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| Full name | Citroën Total World Rally Team |
|---|---|
| Base |  Versailles, France |
| Team principal(s) | Guy Fréquelin (2003–2007) Olivier Quesnel (2008–2011) Yves Matton (2012–2017) Pierre Budar (2018–2019) |
| Chassis | Citroën Xsara WRC Citroën C4 WRC Citroën DS3 WRC Citroën C3 WRC |
| Tyres | Michelin |
| World Rally Championship history | |
| Debut | 2003 Monte Carlo Rally |
| Last event | 2019 Rally Catalunya |
| Manufacturers' Championships | 8 (2003–2005,2008–2012) |
| Drivers' Championships | 9 (2004–2012) |
| Rally wins | 102 |
TheCitroën Total World Rally Team was theCitroën factory backed entry into theWorld Rally Championship (WRC), run byCitroën Racing.
In 1998, following its withdrawal fromRally raid competition, Citroën Sport began developing theXsara Kit Car. Citroën entered theFrench Rally Championship in 1998 withPhilippe Bugalski, who won driver's titles in both 1998 and 1999; andSébastien Loeb who won the driver's title in 2001.[1][2] In addition, Citroën also entered the car on asphalt rounds of theWorld Rally Championship. Bugalski finished fifth on the car's WRC debut onRally Catalunya in April 1998, whileJesús Puras retired with engine problems. OnTour de Corse,Fabien Doenlen finished seventh andPatrick Magaud finished tenth whilst Bugalski retired with broken suspension. OnRallye Sanremo, Magaud finished 11th, Puras retired with engine problems and Bugalski crashed out.
In 1999, Bugalski and Puras were entered to the three asphalt rallies again, with Citroën also entering the2-litre World Cup for Manufacturers. Bugalski won not only his class, but also the overall rallies of Catalunya and Corsica, beating the more powerful and four-wheel-driveWorld Rally Cars. Puras finished runner-up in Corsica. These results are credited with influencing the FIA's decision to ban the class and cup from the WRC at the end of that season.[3]
Citroën Sport converted the Xsara Kit Cars into four-wheel drive World Rally Cars, intending to contest the 2001 World Rally Championship for Manufacturers, however the owners of the company, PSA Group, forbid the application.[citation needed] TheCitroën Xsara T4 WRC was entered into selected rounds of the WRC, debuting atRally Catalunya. Bugalski would have won but for a time penalty applied in dubious circumstances.[4]Jesús Puras won in Corsica, while at San Remo Sébastien Loeb finished second on his first rally in a WRC car.[5]
For the 2002 season, Citroën contested 8 of the 14 WRC rounds. However, owner PSA still refused to allow them to enter the manufacturer's championship facing their other marque Peugeot.[citation needed]. Sébastien Loeb andco-driverDaniel Elena provisionally won the season-openingMonte Carlo Rally but due to an illegal tyre change, received a time penalty demoting him to second. He later won his first rally driving the Xsara atRallye Deutschland. The team also got a third-place finish on theSafari Rally withThomas Radstrom.[5]
Citroën Total World Rally Team contested their first full year in the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers in 2003, having previously competed occasionally asAutomobiles Citroën. They signed former World Champion driversColin McRae andCarlos Sainz fromFord to join Loeb. Bugalski was also entered in a fourth car on asphalt rallies. The team won the first event of the season, Rallye Monte Carlo, with a 1–2–3 finish with Loeb winning ahead of McRae and Sainz. Loeb also wonRallye Deutschland andRallye Sanremo. Sainz won theRally of Turkey. In their first full year, the team took the Manufacturers' championship, while Loeb finished second toPetter Solberg in the Drivers' championship. Sainz finished third and McRae was seventh.[5]
Citroën reduced their team for 2004, due to new WRC rules that manufacturer teams could only enter two drivers at each rally. Loeb and Sainz were the two drivers retained, and McRae was dropped. Loeb won theMonte Carlo Rally, theSwedish Rally, theCyprus Rally, theRally of Turkey,Rallye Deutschland andRally Australia. Sainz won atRally Argentina. Loeb won his first Drivers' championship. The team took the Manufacturers' championship. Sainz won onRally Argentina and finished fourth in the standings.[5]
For the 2005 season, the primary drivers were Loeb andFrançois Duval. Due to a string of poor performances, Duval was replaced by Sainz for Turkey and Greece. Loeb won the rallies of Monte Carlo,New Zealand,Italia Sardinia, Cyprus, Turkey,Acropolis, Argentina, Deutschland,France and Catalunya on his way to winning the Drivers' Championship. Duval took his debut win at the Rally Australia. Citroën took the Manufacturers' championship.[5]
For 2006, Citroën WRT took a one-year sabbatical, while developing a new car for 2007. Loeb was joined byXavier Pons and third-driverDani Sordo at the semi-privateer teamKronos Citroën, which received significant funding from Citroën Sport running their Xsara WRC cars. Sordo was soon promoted to second driver over Pons. Meanwhile, Loeb again won the Drivers' title, despite missing events in Turkey, Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain after breaking his arm in a mountain biking accident. He was replaced by former world championColin McRae for Turkey, who was then replaced by Pons for Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain.[5]
For the 2007 season, Citroën officially re-entered the World Rally Championship with the all newC4 WRC, driven by Loeb and Sordo.[5] Loeb diced withFord'sMarcus Grönholm throughout the year, only securing his record-equaling fourth straight Drivers' title at the final event, theRally GB.[6] Loeb won inMonte Carlo, Mexico, Portugal, Argentina, Germany, Spain,France andIreland.[5] Sordo ended the season in 4th place. At the end of the season,Guy Fréquelin resigned as team principal, and was replaced by Olivier Quesnel.
Loeb and Sordo continued as the team's drivers,[5] whereas drinks companyRed Bull joined the team as main sponsor. At the2008 Monte Carlo Rally, Loeb won, while Sordo suffered engine trouble, and was forced to retire, rejoining under the Superally rules.[7]
The season culminated in the team winning both the drivers' (Loeb) and manufacturers' titles ahead ofMikko Hirvonen andFord respectively. In a typically dominant year after the retirement of Grönholm, Loeb's eleven wins for the season broke his existing 2005 record (10) for the greatest number of wins for one driver in an individual season, as well as bringing his own career total of WRC rally victories to 47. A still winless Sordo, with 65 points, nevertheless accomplished third in the drivers' standings.
Loeb and Sordo were retained for the 2009 season. Loeb won the opening five events of the season, but suffered a mid-season drop in form and fell behind Mikko Hirvonen in the standings. However, he won the title by one point after winning the final two rounds of the season. Sordo finished third in the standings, scoring seven podium finishes, but still no wins.
Loeb and Sordo were retained again for the 2010 season. Loeb won in Mexico, Jordan, Turkey and Bulgaria.Citroën Junior Team driver and Citroën protégéSébastien Ogier won in Portugal, increasing the pressure on the still-winless Dani Sordo. Loeb took the driver's crown for the 7th time in a row, while Sordo managed 5th. Alongside Loeb, Sordo and Ogier's individual performances, Citroën took yet another manufacturer title.
Loeb was joined by Ogier permanently for 2011, as he replaced Sordo. Ogier and Loeb took 5 wins each with the brand newCitroën DS3 WRC. Loeb finished again on top spot retaining his title for his 8th consecutive time while Ogier finished 3rd in the standings, Citroën also took the manufacturer crown.
After Sébastien Ogier's departure toVolkswagen Motorsport,Mikko Hirvonen, released by the departure ofFord Motor Company, was signed by Citroën for 2012, driving the second Citroën DS3 WRC alongside Sébastien Loeb. Loeb took his first victory of the season on the 80thMonte Carlo Rally, and also secured wins in Mexico, Argentina and Greece. Hirvonen also won the Rally de Portugal but he was disqualified due to his clutch and turbo being deemed illegal.
Red Bull's sponsorship moved to Volkswagen Motorsport as the Citroën team began a new long term partnership withAbu Dhabi Racing. The season started off with a win at the Monte Carlo Rally for Sébastien Loeb, who was only competing in 4 rallies in what was due to be his final WRC season, whilst teammates Hirvonen and Sordo placed 5th and 3rd. In Sweden, Hirvonen and Sordo both crashed out, and Loeb narrowly missed out on another win as he was denied by fellow Frenchman Ogier in theVolkswagen Polo R WRC. Loeb was absent at Rally Guanajuato México, meanwhile Hirvonen finished second with Sordo in fourth.
During the next rally in Portugal, Sordo clipped a tree that ended his challenge whilst battling with Ogier. Hirvonen inherited a successive 2nd-place finish. The 33rd Rally Argentina would see the return of Loeb, who took a commanding final victory. During the first stage of the Acropolis rally, Hirvonen's steering rack failed and came loose resulting in Sordo leading a lone challenge for Citroën, eventually finishing second.
In Sardinia, the team struggled to take the challenge to Volkswagen, Hirvonen'sDNF and Sordo's 4th place was a disappointing result. Because of a disappointing first half to the season, the team decided to give UlstermanKris Meeke a chance with the third Citroën DS3 WRC in Finland. Sordo finished 5th, and Hirvonen 3rd despite a high speed, 6th gear spin. Meeke was on the pace of the WRC regulars even though he was held up byQatar World Rally Team'sEvgeny Novikov, although his rally ended when he rolled at high speed with only one stage to run. However, his performance left Sordo under pressure to perform to avoid losing his seat with the team.
Hirvonen finished 3rd on tarmac in Germany, his least favourite surface. Sordo was involved in rally long battle with BelgianThierry Neuville and FinnJari-Matti Latvala which lasted to the final stage. Sordo held a slim lead, but held on to win his first ever WRC event. It also meant that Citroën were the only team to win ADAC Rallye Deutschland since its addition to the WRC in 2002. Meeke competed in Australia in place of Sordo. Hirvonen had another consistent rally, but dropped from 2nd to 3rd on the final stage due to a puncture. Meeke showed strong pace again only to destroy his car after rolling down a steep bank.
Rallye de France-Alsace was due to be the final rally of Sébastien Loeb's WRC career. The rally would see many different leaders and a rally long battle between Loeb, Sordo, Ogier, Latvala and Neuville. Loeb's rally ended when he rolled the car into trees on the final morning. Sordo came close to another win but missed out to Ogier.
Rally de Catalunya would again see Sordo challenging for victory but the front left suspension broke on his car. Hirvonen managed to finish 3rd on the event. On the final event of the season, Wales Rally GB, recently crownedWRC2 champion and ex-F1 racerRobert Kubica made his WRC car debut with the team. He rolled during the Hafren stage on Friday morning, and subsequently rolled again on the Dyfi stage on Saturday morning. Mikko Hirvonen also had an accident on the Myherin stage which destroyed the car, although he and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen were uninjured. Sordo had a disappointing final rally for the Citroën Team finishing 7th after a time penalty early on in the event.
Norwegian driverMads Østberg,Kris Meeke from Northern Ireland, andKhalid Al Qassimi from UAE, competed for Citroën in 2014 driving the DS3 WRC.[8]
Citroën Racing finished second in the Championship, collecting eight podiums during the season. It was their first season without a win after 13 successful seasons in a row.
Østberg and Meeke continued as factory drivers. Loeb made a guest appearance in the Monte Carlo rally. He challenged Ogier for win at first but punctured his tyre. Also Citroën's protégéStéphane Lefebvre drove for manufacturer points in Rally Australia, replacing injured Østberg, and he also drove a few rallies in the third factory car. Al-Qassimi drove several races during the season again.
Citroën's best result of the season was Rally Argentina. All three VW drivers retired due to engine problems and Meeke scored his first WRC victory. Østberg finished second and Al-Qassimi scored his season-best sixth place.
After the season, Citroën announced that they would withdraw from the 2016 championship, to use all their resources to developing their 2017 car.
In preparation of the 2017 season, Citroën took a sabbatical to developC3 WRC. Meanwhile, semi-worksAbu Dhabi Total WRT participated in eight European rallies. Meeke, who had signed a three-year contract with Citroën, Lefebvre and Al-Qassimi drove some races, as well asCraig Breen.
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding missing information.(November 2019) |
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding missing information.(November 2019) |
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding missing information.(November 2019) |
The car for the 2019 season was aCitroën C3 WRC driven bySébastien Ogier andEsapekka Lappi withJulien Ingrassia andJanne Ferm as their co-drivers.
At the end of the season, Ogier left the team due to a performance clause in his contract. Citroën announced that they would be leaving the series due to no top-level drivers being available, ending the brand's involvement in the rally racing landscape.
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