Loeb, Sordo and Citroen straight to the point in Argentina!

At the end of a grueling three-day match, held in very difficult conditions of rain and fog, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena won with their Citroën C4 WRC. On stages covered in mud and in front of thousands of spectators, Dani Sordo and Marc Martí finished in third place. In South America, the Citroën-Total team achieved an excellent performance with Sébastien taking the lead in the ‘Drivers’ championship and Citroën coming within three points of the leader in the ‘Constructors’ championship.

The rain was once again present on this final day of the race. Fog also made its appearance on the heights of ‘Giulio Cesare’ and ‘El Condor’, the only two ‘real’ stages scheduled for today. A final run in the Córdoba super special stage then preceded the final podium in Villa Carlos Paz.

In the manner of Diego Maradona when he wore the No. 10 jersey for the Argentine national team, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena knew how to dribble past traps, lob obstacles, and catch their opponents off guard to lead their Citroën C4 WRC to victory. As a privileged passenger of Seb during the shakedown, “El Pibe de Oro” was able to assess the reigning world champion’s technique and realize that juggling isn’t limited to a ball!

Multiplying the steering wheel maneuvers, Seb managed to handle the difficulty of having to use Pirelli tires whose compound, fixed by regulations, proved to be too hard on these damp dirt roads. Achieved in circumstances where reduced visibility and non-existent grip were combined, it’s only right that this 39th world victory brings joy.

« It really wasn’t easy », summarized the Alsatian. « On these very tricky roads, we had to double our concentration. We also benefited from a perfect Citroën C4, both efficient and reliable. We hoped to regain the lead in the ‘Drivers’ championship and score points for Citroën… Both objectives were achieved! » A Citroën wins for the fifth consecutive time in Argentina and Sébastien becomes the record-holder for victories, with four consecutive wins.

« It would have been so easy to get trapped! », exclaimed Dani Sordo just before stepping onto the final podium. « All the team’s work and the possibility for Citroën to catch up with our rivals could have been jeopardized at every turn, as this rally was so difficult. I am satisfied with this third place with performances that meet my expectations. »

With two crews on the podium, Sébastien Loeb taking the lead in the ‘Drivers’ championship, and Citroën closing in on the leaders in the ‘Constructors’ category, Olivier Quesnel had every reason to be pleased. The overall result is excellent. When you look at how the race unfolded, it becomes clear that the rally was very difficult and that our two crews are among the few who did not make any mistakes. They also did not experience any mechanical problems, except for the steering rack issue that slowed Dani down. Reliable drivers and dependable C4s allow us to lead the ‘Drivers’ championship and make up much of our deficit in the ‘Constructors’ category. We need to keep working hard to leave nothing to chance and replicate the same performance at the next event in Jordan. I also congratulate Conrad Rautenbach and David Senior, who, after a strong performance, finished fourth in the Citroën C4 WRC backed by the PH-Sport team with assistance from Citroën Sport Technologies technicians. Conrad scores his first points in the World Championship, which was far from easy in such conditions.

According to a Citroen Sport press release