Citroen confirms 07 return to WRC

After a stunning performance in the 2005 WRC, Citroen's official factory team will sit out next season. Though factory driver Sebastien Loeb will drive a Citroen Xsara in the 2006 WRC, it will be under a privateer banner.

Citroen along with PSA partner Peugeot announced earlier this year that 2005 would be its last season due to escalating costs. Chairman of the Managing Board of PSA Peugeot Citroen, Jean Martin Folz, said the program could not be justified but left the door open for a return if the world motorsport governing body FIA changed the WRC rules to contain costs.

Thanks to the new regulations recently announced Citroen says these cost considerations have been met and thus has announced it will return to the arena.

"As a result (of the regulation changes), the decision to return to the World Rally Championship was taken very quickly," said Citroen Sport Director, Guy Fréquelin.

"The new regulations allow us to meet our budget targets. There is no longer anything standing in the way of our return to the sport. For the team, for the fans and for all those who have supported us during our past three complete seasons in the World Rally Championship, this decision couldn't have come at a better time. I am delighted."

Citroen will use the 2006 season to develop its new C4-based WRC car. As stated above, Loeb will campaign the outgoing Xsara.

The hiatus comes after a stellar performance this year including a 1-2 at the weekend's Rally Catalunya in Spain. Lead driver Sebastien Loeb, with ten round wins already (including Spain but with one rally to go), has clinched the 2005 drivers title and Citroen the manufacturer's title for the third year in succession. Indeed, 2005 is the second successive twin win of drivers' and manufacturers' WRC titles for the Loeb/Citroen combination.

Just four years after he started his World Championship career, Loeb is now the fifth most successful WRC driver of all time. He holds the record for the most wins in one season, with ten top podium results this year -- a record he could raise to 11 in Rally Australia in two weeks time.

Loeb also set a new record this year for the highest number of successive wins and he became the first driver to win every stage in a World Championship Rally. Loeb's all-round ability is amply demonstrated by the fact that he joins Spaniard Carlos Sainz at the top of the WRC ladder for the largest number wins of different rallies -- 13 in total.