THE C3 WRC CLAIMS ITS FIRST STAGE WIN ON THE COL DE TURINI

The schedule of the final leg served up the mouth-watering prospect of two runs over the Col de Turini, with repeat passes on the Lucéram – Col St Roch and La Bollène Vésubie – Peira Cava stages.

When it came to choosing their tyres for the loop, the drivers were uncertain what to do due to the weather forecast, which suggested there would be snowfall towards the end of the morning. In the Citroën Racing Team, Stéphane Lefebvre opted to go with four Michelin Pilot Sport S5s (soft tyres), and two Pilot Alpin Q4L/R1 winter tyres (no studs) as spares. Craig Breen opted for a mix of two Pilot Sport S5s and two SS5s (super-soft tyres), and two Pilot Alpin winter tyres (no studs) as spares.

On SS15, Stéphane Lefebvre and Gabin Moreau's tyre choice paid off. The French crew produced a superb performance as they tackled the Col de Turini, which saw them record the C3 WRC's very first stage win.

After SS16 was cancelled on safety grounds, Stéphane demonstrated his acrobatic skills on the second pass. As the snow settled, he kept his wits about him to ensure his C3 WRC stayed on the road despite running on slick tyres. He then set the second fastest time on the Power Stage and climbed two places in the overall standings to finish ninth.

Fourth at the start of Sunday’s leg, Craig Breen and Scott Martin were unable to compete with Dani Sordo's 2017 model in their previous generation car. The Spaniard moved ahead of them, but finishing in the top-five was nonetheless one of the performances of the rally.

In the Drivers' World Championship, Craig Breen and Stéphane Lefebvre are positioned fifth and seventh respectively. The points scored by Stéphane Lefebvre mean that Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT end the opening weekend fourth in the Manufacturers' standings.

Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle were not able to contest the final leg. The no. 7 C3 WRC was hit by another vehicle on the road section to Monaco, leaving the car with a damaged rear right-hand wheel and the crew were left with no option but to retire.

The WRC returns in a few weeks' time at Rally Sweden, on 9-12 February.

Yves Matton, Citroën Racing Team Principal:"We were expecting a better result from this rally, especially after testing, which seemed to go well. After a weekend that didn't go according to plan, the main things we can be pleased about are the consistent performance and pace of Craig, and the times set by Stéphane on the final day. That shows that the C3 WRC has genuine potential. It wasn't our rally, but we still feel positive about the upcoming rallies, starting in Sweden."

Stéphane Lefebvre: "The rally finished a lot better than it started! It was a morale-boosting finish to the rally with two good times, including a stage win on the Col de Turini. We made the right call on tyre choice and I felt confident in conditions that I know well. At the same time, I didn't want to take any risks because it was important to make sure we scored points for the team."

Craig Breen: "The conditions were unbelievably difficult. I guess that's why the Col de Turini has become such an iconic test. I did wonder whether or not to go with the snow tyres for the final test, but I kept the slicks and it became more and more difficult the further we went on the stage. But we managed to make it to the end and stay in the top five, which is a great result."

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

ANDREW DIDLICK 02476 884309 andrew.didlick@mpsa.com
JOHN HANDCOCK 02476 884548 john.handcock@citroen.com
KATIE READ 02476 884570 katie.read@citroen.com
MICHAEL ARNOLD 02476 884580 michael.arnold@citroen.com
CRAIG MORROW 02476 884261 craig.morrow@mpsa.com

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The Citroën brand:

Citroën harnesses creative flair and technology to enhance well-being. Since 1919 Citroën has made a major contribution to putting cars within reach of the general public, providing practical and purposeful answers to the questions arising in each era. Citroën cars today place a premium on design, comfort and useful technology. With 10,000 customer contact points and presence in over 90 countries, Citroën sold 1.2 million vehicles worldwide in 2015. The brand has also amassed eight manufacturers’ titles in the WRC and three Manufacturers’ FIA World Championship titles from the 2014, 2015 and 2016* WTCC seasons. *Subject to official confirmation of results by the FIA