Paris (AFP)

A domino effect: the six-time French world rally champion Sébastien Ogier decided Wednesday to leave Citroën, precipitating in return the withdrawal of the brand at the rafters of the WRC from 2020.

"Following Sébastien Ogier's decision to leave Citroën Racing at the end of this 2019 World Rally Championship season, Citroen has decided to put an end to its sports program in WRC (en) 2020 because of the absence of advanced driver available for the 2020 season, "wrote the French team on Twitter.

Present in the World between 1984 and 1986 and during most of the years 2000 and 2010, Citroën lists eight manufacturer titles, nine among the drivers, 102 victories (a record) and 257 podiums. It will have left the WRC its mark with the supremacy of another Frenchman, Sébastien Loeb, from 2004 to 2012.

But the dynamics had stopped in recent years. Back in the category in 2017 after a year of absence, the team has only won six successes in forty events and has not managed to get into the fight at the constructors (fourth and last in 2017 and 2018, 3rd in 2019).

This season, Citroën had made return Ogier, home driver between 2008 and 2011 but pushed to the exit by its rivalry with Loeb, with the objective to finally reach the summits.

But the 35-year-old Frenchman, crowned six years in a row with Volkswagen (2013-2016) and M-Sport Ford (2017-2018), finally had to settle for a third place in the drivers standings, won by the Estonian Ott Tänak (Toyota), with three wins on the clock.

- disappointing results -

Disappointing results that explain his departure and that of his co-driver Julien Ingrassia, while they had signed a two-year contract leading them to the announced retirement of the six-time world champion at the end of 2020.

By then, Ogier wanted to win a new world crown with a third different manufacturer, feat only managed by the Finnish Juha Kankkunen, in 1986 with Peugeot, in 1987 and 1991 with Lancia and in 1993 with Toyota.

The second most successful driver in WRC history behind Sébastien Loeb (9) is now strongly anticipated to replace Toyota Tänak, who has been with Hyundai for two seasons.

This withdrawal of Citroën will leave a big void in WRC. Hyundai and Toyota will indeed be the only manufacturers still officially committed next season, Ford being present through its partnership with the private team M-Sport.

He also leaves the second pilot of the brand chevrons, the Finnish Esapekka Lappi, whose contract ran until the end of 2020.

- Priority to endurance and Formula E -

With Tänak and Belgian Thierry Neuville engaged until the end of 2021 and Loeb and Spaniard Dani Sordo alternating in 2020, Hyundai has a workforce that is a priori complete.

Toyota and M-Sport must still announce their drivers for next year, with a large number of candidates at the end of the contract or already free.

In addition to Ogier's decision, the renouncement of Citroën is also explained by the return of Peugeot, another PSA Group brand, in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) during the 2022-2023 season, announced on November 13.

"Knowing we already have Formula E (with the DS brand linked to the team Techeetah, Ed), we do not plan to take two major programs such as the WEC and the WRC", explained the director of PSA Motorsport, Jean-Marc Finot, on the website of the specialized magazine Auto Hebdo Friday.

2022 is also the season that will see the introduction of hybrid engines in the World Rally Championship, which represents a significant expense for manufacturers.

The WRC 2020 season will start at the Monte Carlo Rally from January 23rd to 26th and will end in Japan from November 19th to 22nd. In addition to the Japanese round, two more are returning to the calendar, Kenya (16-19 July) and New Zealand (3-6 September).

© 2019 AFP