Reactions – Sordo quite alone in Swedish territory

Held in Sweden, the second round of the 2008 World Rally Championship ended today. After three days of racing, Dani Sordo/Marc Martí placed their Citroën C4 WRC in 6th position overall. They enabled Citroën to score four points in the ‘Manufacturers’ Championship’.

The unseasonably mild temperatures for the season melted the snow in the Värmland region where the event is held. The thin layer of ice that covered the paths did not withstand the repeated ‘bites’ of the studded tires for long. The surface of the special stages turned into a mix of mud and ice, unstable and very slippery. Usually popular with the drivers, the Swedish round appeared rather dull to them this time.

« It was indeed not very pleasant to drive on this road where the traps were more numerous than usual, summarized Dani Sordo. « It was impossible to know what type of surface we would be driving on. During this third stage, for example, there were more dirt sections than icy portions on the six planned stages. »

« I am satisfied with our race », added the Spaniard.

« The replacement of our engine before the rally cost us five minutes of penalties before we had even completed a single kilometer of the special stage! Faced with such initial setbacks, I set off with the intention of first gaining confidence, then gradually increasing the pace. My notes were better than last year, and my feeling kept improving. The absence of truly winter conditions probably helped me a bit as well. Our car worked perfectly, and I regularly gained positions until I reached 6th place. I bring some points to Citroën, improve my feel on sliding, our Pirelli Sottozero tires proved effective in challenging conditions… it was a good Swedish weekend… but I’m eagerly looking forward to Mexico! »

« If our financial results are not exceptional at the end of this race », explained Olivier Quesnel, « there are still good things to take away. First, the Citroën C4 WRC has proven to be competitive and reliable. Moreover, Dani and Marc’s performance bodes well for the rest of the season. Despite his lack of experience here, Dani has demonstrated his progress on a slippery surface. I particularly appreciated that he was able to put aside his penalty to lead the race we expected from him. Starting in Mexico, I hope he achieves the same race to bring even more points to Citroën. Sébastien and Daniel’s off-road excursion again proves that nothing is won in advance and that uncertainty in motorsport is significant. I trust our crew and the entire Citroën Sport team to quickly rectify the situation. »

« On the side of the Citroën Sport Technologies drivers », concluded Olivier Quesnel, « Conrad Rautenbach/David Senior in the Xsara WRC continued their learning process. For their first race with the Citroën C4 WRC, Urmo Aava/Kuldar Sikk set a goal to be 1 second per kilometer from the fastest. They finished at 8 tenths of a second, which is very satisfying and encouraging for the future. »

According to a Citroen Sport press release