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Citroën has clearly demonstrated its
commitment to win the World Rally championship with the opening of a massive
25,000 square metre all-new motorsport complex just outside Paris and the
announcement of its World Championship plans for the next three
years.
The purpose built complex at Versailles
includes twin rows of car preparation bays, each capable of taking six cars;
3,600 square metres of workshops and test areas for engine development;
computers and electrics workshops; body preparation and transmission
preparation; A 2,400 square metre parts storage area; undercover storage and
preparation areas for support vehicles and a second floor of offices and team
management areas.
The site
itself is also alongside a purpose made test area that allows on site testing
of both tarmac and gravel set-ups for the rally cars, significantly reducing
the time required for test periods as testing may be completed without
transport to and from test tracks.
The multi-million dollar complex is completed
by public areas and a shop from where team merchandise will be sold, along with
parts and equipment for non-factory Citroën teams.
The new centre will be the home for the
Citroën Xsara T4 World Rally Car, which will be fully homologated on 1
March 2001. Based on the Citroën Xsara Coupe VTS which is set to arrive in
Australia early in 2001, the new Citroën rally car is a four wheel drive,
300 bhp, six speed super car which has already shown its ability by enabling
Citroën to take the French Rally Championship in 2000 for the third year
running.
In 2001 Citroën
will contest four World Championship rounds, Catalonia, San Remo, Corsica and
the brutally hard Acropolis Rally in Greece. Each round will be contested by
two Citroën Xsara T4s with the driving shared between Philippe Bugalski,
Jesus Puras and Thomas Radstrom. In addition, the Xsara T4 will contest a
minimum of four rallies in Europe, the Mediterraneo Rally in Spain, the Pirelli
Rally in England and the Olivera Rally in Portugal. Other events will be added
to this calendar as event dates are confirmed for 2001.
The 2002 season will see Citroën contest a
minimum of 50 per cent of the World Championship before making a full scale
attack on every event in 2003.
As if this extensive programme was not
sufficient, Citroën Sport will continue and expand its existing programme
in 2001, including:
- Kenneth Hansen will participate in the
European Rallycross Championship with a Citroën Xsara WRC and he will also
tackle the Norwegian and Swedish SENOR-CUP, as well as a minimum of five rounds
of the French Rallycross Championship.
- Citroën will enter a Xsara kit car in
the French Rally Championship for Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena.
- The Citroën Saxo Cup will include
eight rounds on four weekends.
- The Citroën Saxo Challenge will field
more than 40 teams in a one-make series.
- The Citroën Saxo Rallycross Challenge
will be a one make series for 35 cars run within the French Rallycross
Championship.
- The Citroën Saxo Ice Challenge will
see 16 Citroën Saxos with two drivers per car tackle the Andros 2000-2001
series
- The Trophee Super 1600 series makes its
debut in France in 2001 with a new category for which Citroën has
developed the Citroën Saxo T4, a four wheel drive 155 bhp five speed
version of the smallest Citroën. Citroën will contest the series with
four Saxo T4s, plus two of the front wheel drive versions.
- In addition, eight European Citroën
importers will run their own rally teams with the Xsara and Saxo.
Citroën is able to run such an extensive
range of motorsport and contemplate the major step upwards to the world arena
thanks to its enormous successes across a broad range of disciplines.
Citroën's 2000 account includes:
- The Citroen Xsara takes the French Rally
Championship title for the third year running with seven victories in seven
rounds contested.
- The Citroen Saxo takes the two wheel drive
class in the French Rally Championship.
- With 11 wins in 12 rounds, Citroën
takes the Class Two prize in the French Rally Championship.
- Kenneth Hansen took his eighth European
Rally Championship title in the Citroën Xsara WRC.
- In the European Rally Championship,
Citroën and Bruno Thiry take both the constructor and driver's top prizes.
- Jesus Puras takes his fifth Spanish Rally
Championship title in a Xsara and Citroën takes its second manufacturers
title.
- Citroën took class wins in national
championships in Portugal, Hungary and Belgium
"The opening of our new Citroën
Sport centre is a perfect illustration of the will to win at Citroën,
which is confirmed by our record in 2000 and our plans for 2001" says Claude
Satinet, Director Général of Citroën. "It underlines our
commitment to the sport and reveals our clear intention to win at the highest
levels in motorsport."
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