Press release
613KB
january 25, 2018 - Citroen Racing
A constructive final outing before the start
The Rallye Monte-Carlo shakedown provided the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT crews with the opportunity to complete a final dress rehearsal before the real action gets underway tomorrow evening. Benefiting from generally dry conditions, which are not expected to hold for the whole of the #rally, Kris Meeke – Paul Nagle and #craigbreen – Scott Martin completed final testing in their C3 WRCs, finishing with the fourth and ninth fastest times respectively.
The Rallye Monte-Carlo's 3.35km-long shakedown stage wasn't necessarily representative of the difficulties to come over the weekend. This was particularly due to the different tarmac of the surface and its deep cuts, which led to rapidly deteriorating road conditions as more cars came through the stage and dragged mud onto the #racing line.
As grip levels gradually decreased, most of the crews set their best times on one of their first two passes on the stage. Among the last of the WRCs to head out and tackle what were already dirty roads, #craigbreen set his fastest time on his first run, finishing ninth overall. The Irishman went on to complete another four runs. Fourth fastest on the stage, Kris Meeke was the only driver to improve his time on his third pass, before completing a final run after nightfall.
The various WRC drivers opted to run on Michelin's brand new soft slick tyre (Pilot Sport S6), the super soft version (Pilot Sport SS6) or a mix of both. Running on soft-compound slicks on their first attempt, when the quickest crews opted for four super soft tyres, Kris Meeke and #craigbreen then completed the rest of their session with a combination of the two compounds. Meeke ended up by also testing a set-up with four SS6s. The later runs gave both drivers the chance to note the improved capabilities of the French manufacturer's latest tyres on greasy, damp roads.
Pleased with the variety of conditions they faced during their winter testing, Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT mainly used this final test session to give their drivers some time in the car, check that the headlamps were working properly and confirm the handling of the C3 WRC with versatile settings in conditions that called for a more tarmac-like set-up.
After a good night's rest, the crews have a busy schedule ahead of them tomorrow, with VIP car experiences in the hills above Monaco, followed by interviews and more photo sessions on the famous Place du Casino. Place du Casino is where the ceremonial start will be held at 5.50pm, whilst the competitive action kicks off at 9.43pm with the famous Thoard-Sisteron stage, contested this year in the opposite direction for the first time ever.
WHAT THEY SAID
Kris Meeke
"The shakedown was generally dry at the start, although there were a few muddy corners. The level of grip then gradually dropped off as more cars came through the stage, but we nonetheless used the session to review the various tyres one final time and try out one or two things. I'm pleased with this final test, the times weren't especially representative, but the feeling is always a good indicator, and it was good this evening. "
Craig Breen
"We went with soft tyres on the first run, which probably weren't the quickest option, but having said that, this evening wasn't really about setting fast times. The shakedown provided some very useful information for the rest of the #rally and the positive point is that I really felt confident behind the wheel of my Citroën C3 WRC. "
SHAKEDOWN STANDINGS
-
Neuville / Gilsoul (Hyundai i20 WRC) 2’00’’2
-
Sordo / Del Barrio (Hyundai i20 WRC) 2’00’’3
-
Tänak / Jarveoja (Toyota Yaris WRC) 2’00’’7
-
Meeke / Nagle (Citroën C3 WRC) 2’00’’9
-
Mikkelsen / Jaeger (Hyundai i20 WRC) 2’01’’0
-
Latvala / Anttila (Toyota Yaris WRC) 2’01’’5
-
Ogier / Ingrassia (Ford Fiesta WRC) 2’01’’6
-
Evans / Barritt (Ford Fiesta WRC) 2’02’’1
GM201801140
1280x818, 466KB
Related news |
||
|
|
|
january 29, 2024
|
january 29, 2024
|
january 15, 2024
|
|
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team has started the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship season with a double podium finish at Rally... |
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team reaches the end of the famous Rallye Monte-Carlo having achieved its goal of delivering both crews t... |
Citroën Racing unveils an exciting new livery for the C3 Rally2 as it prepares to target more success around the world in 2024. Th... |
Download all 
You might be interested in |
||
|
|
|
december 22, 2023
|
december 22, 2023
|
december 13, 2023
|
|
The 2024 Dakar Rally is just two weeks away and the towering dunes of Saudi Arabia's Empty Quarter desert await those brave enough... |
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team is excited to announce that Adrien Fourmaux and Alex Coria, and Grégoire Munster and Louis Louka wil... |
The movie “Race for Glory”, the incredible true story behind the 1983 World Rally Championship, will be released on January 5th in... |
Italian 
Download all 
Share
Share via mail 
Automotive
Sport
Events
Art&Culture
Design
Fashion&Beauty
Food&Hospitality
Technology
Nautica
Racing
Excellence
Corporate
OffBeat
Green
Gift
Pop
Heritage
Entertainment
Health & Wellness