Citroën decision on the WTCC due later this month
Citroën’s decision on whether it will enter next year’s FIA World Touring Car Championship is due before the end of the month, with the FIA also due to make its call on the technical regulations which are used next season next week.
The French manufacturer announced last September that it was evaluating entering the WTCC from 2014, with Sébastien Loeb linked with the move after stepping down from full-time competition in the WRC at the end of 2012. The nine-time WRC champion has committed to a mixed programme of motorsport in 2013, with four WRC events for Citroën, competing with his own team in the FIA GT Series, as well as racing in selected rounds of the Porsche Supercup as well as the Pikes Peak Hill Climb event for Citroën’s sister company Peugeot.
“The final decision is expected in late June,” Citroën Racing Team Principal Yves Matton told AutoNews.
“Our managing director Frédéric Banzet is definitely convinced of the benefits of participation by Citroën in the WTCC.”
The manufacturer has already tested a prototype version of a touring car, based on the DS3 WRC, driven by both Loeb and last year’s WTCC runner-up Alain Menu.
If Citroën commits to the 2014 WTCC season it will be the third manufacturer confirmed to be on the grid, in addition to the continued presence of Honda and Lada in the Championship.
