , he does not come from a strong car sales country , he might not look well enough infront of the camera's etc all that crap that can dictate who does and does not progress - then he will have to have the following :

1. Proven track record of being able to win in any make of a car straight away so that he can get up to speed with the pace of the Citroen
2.Not have any excuses of ' oh im only learning the rallies this year'
3.Be able and have a history of making good pace notes with doing two recee passes and never had to rely on illegal recce.
4.Have a history of being able to chase while being behind and not settle for second best .
5.Not have a reputation of being a car wrecker.
6.Car and tyre sympathetic.
7.Have a history of setting consistent fast stage times - (ie top two three times all the time)


He is there and he can be found i think in the Citroen Top driver if he has the finance to complete it . The next three rounds of the Top driver - Finland , Germany , and France are the speed rounds and could come back with the next young driver who can take on Mr Ogier :s mokin:

[tfp]

If Citroen is to swap out any of their drivers, the replacememt need to have speed and stamina from day 1. not many drivers could fill that job description.
but I do agree with their thinking, Mikko will never be a world champion, he lacks the raw speed, as Loeb and Latvala has, but Mikka is a perfect number 2 driver.

So who could fit the bill.

Neuville is not a factory driver as such, so he should be an 'easy' driver to lure over from Ford. He could be a future winner and has matured the øast year.

PG has shown the speed but lacs consistency.

Tiedemand, has the potential, but is no regular winner, podium driver as of today.

Petter, not a long term solution, but could save 2013, and maybe 2014. Not sure if he wants to any more.

Loeb: Same as Petter. Mentally he is done.

Paddon, not shown enough yet to fill this role.

Mikkelsen, is being groomed in with VW, will say no.

Breen, not a bad option, long term.

Bouffier, not quick enough on gravel.

Who have I forgotten that could jump in and surpass Mikko at Citroen?

I'd put Breen, Bouffier, Tidemand and possibly Paddon in the same boat here, just not quite ready to fight at the front. And Citroen only want winners from the start like you say.
Loeb and Mikkelsen are a no go area.
PG? It would make sense to me, but most of the manufacturers are ignorant to his skill.
As for Petter, I had no idea that Citroen offered the deal to him that Citroen had (MJW's post).

For me I'd say a choice between Neuville, Meeke, Petter and PG.
But why even bother with any of these? The 4 mentioned probably wont perform any better than Sordo or Mikko, so why make the change?


You forget Petter was offered an 8 round programme with Citroen, basically the 8 Loeb isnt doing and he turned them down saying it was full season or another form of motorsport.

[noel157]

If your looking for a driver to drive - without the rest of the bull**** that goes with motor racing like , how much money is going to bring , he does not come from a strong car sales country , he might not look well enough infront of the camera's etc all that crap that can dictate who does and does not progress - then he will have to have the following :

1. Proven track record of being able to win in any make of a car straight away so that he can get up to speed with the pace of the Citroen
2.Not have any excuses of ' oh im only learning the rallies this year'
3.Be able and have a history of making good pace notes with doing two recee passes and never had to rely on illegal recce.
4.Have a history of being able to chase while being behind and not settle for second best .
5.Not have a reputation of being a car wrecker.
6.Car and tyre sympathetic.
7.Have a history of setting consistent fast stage times - (ie top two three times all the time)


He is there and he can be found i think in the Citroen Top driver if he has the finance to complete it . The next three rounds of the Top driver - Finland , Germany , and France are the speed rounds and could come back with the next young driver who can take on Mr Ogier :s mokin:

Way too early and I don't think he's fully proved himself yet (YET) for various reasons. Certainly wouldn't agree with your first point but that may come.
Plenty of potential, better than Breen possibly but a way to go yet.
I'm sure a good NORF, RG and RF will help with that potential and help further his experience, we'll see. He has to see each new event as a rally, not 16 (or whatever) stages each to be driven as fast as possible , much like Bouffier did this weekend.
Just my own humble thoughts.

[irish_tiger]

I'd put Breen, Bouffier, Tidemand and possibly Paddon in the same boat here, just not quite ready to fight at the front. And Citroen only want winners from the start like you say.
Loeb and Mikkelsen are a no go area.
PG? It would make sense to me, but most of the manufacturers are ignorant to his skill.
As for Petter, I had no idea that Citroen offered the deal to him that Citroen had (MJW's post).

For me I'd say a choice between Neuville, Meeke, Petter and PG.
But why even bother with any of these? The 4 mentioned probably wont perform any better than Sordo or Mikko, so why make the change?

Neuville is driving well at the moment - you have to say hes be impressive in the last few rallies , as for PG ? Mmmmm he just has that bit of a reputation of 'going off' ....

[RS]

For me I'd say a choice between Neuville, Meeke, Petter and PG.
But why even bother with any of these? The 4 mentioned probably wont perform any better than Sordo or Mikko, so why make the change?

So stick with a failing plan then?

Neuville is currently ahead of Mikko in the championship, in only his second year driving a car which everybody thought was inferior to the Citroen.

[Gordini]

I will call Novikov if I were Mr Matton. He has speed and last 6 m endurance.
dark horse

[mohit]

petter can perform he just needs to get over his excitement

he has performed brilliantly at rally cross lost out twice with no fault of his own and he has the pace even loeb acknowledged that.

citoren is better than ford at ford he paid for the seat and there was pressure from malcom always hence i suppose he still has it he needs to keep his head calm

[miniwintz]

I will call Novikov if I were Mr Matton. He has speed and last 6 m endurance.
dark horse
Novikov surely is promising but lacks a bit of self control; in portugal he was ahead by 40 sec by the end of the third stage and never thought about backing off a bit. I think he is a loose cannon in some way, a bit like Ostberg, he is either very fast or in the trees.
Going from Sordo/Hirvonen to Ostberg/Novikov/... at Citroën would be a dramatic change in strategy, and I cannot see that happen. Neuville is a bit from both worlds, slowly maturing into a constant and fast driver, I think he will be the one everyone will fight to have in their team.
Hyundai and VW will have the largest budgets for 2014, so Neuville is surely going to one of the twos, and he seem to have a good relationship with Mikkelsen.

Is it somehow official that Citroën wants to ditch Hirvonen? As things are, my thoughts are that both him and Sordo will stay as is in 2014, hoping for others to crash and continuing to score 2nd and 3rd place finishes in order to manage a podium at the end of the year and to be not too far away in the manufacturer's championship.

I think they are also happy with the performance of Kubica in WRC-2, and next year with R5 it will be even more competitive so keeping him in that category can be more beneficial than getting him in a WRC car where he will struggle to keep up. Since Kubica's presence in the WRC-2, this championship has gotten much more media visibility, it's a win win for Citroën.

[noel157]

Is it somehow official that Citroën wants to ditch Hirvonen?

Only here... :)

[BleAivano]

What drivers to choose depends on iof they are planning on styaing in WRC or if they want to focus on WTCC.

[Sulland]

If this is true, this issue is overtalen by events:
Citroen/Loeb Confirm WTCC & WRC for 2014 | Inside Rally (http://insiderally.com/2013/06/25/citroenloeb-wtcc-wrc-announcement/)
Will they switch mid season in the last season?

[Prisoner Monkeys]

It's in their interests to stay in the WRC. If they back out, it would be an admission that they were only really good because of Loeb. They need to have a post-Loeb spell in order to demonstrate their abilities.

[Mintexmemory]

People (Finns) shouted me down when I said Mikko ( and Dani ) are now on trial, starting with. NORF. If Loeb can't be persuaded to enter Deutschland then expect a car for a tarmac specialist to measure Sordo's pace (specifically). If Citroen are to stay in WRC then they really must up their game for 2014 as I expect that VW will field 2 different Manufacturer teams - Ogier / Neuville (or Wiegand) and Latvala/ Mikkelsen. This will really make Citroen's task monumental if their chauffeurs are not up for it ;)

[mohit]

citoren should go with petter

he has shown grate pace in rallycross and in rallies also, what he is lacking is consistency

in rallycross he has performed quite well but could not win because of technical problems and competitors pushing him off track.

[noel157]

You'll only see Petter back if he pays for it. Great guy, great driver but I suspect his time has past.
Too many young 'uns in or near WRC now.

[BleAivano]

citoren should go with petter

he has shown grate pace in rallycross and in rallies also, what he is lacking is consistency

in rallycross he has performed quite well but could not win because of technical problems and competitors pushing him off track.

I think you will have to realize that Petter is not really attractive to the teams, especially since he spends more time at the side of the road rather on the podium.

[andyone]

we humans are soo hard to please. mads ostberg has had misfortunes most not his fault. and now its either fast of in the trees. looks like we are watching a different type of WRC...

[mohit]

petter was trying too hard for that win so he was making mistakes.

just let him win a round at rally cross and i am sure he will be back at same level he just needs a confidence booster

[tommeke_B]

petter was trying too hard for that win so he was making mistakes.

just let him win a round at rally cross and i am sure he will be back at same level he just needs a confidence booster

Yes, of course, letting him win something will solve all problems he ever faced! If he wins a game of chess or maybe monopoly he would be also at his top level again I think. :p

[Prisoner Monkeys]

Kris Meeke reckons that a strong performance in Finland could set him up for a 2014 seat:

Kris Meeke eyes 2014 Citroen WRC chance - WRC news - AUTOSPORT.com (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/108740)

Mind you, Benito Guerra said that he had been promised more outings this year if he did well in Mexico (albeit by his sponsors, not Citroen), and despite scoring points, he hasn't returned (yet).

[noel157]

Kris Meeke reckons that a strong performance in Finland could set him up for a 2014 seat:

Kris Meeke eyes 2014 Citroen WRC chance - WRC news - AUTOSPORT.com (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/108740)

Mind you, Benito Guerra said that he had been promised more outings this year if he did well in Mexico (albeit by his sponsors, not Citroen), and despite scoring points, he hasn't returned (yet).

Perhaps Meeke has good reason to think this..?

[Prisoner Monkeys]

I'm sure Guerra thought he had good reason to feel that way before the Rally of Mexico.

I very much doubt that Meeke thinks a good performance in Finland will guarantee him a drive with the team. It's presumptuous in the extreme at a time when Citroen have made it pretty clear that they are considering all of their options - and will pass on a driver in a heartbeat if they don't like his attitude.

Take the rose-coloured glasses off. This is by no means a guarantee that Kris Meeke will get a works Citroen drive in 2014.

[tfp]

He should have stayed in the S2000s....

[tobbe3]

I think it would be good if they drive with 4 cars every rally, then they can offer a youngstrer the 4th seat and prepare him to take a bigger part next year...

[Barreis]

If he'll be in top 5 in Finland, then he's good (but not good for works seat; needed podium result for that).

[noel157]

I'm sure Guerra thought he had good reason to feel that way before the Rally of Mexico.

I very much doubt that Meeke thinks a good performance in Finland will guarantee him a drive with the team. It's presumptuous in the extreme at a time when Citroen have made it pretty clear that they are considering all of their options - and will pass on a driver in a heartbeat if they don't like his attitude.

Take the rose-coloured glasses off. This is by no means a guarantee that Kris Meeke will get a works Citroen drive in 2014.

Forget about Guerra, don't know why he he has any relevance in this. And who is saying that anything will "guarantee" a future seat. Meeke isn't, I'm not.
Read the article you linked, the words attributed to Meeke- he wants to try and return to the championship, sees NORF as a good opportunity and show improved pace etc. If he puts in a good performance it'll help his cause, simple. I think most of us realise that he doesn't need to be on the podium (and I'm sure Matton and the team understand he's hardly WRC match fit and doesn't expect a podium finish) to increase his stock at Citroen. Matton seems to enough faith in him over Atkinson and many other drivers. It seems there will be at least one spare seat next season in the team and if Meeke manages to do what Matton wants (or even better) then yes, he does have good reason to reckon it will help him achieve his WRC ambition.

[andyone]

One thing i learn is driving in the top level is a different experience. Meeke? :confused: :eek: :confused: tannak wil beat him. Mathiew wilson as well there sio many drivers out there...... By the way where is urmo aava???

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Franky]

One thing i learn is driving in the top level is a different experience. Meeke? :confused: :eek: :confused: tannak wil beat him. Mathiew wilson as well there sio many drivers out there...... By the way where is urmo aava???

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Urmo can be classified as retired. He is the director of Rally Estonia.

[kober]

My bet is on Neuville and Meeke in the main team, plus Kubica (full season?) and Al-Qassimi (selected rounds) in the Abu Dhabi WRT.

[Andre Oliveira]

For me: Meeke and Bouffier.

No way to Neuville left Al-Attyiah "protection".

[kober]

If they won't be able to get hold of Neuville, then they might just stick to Hirvonen (he's still good in scoring points).

[Mirek]

For me: Meeke and Bouffier.No way to Neuville left Al-Attyiah "protection".Bouffier has not been a works driver of PSA for quite some time. He is now official Hyundai test driver and besides that doing some events for which he or others find money (on privateer basis).

[amilk]

For me: Meeke and Bouffier.

No way to Neuville left Al-Attyiah "protection".

Depends - Neuville already can find his own way if he wants. On the market after Ogier and Latvala he has the highest value. There is loyalty.....we will see.

[mohit]

i think it will be petter at citoren along with meeke, kubika.

hirvonen to hyundai

[Toyoda]

i think it will be petter at citoren along with meeke, kubika.

hirvonen to hyundai

Petter is gone,

I really think someone should pickup Paddon in a junior team. He has such effortless speed and time which all the greats have in all sports.
P.S. and hes a kiwi :)

[ThomasS]

Totally.

He has a calm and mature disposition and makes good rational judgements about when to push and when to back off. His ability to control position is also very good. He's fast now but he has more in the tank , he just needs a break.

ADAC Germany :The fact he has barely been in the Fabia on tarmac for over 10 months speaks volumes for his talent.

[mohit]

citoren will go for petter in UK sure and might give him an offer for 2014 as well along with nueville

[noel157]

citoren will go for petter in UK sure and might give him an offer for 2014 as well along with nueville

Is that you Petter? ............. :)

[Teme]

Is that you Petter? ............. :)

I think he just misspelled Meeke :p

[Barreis]

Matton ruined Sordo's chance to be in better position replacing him with Meeke for Australia who didn't finish at all in Finland (Sordo finished fifth)...

[noel157]

Matton ruined Sordo's chance to be in better position replacing him with Meeke for Australia who didn't finish at all in Finland (Sordo finished fifth)...

Well, you better have a word with Dani himself as he has admitted that most of this season that he has had no confidence on gravel.

[Barreis]

And finished 2nd on Acropolis?! He has about 35 wrc podiums without jwrc career and now 'experienced' Meeke is better choice?!

[noel157]

You're obviously upset.

Suggest you contact Matton then: [email:s20vx9y0]yves.matton@citroenracing.fr[/email:s20vx9y0]

[Barreis]

Hahah, well, if Meeke finished fifth in Finland, I wouldn't say a word...

[EightGear]

You should find out how Sordo managed to do that, because it was quite a miracle considering his pace in Finland. Citroen might as well sign Prokop then, he finished 4rd in Germany.

[Barreis]

Well he finished 5th in Finland and to achieve that, first must to finish...

[Donney]

I agree Barreis and as much as I want him to stay h hasn't really show any speed, some flash of it yes! but not convincingly.

Hopefully his win in Germany will bring the old hunger back.

[Plan9]

I think Meeke's results in Australia will be important for him. I was wondering if he would do UK as well?

[NxOxT]

i really cannot see how a result on 1 event can persuade a manufacturer to pay a driver for a whole season... Meeke will be in the WRC only if he manages to get external sponsor support... otherwise is bye bye... his result in Oz will mean nothing either he crashes or wins the event...he is there because of external support and not because the team had second thoughts... deal with it and get a grip of how things work in rallying and in the world in general.

I really would like to see him in a works car for a whole season but i doubt it can happen.

[amilk]

i really cannot see how a result on 1 event can persuade a manufacturer to pay a driver for a whole season... Meeke will be in the WRC only if he manages to get external sponsor support... otherwise is bye bye... his result in Oz will mean nothing either he crashes or wins the event...he is there because of external support and not because the team had second thoughts... deal with it and get a grip of how things work in rallying and in the world in general.

I really would like to see him in a works car for a whole season but i doubt it can happen.

I'm not against or beside any driver of Citroen (Hirvonen, Sordo, Meeke) but Citroen is not in easy situation if they can not sign Neuville. They have season long experience with the current drivers and not much more beside them (Sordo 1 win that's all) than beside Meeke.

[tommeke_B]

@amilk, but does Thierry want to go back to the nervous DS3 WRC? ;)

[Andre Oliveira]

If i have powers to decide, i choose Loix to main driver and Bouffier to second. :colour:

[makinen_fan]

Signing a 35 yo guy (Bryan) with no proven performance in WRC is a nonsense. The reality is that Citroen's choice is very limited. Only Thierry has promising future, the rest I think are second tier drivers and they don't seem to improve, only the opposite at the moment.

Btw how long is JML contract with VW? Is there a possibility to lure him into breaking his contract?

[NxOxT]

Btw how long is JML contract with VW? Is there a possibility to lure him into breaking his contract?

as long as he brings money...

[Andre Oliveira]

Neuville will never left the "protection" of Al-Attiyah. Citroën losts its chances with Neuville. I think that Matton will choose another French-Belgian driver.

[MikeD]

I agree with others in here that Citroën’s only hope of having some kind of a plan for 2014 must involve re-signing Neuville. There is already massive doubt regarding what kind of involvement Citroën will have in the WRC, as their WTCC setup looks like championships contenders from the word “go” with Yvan Muller and Sebastien Loeb who share no less than 13 World Championship titles. Citroën is already testing their new WTCC contender and is the only car brand that have a car which is built accordingly to the new spec-rules which will be applied from 2014.

So for the WRC, Citroën will only continue if success can be achieved and will not just participate in the WRC for the sake for participation in itself. Matton has made it clear that Citroën have very specific advertisement goals regarding their motorsport involvement and that races/rallies in Emerging Markets have higher priority than those in Europe – and since WRC is still in all the wrong places from a marketing point of view, it will be very easy for Citroën to just stick to their WTCC program who is in all the right places.

If Neuville isn’t signed, then there will properly only be an MT car for Al Qassimi and sporadic outings for tarmac specialist and selected events for Kubica. A repeat of this year with Sordo and Hirvonen is definitely not an option, as they have an alternative and a far more important place to put their motorsport money.

Regarding Neuville’s view, then I can’t imagine him wanting to stay with an outing like M-Sport with no factory support, if he instead can get a full factory support seat at Citroën with no. 1 status.

[stefanvv]

I don't think Neuville wants to drive for Citroen again. Looks like Ford suits him better. Probably Wilson will make him factory driver next year.

[EightGear]

Neuville leaving will probably mean the end of Al Attiyah supporting M-Sport on the current scale.

[dimviii]

wrong thread

[MikeD]

I don't think Neuville wants to drive for Citroen again. Looks like Ford suits him better. Probably Wilson will make him factory driver next year.

How on earth can Wilson make Neuville a factory driver, when the M-Sport team has no factory support?

PS: Neuville will drive whatever suits his talent best and where there is the best option for development of team and car.

[noel157]

Ok, looks like the cards are starting to fall. Hirvonen most likely on his way to Hyundai, will Sordo be retained?
Matton said:

"Certainly, the victory was important. If Dani had won any rally, I would have intended it not on my list for next year. That means he is on it, but I can not say that he has everything necessary to continue to be part of the team, "said Matton.

So maybe does not look good for Dani. Other option for Matton is to concentrate on the manufacturers title and forget about individual titles and mix and match drivers with events, if he doesn't manage to get Neuville? Or both, only one lead driver with a free seat for specialist drivers (and another free seat when Al Qassimi misses rounds).

Matton has also said that he may start mentoring a young driver for long term success.

So Yves, decisions, decisions.........
I suspect he is also under some pressure from the board for a successful 014 season....

[Andre Oliveira]

How is the market of Citroën on Estonia? Ott Tänak could be a possibility

[makinen_fan]

How is the market of Citroën on Estonia? Ott Tänak could be a possibility

That thought cross my mind but what better does he offer than Meeke? Fast but crashy. And he doesn't have the money to pay for the repair bills. The only positive is that he is young and has potential to improve, but the question is Matton willing to invest in him? I don't think he is, but it will be good to have another young gun in WRC with a good car.

[bluuford]

Estonian car market was the most rapidly growing car market in Europe during first 6 months in EU.However, it is still very tiny.Citroen+Peugeot is doing well on so called "work cars market" I think that PSA is selling around 200 cars per month in Estonia

[amilk]

It's not influence the next year driver line up at Citroen but I wonder when Latvala want's to do something with himself because it's quite clear that until he is at VW with Ogier he will be not a champion. (in other team at least has a chance to try)

Matton has not much choice for next year if want's to win just Neuville. If Neuville sign at Citroen Wilson will have a problem as Nasser said that future support of MSport depends mostly if they can keep Neuville or not.

[kolin]

My Dream Citroen lineup for 2014 season is Neuville and Tänak ;)

[amilk]

My Dream Citroen lineup for 2014 season is Neuville and Tänak ;)

Agree

[Doon]

That wouldn't be a dream lineup for the WRC in general, as mentioned above, Nasser will pull the money from M-Sport. I think with some decent results next year from Neuville and the Fiesta, Ford may re-invest in the WRC.

[makinen_fan]

Some very harsh comments from Matton about Meeke's chances driving in RallyGB:
http://www.maxrally.com/2013/09/18/sord ... the-season (http://www.maxrally.com/2013/09/18/sordo-sees-out-the-season)

[dimviii]

Some very harsh comments from Matton about Meeke's chances driving in RallyGB:
http://www.maxrally.com/2013/09/18/sord ... the-season (http://www.maxrally.com/2013/09/18/sordo-sees-out-the-season)

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/109947

[NxOxT]

Some very harsh comments from Matton about Meeke's chances driving in RallyGB:
http://www.maxrally.com/2013/09/18/sord ... the-season (http://www.maxrally.com/2013/09/18/sordo-sees-out-the-season)

Harsh ?? why ?? he crashed even under superally rules...

[makinen_fan]

Harsh ?? why ?? he crashed even under superally rules...

He deserves that comment. I said harsh because I do not remember a team boss do this kind of comments in the past about his driver

[noel157]

Actually, it sounds quite promising for Meeke.

[dimviii]

Actually, it sounds quite promising for Meeke.
this is my feeling too.

[Doon]

Actually, it sounds quite promising for Meeke.
this is my feeling too.

Absolutely, even with his mistakes at least he was having a go. The old saying in rallying goes something like 'no point in having a driver you have to push up from 90%, better to have one who will push 100% and you might have to reign him in'. Thing is, I don't think Meeke was going flat out on the first of in OZ, he was unlucky. If Khalid has any sense and wants to see Abu Duabi's partnership with Citroen beat Ogier, they have to take some risks. Meeke is one of them!

Would love to see a Brit go for it in Wales. I will fly the Union flag high. The man is special.

[NxOxT]

Actually, it sounds quite promising for Meeke.

He basically said if Meeke brings money he can have another go...

[A FONDO]

Actually, it sounds quite promising for Meeke.
this is my feeling too.

Absolutely, even with his mistakes at least he was having a go. The old saying in rallying goes something like 'no point in having a driver you have to push up from 90%, better to have one who will push 100% and you might have to reign him in'. Thing is, I don't think Meeke was going flat out on the first of in OZ, he was unlucky. If Khalid has any sense and wants to see Abu Duabi's partnership with Citroen beat Ogier, they have to take some risks. Meeke is one of them!

Would love to see a Brit go for it in Wales. I will fly the Union flag high. The man is special.
You should have mentioned you are a brit at the beginning so I skip reading the rest.

[NxOxT]

Would love to see a Brit go for it in Wales. I will fly the Union flag high. The man is special.

He is very good to watch and is fast enough not to waste the seat... but in the current situation of the sport he is not a good deal.

[dimviii]

You should have mentioned you are a brit at the beginning so I skip reading the rest.

so except Frenchphobia you have and Britainphobia?

[dimviii]

Would love to see a Brit go for it in Wales. I will fly the Union flag high. The man is special.

He is very good to watch and is fast enough not to waste the seat... but in the current situation of the sport he is not a good deal.

so who is the good deal?

[noel157]

Meeke is Irish..:)

[NxOxT]

Meeke is Irish..:)

aren't the irish (north) considered britons ?

[NxOxT]

Would love to see a Brit go for it in Wales. I will fly the Union flag high. The man is special.

He is very good to watch and is fast enough not to waste the seat... but in the current situation of the sport he is not a good deal.

so who is the good deal?

the drivers who are currently employed by the teams... i see no reason (from a driving point of view not marketing) why anyone would choose Meeke over the current drivers.

correcton : The only driver who i think Meeke could replace is Ostberg but again i have my doubts...

[tommeke_B]

Irish/Brittish/Northern Irish, it doesn't matter to me... If Citroën can't sign Neuville, Meeke is the only driver fast enough to score a win in the DS3, after Loeb's last victory in Alsace. :p AND he can talk in front of a camera. Both Sordo and Hirvonen often seem to have the personality of a pancake when talking in front of a camera (no offense). Also marketing-wise it's better to have a driver being in the lead for a day (all the publications in the news) than having one ending up third after simply driving regular without doing anything remarkable.

[dimviii]

the drivers who are currently employed by the teams... i see no reason (from a driving point of view not marketing) why anyone would choose Meeke over the current drivers.

correcton : The only driver who i think Meeke could replace is Ostberg but again i have my doubts...
so you will participate at 2014 again with same drivers waiting the miracle?What would you do?

[danon]

P. Solberg to Meeke

[NxOxT]

the drivers who are currently employed by the teams... i see no reason (from a driving point of view not marketing) why anyone would choose Meeke over the current drivers.

correcton : The only driver who i think Meeke could replace is Ostberg but again i have my doubts...
so you will participate at 2014 again with same drivers waiting the miracle?What would you do?

i think citroen knows very well that they cannot compete with the VW team and driver (Latvala is nothing)

so they will just be there for their final year and reduce the damage... Just like ford did this year... accepting your fate is financially beneficial.

None will stop Ogier for at least 2-3 years... he is by far the best driver and VW the best car

[NxOxT]

P. Solberg to Meeke

no.

[NxOxT]

Irish/Brittish/Northern Irish, it doesn't matter to me... If Citroën can't sign Neuville, Meeke is the only driver fast enough to score a win in the DS3, after Loeb's last victory in Alsace. :p AND he can talk in front of a camera. Both Sordo and Hirvonen often seem to have the personality of a pancake when talking in front of a camera (no offense). Also marketing-wise it's better to have a driver being in the lead for a day (all the publications in the news) than having one ending up third after simply driving regular without doing anything remarkable.

i cannot see Meeke leading a rally.... he struggles to match the pace of hirvonen at the moment.

[dimviii]

the drivers who are currently employed by the teams... i see no reason (from a driving point of view not marketing) why anyone would choose Meeke over the current drivers.

correcton : The only driver who i think Meeke could replace is Ostberg but again i have my doubts...
so you will participate at 2014 again with same drivers waiting the miracle?What would you do?

i think citroen knows very well that they cannot compete with the VW team and driver (Latvala is nothing)

so they will just be there for their final year and reduce the damage... Just like ford did this year... accepting your fate is financially beneficial.

None will stop Ogier for at least 2-3 years... he is by far the best driver and VW the best car

dont think that Psa heads will decide to spend 30 millions just to participate.The game is lost but they can risk.They can risk with Meeke and Neuville.Neuville shows fast progress,and maybe Meeke.Dont forget that he had only 2 rallies under a lot of pressure.Even Ogier with just 2 rallies will not be the driver we know.
with current drivers the game is lost 100%.With other scheme they have some little chances.

[danon]

Meeke lacks "some-things" the masters possess.
Chakras call... :D

[NxOxT]

dont think that Psa heads will decide to spend 30 millions just to participate.The game is lost but they can risk.They can risk with Meeke and Neuville.Neuville shows fast progress,and maybe Meeke.Dont forget that he had only 2 rallies under a lot of pressure.Even Ogier with just 2 rallies will not be the driver we know.
with current drivers the game is lost 100%.With other scheme they have some little chances.

Psa will not spend anything... Abu dhabi will. for them having the cars parading like moving advertisements is good enough. Neuville is an investment IF (and that is a big IF) peugeot continues after Citroen, Meeke showed that pressure doesn't affect his crashes... he did the same errors with Mini and also in IRC with peugeot.

I think Meeke has a value from a marketing point of view to influence the GB car market/sales so they might prefer him over sordo since spain is not that financially stable now... but from a driving point of view Meeke doesn't offer anything over sordo.

The main problem is now that we only have 1 real manufacturer, so driver choices are influenced by money rather than anything else. NONE will pay Meeke to drive... it is sad but it is true.

This new quote system is terrible...

[dimviii]

Greg Meeke was irc champion(even with crashes) and with Mini he did a couple of rallies.After some 1,5 year other 2 rallies with ds3.
Dont know any driver with such a programm to evolute/progress.
Imho psa has to give him a real chance.They haven t got any better to do.

[danon]

The Spaniard is the one Ogier to be afraid of. I feel it. 7-th chakra calls.

[NxOxT]

Dont know any driver with such a programm to evolute/progress.
Imho psa has to give him a real chance.They haven t got any better to do.

you have to ask yoursef why meeke hasn't got the chance yet... he is just too inconsistent. In IRC where you can exclude events you do not do well and take advantage events that do not gather every possible competitor things can be forgiving...

I agree they have to give him a real chance and i wish they did... i disagree that he will do a better job than Sordo or hirvonen overall...

and after all if they prefer him over them then still he will be inexperienced on most events and still the pressure will be high and for Meeke these things do not work well. And lets be honest in the 2 gravel events he participated he was CONSISTENTLY slower than hirvonen (ok in one it was hirvonens home rally and the other one he did for the first time but still...)...you think he can be faster than him in just 1 year ? i do not think so

CItroen will just try and limit the damages in 2014 (IF they participate... i still have my doubts despite the official word from the boss)... so they will just go for either pay drivers or giving free drive to someone... the fact that there will be no evolution of the cars in 2014 doesn't help them either...Ogier will drive circles around them and Latvala will be a good dog and go for points with his pay/free/sponsor drive.

[danon]

P. Solberg was a joke, but Novikov 22 of age - Rule him out not!
This guy can alter the laws of physics by forcing gravity disappear :D

[NxOxT]

The Spaniard is the one Ogier to be afraid of. I feel it. 7-th chakra calls.

Ogier is the new Loeb... every year some sick dogs will try and find excuses for his wins and championships and new drivers that will dethrone him but the beating will go on and on and on until they become stray muts with no future and they will start hating him for killing the sport...

just like Loeb, at first everyone was happy for the rising star but when the best motorsport personality of all times ridiculed their favourite drivers like they were little kids the hate begun.

Maybe the hate for Ogier will be bigger if he manages to get close to Loebs achievements (he will not by the way, he is not that good) because he has the nerve to speak his mind, a mistake Loeb did was that he always gave props to the beaten doggys although he beat them to retirement easily.

[NxOxT]

P. Solberg was a joke, but Novikov 22 of age - Rule him out not!
This guy can alter the laws of physics by forcing gravity disappear :D

star trek stuff...

[danon]

Sordo did a great job at a brand new team Mini by going flat out squeezing every bit of the car looking happy all the time. How come he doesn't look so entusistic at Citroen... something wrong.

[NxOxT]

Sordo did a great job at a brand new team Mini by going flat out squeezing every bit of the car looking happy all the time. How come he doesn't look so entusistic at Citroen... something wrong.

go to sleep.. its late.

[danon]

Ogier would be dethroned by his own team.

Not yet!

[danon]

go to sleep.. its late.
Knowing how long I'm gonna be asleep I dare not closing my eyes for even a split second only... :D

[mohit]

citoren has open options for 2014 to choose from and all of the below are part of the selection process

nuieville (good performance in 2013 IN FORD)
petter solberg (performed far better in a privately entered citoren)
hirvonen (performed better in ford)
sordo (no comments)
meeke (no comments)
ostberg (no comments)

[NxOxT]

citoren has open options for 2014 to choose from and all of the below are part of the selection process

nuieville (good performance in 2013 IN FORD)
petter solberg (performed far better in a privately entered citoren)
hirvonen (performed better in ford)
sordo (no comments)
meeke (no comments)
ostberg (no comments)

Solberg a useless has been for sometime now... he is better doing donuts and driving with the door open during the super special stages... so rallycross suits him fine.

[Mirek]

...nuieville (good performance in 2013 IN FORD)...

Please, it's Neuville. He deserves his name to be written correctly.

[A FONDO]

You should have mentioned you are a brit at the beginning so I skip reading the rest.

so except Frenchphobia you have and Britainphobia?
no, I dont have a fobia to all of them by default but some of them made them famous with ultra-blind fanatism, comparable with battling muslim sect of trained, brainwashed and drugged rebels. having simpathy to someone mediocre from your country/region is normal and I do it too but in reasonable limits only. what this guy wrote in an international forum I wouldnt say privately even if I have drunk a bottle of 40 deg. alcohol before that.

[noel157]

You should have mentioned you are a brit at the beginning so I skip reading the rest.

so except Frenchphobia you have and Britainphobia?

Just in case we need to use the two terms again it's Francophobia and Anglophobia......:)

[A FONDO]

what about dimvifobia http://hostthenpost.org/uploads/b80faf549634f9aa8e64d1007272f968.gif

[Mirek]

Also written wrong, You donwngraded him by one evolution...

[kober]

In the interview (http://www.wrc.com/fanzone/podcasts/yves-evasive-about-2014/?fid=19163) given before the start of Rally France, Yves Matton said that 2014 will be a year dedicated to a development of young drivers. Note, young in experience, not necessarily age. Citroen hopes that with such a driver they will be able to fight for the championship during the following seasons. Names mentioned (although by the interviewer, not the interviewee) are Neuville, Meeke, Hanninen, Kubica.

[skarderud]

Neuville, no.
Meeke, maybe
Hannninen, surprise
Kubica, definitly.

I think one "mature" driver and several young drivers, why not chardonet, breen, etc?

[Rallyper]

Neuville, no.
Meeke, maybe
Hannninen, surprise
Kubica, definitly.

I think one "mature" driver and several young drivers, why not chardonet, breen, etc?

Tidemand? Or should he wait and gain more experience in the free R5 WRC2 seat in 2014?

[skarderud]

Tidemand is a guy for the future, yes! But i think vw is watching him, due to his connection with EVEN management and theire link with Mikkelsen.
But its probably better for him to use his free R5 and do a proper bid on wrc-2 championship!

[OnlyRally]

Tidemand is a guy for the future, yes! But i think vw is watching him, due to his connection with EVEN management and theire link with Mikkelsen.
But its probably better for him to use his free R5 and do a proper bid on wrc-2 championship!

+1

[kober]

But its probably better for him to use his free R5 and do a proper bid on wrc-2 championship!
And waaay cheaper for Citroen too.

[skarderud]

But its probably better for him to use his free R5 and do a proper bid on wrc-2 championship!
And waaay cheaper for Citroen too.


haha! yess:)

[RS]

In the interview (http://www.wrc.com/fanzone/podcasts/yves-evasive-about-2014/?fid=19163) given before the start of Rally France, Yves Matton said that 2014 will be a year dedicated to a development of young drivers. Note, young in experience, not necessarily age. Citroen hopes that with such a driver they will be able to fight for the championship during the following seasons. Names mentioned (although by the interviewer, not the interviewee) are Neuville, Meeke, Hanninen, Kubica.

It's all over for Mikko then unless Hyundai want him.

I presume what they mean by this is that they are developing drivers for when Peugeot returns (2015/16?)

[jonkka]

aren't the irish (north) considered britons ?

In a country where Wales and Scotland are considered nations...

[noel157]

Twittersphere rumour:

Kris Meeke corre el ultimo rally de temporada en vez de mikko hirvonen y posiblemente ira a hyundai el piloto en cuestion

[dimviii]

Twittersphere rumour:

Kris Meeke corre el ultimo rally de temporada en vez de mikko hirvonen y posiblemente ira a hyundai el piloto en cuestion

link please.

[bluuford]

No need for the link. It is impossible. It is not possible to change Mikko in 2013.He is nr 1 in Citroen and has to drive all rallies. Only medical reason and Force Majore is acceptable (e.g. Mikko disappears into the forest and no-one cannot find him in two weeks). Dream on.

[focus206]

No need for the link. It is impossible. It is not possible to change Mikko in 2013.He is nr 1 in Citroen and has to drive all rallies. Only medical reason and Force Majore is acceptable (e.g. Mikko disappears into the forest and no-one cannot find him in two weeks). Dream on.
That's right, if Kris runs in GB, it would be probably in Sordo's place.
Though I don't understand this rule that you can't change your nr. 1 driver, what is the point of it? Maybe it's obvious and I don't see it :p

[bluuford]

The point is simple.Then there is at least one driver in each team to fight for the drivers championship.Otherwise teams might think about manufaturers crown and changes their driver line-up from rally to rally. But with Mikko, it is getting rediculous;-)

[noel157]

I wonder if Meeke is indeed totally out of the picture for 2014?
Hopefully some more news during Spain.

[skarderud]

Is it possible that the main team is kubica and meeke, with a jr.wrc or wrc2 team with some young guns?
Matton said couple of weeks ago, that they want to develope some new drivers..

[BleAivano]

Is it possible that the main team is kubica and meeke, with a jr.wrc or wrc2 team with some young guns?
Matton said couple of weeks ago, that they want to develope some new drivers..

Kubica to M-sport?

Colin Clark ?@voiceofrally 38s

More interesting news about Robert Kubica this morning. Rumour is he’s close to a deal with
M-Sport for full season in WRC car in 2014. https://twitter.com/voiceofrally/status ... 4213538816 (https://twitter.com/voiceofrally/status/390422244213538816)

[skarderud]

Is it possible that the main team is kubica and meeke, with a jr.wrc or wrc2 team with some young guns?
Matton said couple of weeks ago, that they want to develope some new drivers..

Kubica to M-sport?

Colin Clark ?@voiceofrally 38s

More interesting news about Robert Kubica this morning. Rumour is he’s close to a deal with
M-Sport for full season in WRC car in 2014. https://twitter.com/voiceofrally/status ... 4213538816 (https://twitter.com/voiceofrally/status/390422244213538816)


Lot's of shakin' around in M-sport before 2014?

[Franky]

Is it possible that the main team is kubica and meeke, with a jr.wrc or wrc2 team with some young guns?
Matton said couple of weeks ago, that they want to develope some new drivers..

Kubica to M-sport?

Colin Clark ?@voiceofrally 38s

More interesting news about Robert Kubica this morning. Rumour is he’s close to a deal with
M-Sport for full season in WRC car in 2014. https://twitter.com/voiceofrally/status ... 4213538816 (https://twitter.com/voiceofrally/status/390422244213538816)


Lot's of shakin' around in M-sport before 2014?

Or they will just have more cars/teams

[makinen_fan]

http://www.maxrally.com/2013/10/24/matt ... amous-five (http://www.maxrally.com/2013/10/24/matton-reveals-his-famous-five)


Speaking at the pre-event press conference for the Catalunya Rally in Salou this evening, Matton confirmed the five drivers are current employees Mikko Hirvonen and Dani Sordo, Citroen’s WRC 2 champion elect Robert Kubica, M-Sport’s Mads Ostberg and Kris Meeke, who crashed on his two appearances with the French firm earlier this season but remains highly regarded by Matton.

“Part of the strategy is to bring new talent to the World Rally Championship,” said Matton. “We want one driver with the new talent and that is why we speak to the drivers who have never won a rally or have not been for a long time in the WRC. We hope to have one [driver announced] before Rally GB, and the other I won’t say when the decision comes. But for sure I need a leader. I hope it will be my first choice and I hope I can make the announcement.”

Oh dear, who is the leader he is referring to from the five names mentioned above. If he goes with either Mikko, Mads or Dani, they will definitely disappoint as leaders, and the other two have still are still a big unknown in terms of consistent performance with WRCars...

[RS]

Ostberg? Really?

[Eli]

http://www.maxrally.com/2013/11/18/the-maxrally-gb-wrap
real brain teaser for next year, any suggestions anyone? to who might Citroen pick for next year??

[N.O.T]

are you like that in your every day life as well ?

[Eli]

no,it's just anoying that no one knows what who will be driving where.

[Franky]

no,it's just anoying that no one knows what who will be driving where.

Unless you're one of the drivers on the candidates list, I don't see any reason to be annoyed

[N.O.T]

no,it's just anoying that no one knows what who will be driving where.

Decisions are not easy when they involve money (and lots of it int he case of motorsport) so my suggestion is that you have to be a bit patient when it comes to calendars, team drivers ects...

i assure you if anyone finds out he will post it, so there is no reason to ask the same hypothetical questions again and again.

[Eli]

sure, no problem, thanx:)

[Prisoner Monkeys]

Oh dear, who is the leader he is referring to from the five names mentioned above. If he goes with either Mikko, Mads or Dani, they will definitely disappoint as leaders, and the other two have still are still a big unknown in terms of consistent performance with WRCars...
The problem Matton faces is that he has to pick the best of a bad bunch. Not that any of the candidates on offer are particularly bad, but he either has to take either a solid number-two driver or an untried and untested newcomer. His only real option is to go for both: one driver who can get consistent results, and one driver who might be able to spring a surprise.

They really are the architects of their own conundrum here. They were so Loeb-centric that they have not had to deal with this issue before - Loeb has always been a part of the team, even when they were running a single Xsara at selected events in the late 1990s. And look at his team-mates through the years: Puras, Bugalski, Duval and Pons. To be brutally honest, they were only ever there to make up the numbers because Loeb was strong enough to carry the team alone. When they finally woke up to the reality that Loeb would not be around forever, they picked up Ogier and then mishandled the situation and drove him away. Then they picked Hirvonen, who never seemed to fit in, lost Neuville to Ford, and settled for Sordo.

The one thing Citroen have going for them is that they can afford to go all in next year. With the move to the WTCC, they are scaling back their WRC commitments to two full-time cars, and they may leave once the next generation of cars gets introduced. So they can take someone completely out of left field - Evans? - and if it works, find a new superstar and re-commit to the championship. But if it doesn't, then they have a ready-made excuse to leave.

[Sulland]

How many guessed Meeke + Østberg for Citroen in 2014?

[N]

Didn't see that one coming. It seems that Citroen is scaling back it's investment in rallying?? Taking on two drivers which won't be expensive.
Where is Hirvonen going next year? Sordo?

[EightGear]

Didn't see that one coming. It seems that Citroen is scaling back it's investment in rallying?? Taking on two drivers which won't be expensive.
Where is Hirvonen going next year? Sordo?

Ford and Hyundai most probably.

[Eli]

well done for meeke, after a decade since Colin Mcrae the last uk driver there...

[A FONDO]

How many guessed Meeke + Østberg for Citroen in 2014?
I guessed Ostberg and Sordo. But Sordo found a better team and Citroen had no other choice than Meeke.

[RS]

How many guessed Meeke + Østberg for Citroen in 2014?
I guessed Ostberg and Sordo. But Sordo found a better team and Citroen had no other choice than Meeke.

It's a bit early to judge Hyundai as a better team than Citroen don't you think?

And Meeke has been in the running for a Citroen seat for a long time so he was hardly "leftovers"

[COD]

Meeke got his drive because Abu Dhabi are fans of him for some reason. And Östberg because he is cheap / salary from own sponsors

[EightGear]

Meeke got his drive because Abu Dhabi are fans of him for some reason. And Östberg because he is cheap / salary from own sponsors

Who would you have taken?

[Nornbugger]

Meeke got his drive because Abu Dhabi are fans of him for some reason. And Östberg because he is cheap / salary from own sponsors


maybe its because he isnt 'beige' looking forward to the '14 season, Ogier may get to be champion again but there will be a lot of other things to follow.

[Plan9]

Is Citroen scaling back its rally commitments in favour of the WTCC or are they funding both projects with the same amount? As the WRC program now has Abu Dhabi, would it fair to think the WTCC program will have private funding?

[litifeta]

Meeke and Ostberg. So with the reduced chassis these year do they get 3 each?

If so, Meeke will use his share before halfway in the season.

[Zeakiwi]

The three chassis might last a bit longer if the team wraps the car in bubblewrap.

Who will be the back up driver if Meeke or Ostberg have mountain bike or 'a slip in the shower' etc problems ?

Chardonnet, Paolo Andreucci, Duval , Breen???

[stefanvv]

If so, Meeke will use his share before halfway in the season.
It's not a big problem, he'll just get 5 min penalties for each new one :D

[noel157]

Matton asked Meeke to drive Citroen for 2014 in early October:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 28076.html (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/motor-sport/citroen-drive-a-dream-come-true-for-kris-meeke-29828076.html)

[er88]

Matton asked Meeke to drive Citroen for 2014 in early October:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 28076.html (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/motor-sport/citroen-drive-a-dream-come-true-for-kris-meeke-29828076.html)

Didn't realise it was that early. Very well kept secret then!! Shows how highly he is rated by Matton and most knowledgable rally people. Must be a great boost to his confidence that he is the man citroen wanted to lead there team next year. Ostberg was good 2nd driver choice in the end... ;)

[Prisoner Monkeys]

Didn't see that one coming. It seems that Citroen is scaling back it's investment in rallying??
They have already confirmed as much. They're entering into the World Touring Car Championship next year, so most of their efforts are going to be focused on that championship.

[lewalcindor]

I remember reading somewhere that PSA was planning to position Peugeot as the rally brand and Citroen as the touring car brand in the near future. I'm not sure if this is true or not.

[noel157]

Meeke interview with onboard and other test footage (and another Irish man on RMC):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/motorsport/25356551

[RS]

Well, early days but it seems Citroen made a good decision to make a fresh start with their drivers for 2014. Meeke did a great job on Monte and Ostberg was better than I thought, maybe he really will click with the Citroen.

Ostberg should be aiming for a podum at least in Sweden. I guess the podium there will be fought between him, Ogier, Latvala and Hirvonen.

[N.O.T]

Well, early days but it seems Citroen made a good decision to make a fresh start with their drivers for 2014. Meeke did a great job on Monte and Ostberg was better than I thought, maybe he really will click with the Citroen.

Ostberg should be aiming for a podum at least in Sweden. I guess the podium there will be fought between him, Ogier, Latvala and Hirvonen.

too early for all that...

[RS]

Well, early days but it seems Citroen made a good decision to make a fresh start with their drivers for 2014. Meeke did a great job on Monte and Ostberg was better than I thought, maybe he really will click with the Citroen.

Ostberg should be aiming for a podum at least in Sweden. I guess the podium there will be fought between him, Ogier, Latvala and Hirvonen.

too early for all that...

It's a good start considering they are Loebless now.

[Barreis]

Matton will hardly be happy without wins...