Sebastien Ogier completes a Citroën trio!
Rally Mexico (4-7 March 2010) – Day 3

Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia have climbed onto the podium of a World Championship rally for the second time in their careers. The Citroën Junior Team crew shared the podium with two World Champions in Mexico: rally winner Sébastien Loeb and Petter Solberg in second, both of them driving a Citroën C4 WRC.

Having set off in third position for the final day, which consisted of 51.49 competitive kilometres, the Citroën Junior Team crew gave the enthusiastic Mexican fans a breathtaking battle to remember with Petter Solberg.

Sébastien Ogier set fastest time – his sixth of the rally – on the opening 29.13 kilometre stage, Guanajuatito. This allowed him to overhaul Petter Solberg for second place overall. “We’re going to fight to the end but I don’t want to take too many risks,” reported Sébastien at the end of the stage. Petter Solberg fought back in Comanjilla (SS21) to regain 0.8 seconds from Sébastien Ogier. “I knew then that it was going to be a battle to the finish,” commented the Frenchman. “But it’s not over yet. It will all come down to the superspecial, so it’s important to stay concentrated and not make any mistakes on this short final stage.”

The two Citroën C4 WRCs set off side by side for the last 4.42 kilometre stage. Thanks to a final effort, the 2003 World Rally Champion went fastest to secure second overall ahead of Sébastien Ogier, who finishes third at the end of round two this year.

“It was the first time that we ever had the chance to fight for a top place all the way to the end,” said Sébastien at the rally finish in León. “We managed to drive at a good pace throughout the event. It’s a sure sign that we are making progress. This podium rewards all the hard work that the team has put in. It’s been a great start to the season; we really couldn’t hope for better.”

Citroën Junior Team manager Benoit Nogier concluded: “We haven’t been on the podium since Greece last year, again thanks to Sébastien. This podium is actually like a win for us, given the relative lack of experience of our team and drivers. It’s a huge satisfaction to see all our hard work rewarded today. Sébastien and Julien were able to fight for the podium thanks to their extremely strong performance. They again showed themselves to be quick, professional and talented…it’s been a great job from start to finish. Petter’s second place is also a huge satisfaction for Citroën. We hope this result provides proof that the products and information we place at the disposal of our clients allows them to achieve top results. Seeing three Citroëns on the podium is an emotional experience!”

Provisional final classification
1. Loeb / Elena Citroën C4 3h42’41’’7
2. P. Solberg / Mills Citroën C4 +24’’2
3. Ogier / Ingrassia Citroën C4 +25’’3
4. Hirvonen / Lehtinen Ford Focus +1’47’’5
5. Latvala / Anttila Ford Focus +2’15’’1
6. H. Solberg / Minor Ford Focus +2’48’’0
7. Villagra / Perez Companc Ford Focus +10’13’’4
8. Pons / Haro Ford Fiesta +18’44’’4
9. Prokop / Tomanek Ford Fiesta +19’02’’0
10. Araujo / Miguel Mitsubishi Lancer +21’32’’5
15. Sordo / Marti Citroën C4 +39’52’’4

Back To News
Images
Ypres 2008 Finland 2008 Finland 2008 Finland 2008