Rally News

[Mar]

Citroën going public saying Dani has to pay if he wants to stay sounds to me like a way to weaken Dani’s position in his negotiations with Ford.

[Julia]

Citroën going public saying Dani has to pay if he wants to stay sounds to me like a way to weaken Dani’s position in his negotiations with Ford.

To be fair to Citroen: they are just confirming what Dani has already said in public. The strange/interesting thing in this is that same time they cant afford put more money on Dani they can afford give Petter a "very,very good offer" next year as Petter himself put it ( = sounded like he definitely not paying full price for the car if he takes the offer). And a couple of months ago in one of their rally press-releases they said that they are selling more cars than in many years and that the publicity they got from WRC this year was one big reason.... so Citroen has the money but they don't seem ready to invest it on Dani anymore. And Quesnel atleast in public says the decision is not done from a sporting point of view...

I have to say that Im not so positive about Ford in Dani's case ... Ford has made it clear any driver who they take to strengthen their pack has to be on commercial basis. So he probably have to pay more in Ford. And Ford actually would need him only for the asphalt rallies which are 3? next year. So Im hoping for a mini-moove if the citroen marriage ends... I mean he is definitely better than Piggy and he would be in the main factory team doing a full round in 2012 if he opted for them... Ford is going to stick with Mikko and Jari-Mari he would be the number 3 there, or he probably would try to bet on Mikkos seat in the future but...

[Lunna]

And Quesnel atleast in public says the decision is not done from a sporting point of view...

Yeah, I think Quesnel would like Dani to stay but "big bosses" don't want to pay for 3d car

[sleenster]

Citroën going public saying Dani has to pay if he wants to stay sounds to me like a way to weaken Dani’s position in his negotiations with Ford.

To be fair to Citroen: they are just confirming what Dani has already said in public. The strange/interesting thing in this is that same time they cant afford put more money on Dani they can afford give Petter a "very,very good offer" next year as Petter himself put it ( = sounded like he definitely not paying full price for the car if he takes the offer). And a couple of months ago in one of their rally press-releases they said that they are selling more cars than in many years and that the publicity they got from WRC this year was one big reason.... so Citroen has the money but they don't seem ready to invest it on Dani anymore. And Quesnel atleast in public says the decision is not done from a sporting point of view...

I have to say that Im not so positive about Ford in Dani's case ... Ford has made it clear any driver who they take to strengthen their pack has to be on commercial basis. So he probably have to pay more in Ford. And Ford actually would need him only for the asphalt rallies which are 3? next year. So Im hoping for a mini-moove if the citroen marriage ends... I mean he is definitely better than Piggy and he would be in the main factory team doing a full round in 2012 if he opted for them... Ford is going to stick with Mikko and Jari-Mari he would be the number 3 there, or he probably would try to bet on Mikkos seat in the future but...

I have to say, I'm not sure if I believe them when Citroen says that they don't have the money to provide a car for Dani, precisely for the same reasons you mentioned Julia. Citroen have been selling a lot of cars and they also invest a lot of money in development, I don't think money is a problem for them. One difference between Citroen and Ford is that Citroen is a full manufacturer team, meaning that they are run and funded by the Citroen car maker. Whereas Ford's involvement in WRC is through M-Sport, which is a private company that has to sell WRC cars to drivers on a commercial basis to fund their WRC team. I know I'm always making fun of Malcolm Wilson for all the dollar signs in his eyes but he has to do what he does because he doesn't have unlimited money at his disposal. But on the other hand, come on, it's really unnecessary to have five-year-plan in a seat since he's not taking points away from anybody.

I think if Citroen wanted to give Dani a seat, they could but they just don't think he deserves it based on his performance this season. But I don't even think that Dani has actually been driving poorly this season, it's just that Ogier and Jari-Mari have improved a lot. Hopefully Mini is considering Dani because I think he might be a good development driver for them.

[Moominpappa]

I like the thought that Sordo moves to Ford. Then we can better compare pace of drivers by Ford and Citroen.

-edit-
And I am also thought that maybe Kimi has made contract with some F1 team and that is reason why Robertson will not anymore looking there I know that some of you like this kind of speculation but I don't like. Kimi and Citroen is good pair

[Mar]

Some news from yesterday in “El mundo deportivo”.

http://www.elmundodeportivo.es/gen/2010 ... troen.html

Translation (or attempt of translation):

Sordo will not continue in Citroën

Dani Sordo will not drive for Citroën next season. The driver confirmed it yesterday at the Circuit de Catalunya. "There is no budget for a third car and I will not pay to get a seat" Sordo said yesterday; he will say goodbye to Citroën during Rally GB, where he will drive for the Citroën Junior Team, alongside Kimi Raikkonen.

In France, Olivier Quesnel, sport manager of Peugeot and Citroen, also confirmed the news. "I phoned Sordo on Thursday to tell him he’s free. I can not guarantee him a full season." Quesnel was still confident during Rally Catalunya that the company direction would unblock the financing they needed; but the firm has decided on other priorities. Quesnel admitted that if the driver could find the necessary funding to complete the budget, he would like to have him, but at the moment the Cantabrian does not want to hear a word about this issue.

Quesnel also said he would try to find sponsors "because from a sporting point of view it is interesting for us to retain Sordo." Quesnel knows Loeb is likely to retire at the end of next season.

The French team opted for Sebastien Ogier as Sebastien Loeb partner. Ogier is the new rising star and, this year, he has driven for the Citroën Junior Team, achieving a win and having many chances of finishing the season as runner-up. Halfway through the season, Citroën decided to promote Ogier to the first team for gravel rallies and to take Sordo to the Junior team on that surface.

Sordo said yesterday at the Circuit de Catalunya, where he is participating for the first time in a GT race alongside Sebastien Loeb, that "things are complicated, but I'm talking to every possible team."

One of his possibilities is Ford, although Mikko Hirvonen and Jari Matti Latvala are already under contract. But Malcolm Wilson knows that his team lacks on tarmac and Sordo is the only one capable of facing up to Loeb on that surface.

The other possibility is Mini, which will arrive to the World Championship next season and only has a driver yet, the Briton Kris Meeke. David Richards tried to persuade Marcus Gronholm, but he has declined to accept the offer. Mini, however, does not intend to do a full season, although recently it has been rumored that they will extend their program from 7 to 11 rallies of the 13 in the calendar

[icemaid]

Could that mean there will be no Junior team next year??

[Julia]

thanx for the information Mar! Doesn't sound like Sordo is going to back in this thing and pay for a seat in Citroen, but I can understand him he has been driving for them in five years with salary... hopefully he finds a seat elsewhere... and it can even be good for him to change teams.

icemaid: they have so many teams they need... If they have tree drivers next year they either have all three driving in the main team (as ford main team is now) or then a two driver main team and one driver CJT (as monster is now). If they have five drivers they either have tree drivers in the main or the CJT. And everything there between... its just a question how to arrange it practically when they know the amount of drivers who they want (and who has the sponsormoney).

[beefree88]

Could that mean there will be no Junior team next year??

I guess that'll depend on them finding drivers with the necessary sponsors. Dani is walking on thin ice here, because he won't find a paid drive and a winning car at the same time. I guess he took it hard that Citroen used him to help Loeb win, than dropped him.

[Julia]

about five year plans:

I looked in wiki and found out that Wilson, Dani and Jari-Mari have all done their first (almost) fulls season with a WRC car five years ago. And their statistic is quite different...puts things in perspective, does it? And not to forget Seb two who is on his second year in his five year plan... and Kimi already tailing him and beeing faster than him after one year...

But I have to say that I almost feel sorry for that guy. He must realize himself after five years that it doesn't work, he doesn't get faster...

[icemaid]

Thanks Julia & beefree for your posts.

Do feel sorry for Dani.

[Claudie_Schnaudie]

Thanks Julia & beefree for your posts.

Do feel sorry for Dani.

+1

[Acropolis]

Thanks Julia & beefree for your posts.

Do feel sorry for Dani.

+1

it in not good if a driver like Sordo can't get a decent drive....

[Claudie_Schnaudie]

Wish Kimi could already start to test the new cars
http://www.cmrallye.com/index.php?optio ... &Itemid=55

[Mar]

I already had this one ready a couple of hours ago, but our beloved power company has decided this city needed no power for over two hours .

http://www.as.com/motor/articulo/millon ... imot_5/Tes

One million euros is what keeps Sordo away from Ford

The team of the oval could sign him up for nine rallies if he gets that money

The solution to Dani Sordo’s future is called Ford. After receiving last Thursday a call from Olivier Quesnel, Citroën’s team boss, confirming that he would have to pay three million euros to race for the French team, the Cantabrian is on his way to Great Britain. There, he expects to close a deal with the team of the oval. He will meet with Malcolm Wilson, the team boss, to try to save next season.

As a matter of fact, Dani had already been negotiating with Ford and even Wilson had a meeting with Banco Santander’s representatives trying to find the sponsorship needed to give the Spaniard a third Fiesta. Wilson is aware that he needs a tarmac specialist, their weak point, and that Dani has much information about Citroën, where he has raced for five years. Therefore, Wilson’s demands are lower than those of the French team, he asks for one million euros for a 9 rallies program (not the full season). On the meanwhile, Dani has not received any proposal from Mini, the other manufacturer competing in 2011.

Despite all the problems he is facing, Dani has kept a smile all the weekend. He has taken part in the International GT Open at Montmeló, where he shared a Porsche with Sebastien Loeb. "I don’t lose sleep over those things" he answered to whoever asked him about his exit from Citroën. What he will not manage is to “drive without putting money", as he predicted during Rally of Catalonia.