Citroën looking forward to new chapter in the WTCC

At the launch of their 2014 WTCC and WRC programmes at Citroën Racing’s headquarters in Versailles, Team Principal Yves Matton has said that the French manufacturer is looking forward to a new chapter in the company’s history, as it adds circuit racing to its rallying pedigree.

With the confirmation of the full-time three driver line-up of Yvan Muller, Sébastien Loeb and José María López at Citroën for the 2014 WTCC, as well as a fourth car later in the year for a Chinese driver, the team will join the Championship as it ushers in its most significant change in technical regulations since the WTCC began in 2005.

“The challenge awaiting us in the WTCC is also very motivating, but we need to learn about everything in this discipline,” said Matton. “We feel that we have worked well on the Citroën C-Elysée WTCC, even though we have no real basis for comparison given that the regulations are new for all of the competitors. Yvan Muller’s assessment, who believes the car has been well designed, has reassured us in terms of the direction we have taken. We can’t wait to go up against our rivals on track to get confirmation. Alongside Yvan and Sébastien Loeb, we are delighted to confirm our third driver, José-Maria López.”

The French manufacturer will continue to compete in the FIA World Rally Championship, which utilises the same 1.6 litre turbocharged engine regulations as are used in the WTCC, allowing the sharing of technology between the two very different types of cars.

“After spending the last ten years or so at the top of the WRC, we are excited about the idea of writing a new chapter in our shared history with Sébastien Loeb,” added Matton. “We chose the WTCC because it is a form of racing with controlled costs, a genuinely-worldwide race calendar and a lot of media coverage. As was the case in cross country/rally-raid and in WRC, we have attempted to secure the best drivers for our team. Yvan Muller has been heavily involved in development of the car, and has been one the driving forces behind the progress we have made. But we also have high expectations of José-Maria López, who has proven to be very comfortable at the wheel of the C-Elysée WTCC during his first tests.”