Reactions – Citroen all smiles thanks to Ford

On the evening of the second day of the race, Sébastien Loeb, Daniel Elena, and the Citroën C4 WRC No. 1 are leading the 5th ‘Rally Mexico’ with more than a minute’s lead over their main competitors.

With 157.32 kilometers against the clock, this second stage was the longest of the rally. The double pass in the three long stages of over 20 kilometers each preceded the two super specials in León that concluded the day.

The arid sierras and their roads winding through the cacti were the perfect setting to reenact a great classic of western films. Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena wrote the script themselves, turning into “pistoleros.” Chasing the leader with only a 9.6-second delay, the Citroën team initially took advantage of their C4 WRC’s competitiveness to take the reins of the race.

« Our position on the road combined with the adjustments made to our Citroën’s settings allowed us to attack hard this morning », Loeb recounted. After gaining back the 9.5 seconds in SS9, the No. 1 team struck again in the next stage and this time took the lead. They finished the morning by increasing their lead to 5.8 seconds.

Aware that this slim lead left them in the sights of their opponents, the reigning World Champions didn’t let up during the afternoon. « Behind the wheel of a car with which my feeling has improved since yesterday, we tried to continue widening the gap », explained the C4 pilot. « It was important to take the lead to better handle the sweeping that awaits us tomorrow. We now have a little more than a minute’s margin. However, I remain cautious; victory is far from assured. »

The numerous traps set by the challenging ‘Rally Mexico’ course, the first gravel stage of the season, took their toll on Dani Sordo and Marc Martí yesterday. Starting again this morning as part of the SupeRally, the Spanish duo had a splendid second stage. On the track laid out by their teammates, they stood out on numerous occasions. “I am very happy with our day and this makes me even more regretful,” Sordo reported. “We found settings that suit me well and the feeling with the C4 has been excellent. One day of racing remains and there is still hope to score a ‘Constructors’ point for Citroën.”

The progression of events today can only satisfy me, explained Olivier Quesnel. As we hoped yesterday, Seb and Daniel were in a good position to try to take the first place. They knew how to take advantage of the work done on their car by the Citroën Sport team to win their duel and secure a reasonable margin. It’s not won yet, though. Tomorrow’s stage may hold surprises. Dani and Marc’s performance is promising for the rest of the season. Several times, they rose to the level of their teammates. Without the broken part after a collision in ES1, forcing them to withdraw, they would probably be able to fight for the podium. It’s just a setback for now…

According to a press release from Citroen Sport