- and OMV’s decision to pull the plug on its sponsorship activities in international and national rally sports, something that leaves Kronos looking for a new title sponsor for 2008.
News from the Manufacturers' teams:
Citroen Total WRT:
[
Sebastien Loeb, car #1 and
Daniel Sordo, car #2]
Loeb out to hit the ground running; Sordo keen to help team-mate.
Citroen team leader, Sebastien Loeb has said that he will have to go for it from the off on the Rally Catalunya.
Loeb currently trails BP Ford’s Marcus Gronholm by ten points in the race for the 2007 drivers’ title and with only five rounds left the Citroen man is more than aware that time is starting to run out for him to regain the momentum.
Speaking ahead of the twelfth round in the 2007 WRC, Seb stated that the C4 WRC should be good in Spain as it was on the other two asphalt events this season in Germany and Monte Carlo, both of which he won.
"We will need to hit the ground running. The pace is usually very fast and it can be difficult to pull out a real gap, so it will be important to be able to push from the word go,” he stated.
“The Citroën C4 WRC was very competitive on the Monte in January, and again in August in Germany. Hopefully, that trend will continue over the Rally Catalunya's smooth stages."
Dani Sordo meanwhile has pledged that he will do all he can to try and take points off Gronholm and help Loeb in his bid to take the title.
Dani has done the Rally Catalunya four times to date and in addition to taking the Junior honours in 2005, he also notched up his first ever podium finish at the ‘senior’ level in Spain last year, when he brought his Xsara WRC home in second place – only his fourth outing in a World Rally Car.
Sordo now has loads more experience and 18 months on is aware that he needs a similar result, not only to help Seb, but also to give Citroen a chance in the manufacturers’.
