Written by Chris Harrold
For its second consecutive season in the FIA World Rally Championship, the Citroën Junior Team will enter two Citroën C4 WRCs for Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia and Kimi Räikkönen / Kaj Lindström. The season’s opening round is held over the snowy stages of Rally Sweden, which takes place around Karlstad from February 11-14.
After a learning year in 2009, the 2010 season holds plenty of promise for the Citroën Junior Team. Sébastien Ogier, who formed part of the team last year, is joined this season by the 2007 Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen. By pairing up one of world rallying’s brightest young stars with a wellknown driver embarking on the ultimate challenge, the Citroën Junior Team will be well and truly under the spotlight this year!
The wintry conditions of the Rally Sweden present a tough task to the crews on the season-opener, but most drivers love the high speeds reached on the ice and snow. Thanks to stages that sometimes have an average speed of more than 120 kph and racing lines that thread their way precisely through imposing snow banks, spectators are sure to witness a breathtaking spectacle.
Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia enjoyed a remarkable first full season at the wheel of the Citroën C4 WRC in 2009 and they start the 2010 season with the same motivation – and a year’s worth of extra experience under their belts. "I just can’t wait to start driving the Citroën C4 WRC in the heat of competition again," said the Frenchman. "It seems a very long time now since the 2009 season ended!"
Having contested the Monte Carlo Rally at the start of the year, Sébastien was in Finland last week to prepare for Rally Sweden with a day of testing close to Rovaniemi. "We covered around 200 kilometres in order to get to grips with the car again and work on the set-up of the Citroën C4 WRC," he reported. "I’m very pleased with the way that the car is handling. I quickly felt comfortable again and I love driving in these conditions."
Rally Sweden will be a brand new experience for Sébastien Ogier. Nonetheless, he hopes to put the experience he gained on Rally Norway last year to good use. "Actually, we’re getting rather used to driving on rallies for the first time," added Sébastien. "I hope that we can show what we are capable against what is always very strong opposition on these winter rallies. Our objective on this first event of the year is just to continue to progress."
Making his debut alongside the 2008 Junior World Rally Champions is Kimi Räikkönen. The handful of rally events he contested in 2009 has given the Finn the desire to embark on a full season with the Citroën Junior Team.
Following some test sessions and a run on the Arctic Lapland Rally a few days ago, Kimi Räikkönen has covered nearly 600 kilometres with the Citroën C4 WRC. "I’m just really keen to get to the start of Rally Sweden now," he said. "With Citroën, we have made some good preparations for this event. All the kilometres I already have behind me will allow me to begin the rally with no particular worries. I know that I still have many things to learn though and plenty of experience to accumulate. My goal is simply to do my best with the Citroën C4 WRC. My debut in the World Rally Championship is an enormous challenge but any driver who has competed in motorsport at a certain level always maintains the same way of working and the same desire to push themselves. I feel that I’m ready to take on this challenge now."
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