Catalunya : Citroen / JWRC
On the weekend of October 8th-9th, Daniel Sordo and his co-driver Marc Marti took on Alberto Hevia in the Rally `Principe de Asturias`, the final round of the 2005 Spanish Rally Championship. After a simply breathtaking, two-day battle, the Citroen C2 crew took victory by just 1.3 seconds to become not only the Princes of Asturias but also the Kings of Spain!
Three weeks later, the protégé of Carlos Sainz and his former co-driver will be competing in the final round of the 2005 FIA Junior World Championship in Catalonia. Here, their main rival will be Guy Wilks, the only man still capable of preventing the young Cantabria-based Citroën C2 Super 1600 driver from clinching the title. Wilks currently has a score of 35 points; a win in Spain will take his total to 45 points.

Between the two events, Dani Sordo was in dominating form last weekend in Corsica where he scored seven fastest stage times from a possible twelve. However, just when it looked as though he was about to take an emphatic win, he lost time with an electrical problem. Although he failed to clinch the title, he still finished the French round in 2nd place, giving him 8 points which takes his personal total to 43.

So whatever result Guy Wilks obtains this weekend, Dani only needs to pick up two further points in Spain to make sure of the championship. If both finish the year equal on points, the Citroën driver`s three wins in Sardinia, Finland and Germany will outweigh the single success so far of Wilks in Mexico. The cards appear to be stacked up in Dani Sordo`s favour therefore, since he only needs is to finish 7th or better on Sunday afternoon.

Sordo`s Team Kronos Racing team-mate Kris Meeke would also still have been in the running had he not gone off on the second morning in Corsica which cost the Monte Carlo Rally JWRC winner very dearly. In the end, the Ulsterman collected just one point in Ajaccio, taking his personal total to 30 points. He still has a chance of finishing in 2nd place in the championship and that is exactly what he will endeavour to do after showing in both Corsica and Germany that his talent isn`t only limited to gravel, the type of surface on which he grew up.

Citroen`s third man in Spain will be the young Zimbabwean Conrad Rautenbach who drove the 2006 version C2 Super 1600 for the first time in Corsica where, with the assistance of P. H. Sport, his consistency saw him finish 5th in the JWRC standings, the best result of his short career to date. He will be looking for a similar result this weekend in Salou.

For the Customer Competition Manager Yves Matton and for everyone at Citroën Sport, the Spanish round is of double interest. "We have to admit that we didn`t obtain the result we were hoping for given the level of performance of the C2 Super 1600 in Corsica, even though it was fastest over every stage but one. Hopefully, we will have a trouble-free run in Catalonia. Naturally, we would love to finish 1st and 2nd in the championship but the Spanish round will also enable us to see how the 2006 asphalt-spec C2 Super 1600, which will be available for our customers in the next few months, compares with its rivals."

Questions to Dani Sordo

You finished 2nd in GpN in Corsica last year and you were 2nd in the Super 1600 category this year. Which event did you prefer?
"This year`s! I feel really comfortable with the car and the team. It was fun too driving the C2 Super 1600 in Corsica. We set some good times. There`s no denying the car`s domination; between us, Kris and I posted eleven fastest stage times from twelve. A small technical problem deprived us of a possible win, but finishing 2nd was a good result at the end of the day since the man who finished ahead of me, Mirco Baldacci, isn`t in a position to challenge for the title."

Have you competed in the Salou region before in the Spanish Championship?
"No, I don`t know the roads of the region at all. I`ve never competed there and I don`t really have much idea of what the stages are like. My co-driver Marc Marti knows them though. He tells me they are superb, and faster than in Corsica. I can`t wait to see them…"

Does the fact that you won the Spanish championship give you an advantage? Will you be under any particular pressure?
"It`s actually reassuring to have the final round of the championship in my own country. I will be on home ground, even though I don`t live in Catalonia. It does add a little extra pressure though. I want to do well for Citroën and for the Spanish spectators who are big rally fans. Given that we only need to score two points, it should be OK. It won`t be either easy or difficult. I will try to take things steadily and not make any mistakes. I am also counting on Kris. In my opinion, he is quicker on asphalt than Guy Wilks who is my only threat in the championship now. But Guy absolutely needs to win to stand a chance of taking the title, so he is going to have to take risks."

Questions to Kris Meeke

What is your analysis of your performance in Corsica?
"Our chances of winning the title unfortunately went out the window when we went off first time through the Vico stage. I know I can`t win the championship but I still intend to do my best to finish 2nd. I learnt a great deal about asphalt driving in Corsica and I hope I will be competitive in Catalonia."

You drove the C2 Super 1600 for the first time last year in Catalonia. What do you remember of that?
"That`s right. But the stages then were further to the north. We practically saw the car for the first time at shakedown but we set some decent times. We were looking good for a podium finish before we punctured. With the experience I have gained in the past year testing and competing with the C2, I will obviously feel more comfortable and hopefully be more competitive this weekend."

Do you know the stages of the Tarragona region? What is your objective for the final round of the 2005 Junior Championship?
"I have never driven competitively in the Tarragona region. I`m not sure what sort of help it will be, but I have often been there as a spectator though! My aim is to obtain the best result possible to try and finish 2nd behind Dani who should win the title. That will be a very good thing for Citroën and for all those at Kronos who have done such a remarkable job."


Tags: catalunya, citroen, c2, dani-sordo,