Paris (AFP)
Citroën will not remain in the World Rally Championship (WRC) after 2021, confirmed Friday the director of PSA Motorsport Jean-Marc Finot, while the brand admits "discussions" with Sebastien Ogier "regarding its participation in 2020".
"We will not engage in rallying until 2022 with the hybridization of engines planned that year, says Finot on the website of the magazine specialized Auto Hebdo.
Especially since the PSA Group will again engage Peugeot World Endurance Championship (WEC) from the season 2022-2023, it was announced Wednesday. "Knowing that we already have Formula E (with DS, Ed), we do not plan to take two big programs such as the WEC and the WRC," says the leader.
In the short term, "discussions are actually underway with Sébastien Ogier regarding his participation in 2020," also confirmed to AFP a spokesman for PSA Motorsport.
The question is now whether a possible departure of his head to Toyota, which seeks a rush driver to replace the 2019 world champion, the Estonian Ott Tänak, left at Hyundai, could precipitate the withdrawal of Citroën.
"At this point, evoking the different hypotheses would be speculation," he replied.
Ogier, who had found Citroën at the start of the season with a two-year contract and the goal of winning a seventh consecutive world title with a third different manufacturer, finally had to settle for a third place finish in the drivers standings. .
Citroën had returned to the WRC in 2017, after a year of absence, for a five-year program.
© 2019 AFP