EIGHT WINS ON THE TROT FOR LOEB

After monopolising the first two places in the opening stage, the Citroën Total World Rally Team C4 WRCs gave the French team another double when the flag fell to signal the end of Rally Germany. Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena racked up their eighth consecutive victory in the event setting a new record. Dani Sordo and Diego Vallejo had a fault-free race on their first outing together and

rounded off the team’s triumph. This event also saw the 32nd win by the C4 WRC, equalling the Xsara WRC’s score putting it among the most successful cars in the history of rallying.

After a couple of very testing days, the last leg of Rally Germany was much shorter with 85 timed kilometres. The crews were back among the Moselle vine yards and covered the Dhrontal and Moselwein stages twice. The rally finished with the Circus Maximus Super Stage in the streets of Trèves.

Sébastien Loeb and Dani Sordo, comfortably installed in the first two places in their C4 WRCs, left the Trèves service park on Pirelli P-Zero soft tyres. The Citroën Total World Rally Team drivers opted for steadiness rather than sheer speed as their only aim was to see the finish. “It’s not always obvious, but we wanted to consolidate our positions insofar as it was possible,” said Loeb in the mid-leg service halt. “On soft rubber we had more grip on the few damp sections and we were ready to cope with possible showers.”

“The outcome was decided yesterday in the Panzerplatte stage,” confirmed Sordo. “Today, we had nothing to gain and everything to lose. The double that looked on the cards would be a great coup for Citroën in the context of the World Championship for Manufacturers.”

Like the first run though the stages, the second one enabled the Citroën drivers to make the double an ever greater reality. In front of a crowd that was rooting for him, Loeb put on a show in the Circus Maximus stage and crossed the finishing line victorious for the eight consecutive time. “It’s always a great pleasure to win here. I love driving the C4 WRC on asphalt and it’s all the more motivating when you’re in front of such a large, enthusiastic crowd!” laughed the six-time world champion. “Once again I was able to count on a perfect, quick and reliable car that really got the best out of the tyres, This is my fifth win in 2010 and brings me one step closer to my ultimate aim – my seventh world title on the trot.”

“I’m very happy with this rally, my first with Diego Vallejo in the right-hand seat,” added Sordo, second in Rally Germany for the third time. “Sébastien was just a tad quicker than me on a regular basis. There was nothing between us on the first day until he made the break in the longest stage. This being said, I met the team’s expectations and helped it open up a bigger gap in the Manufacturers’ Championship.”

“Citroën monopolised the podium as in Mexico, Portugal and Bulgaria,” added Olivier Quesnel, the Citroën Racing Team Principal. “Of course, our only aim in this rally was victory, but it’s always a very powerful feeling. For Citroën Racing, the fact that the C4 WRC has equalled the Xsara’s score is also a big thrill. Thirty-two successes in fifty-two rallies – and counting!

STORY BY CITROEN