The countdown has begun. In a few days’ time, the World Rally Championship returns to action on the wintry roads of Rallye Monte-Carlo. In its second season in the category with the C3 WRC, the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT has opted for stability, its driver line-up once again consisting of Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle and Craig Breen / Scott Martin.
AT ONE WITH YOUR CAR
At Rallye Monte-Carlo, more so than elsewhere, the crews and teams must really know their cars inside out. They need to be truly at one with the car, anticipating each of its reactions as precisely as possible, so as not to get caught out by the tricky conditions. Sometimes there can be a patch of black ice that suddenly appears on a bend, other times there is a heap of soft snow or even a puddle of water. Having developed the Citroën C3 WRC in 2016 and then competed in it last year, Kris Meeke and Craig Breen have racked up a lot of miles in the car, in a wide variety of conditions and on various road surfaces. This experience represents a clear advantage for the brand at the 86th Rallye Monte-Carlo, the setting for the start of the 2018 season, which will see the C3 WRC tackle its second year in the WRC.
After spending a year back in the category learning and improving, the C3 WRC secured two promising wins (Mexico and Catalonia) and finished as the runner up in Germany, meaning this campaign will be all about confirmation for the team.
The team’s greatest hopes of success in Monte-Carlo rest with Kris Meeke, who claimed both of Citroën’s rally wins last year and is particularly experienced at this event. Buoyed by what he learned in 2017, the Ulsterman is determined to make the most of his experience and feature consistently among the leaders this year. Finishing Monte without incident invariably means you have made a good start to the season. Over the years and his numerous appearances in the Principality, Meeke has developed the ability to spot changes in grip, and to drive with a mix of tyre compounds.
Although not as familiar with the roads around Monaco as his team mate, Craig Breen does not intend to be outdone. Having finished an excellent fifth overall at last year’s rally in the DS3 WRC, he has the potential to do even better this season in the C3 WRC. In order to get the most out of the car, he – like Kris Meeke – completed three days of intensive testing, split across two sessions.
The first session, held before Christmas, provided the team with the chance to work on tarmac, varying from bone dry to absolutely soaking wet, whilst the second session, held last week on roads around Gap, was intended to test the C3 WRC in conditions as close as possible to those the crews will experience this week, as well as on snow. These sessions also provided an opportunity to continue working on maximising the car’s operating window.
Source: racecar