Turkey : IRC Citroen - PreviewSimon Jean-Joseph and Jack Boyère will contest the 36th Rally Turkey at the wheel of their Citroën C2 Super 1600 which will be run on the event by PH-Sport with assistance from Citroën Sport technicians.
Following the Safari in Kenya,
the Turkish event is the second round of the IRC (Intercontinental Rally Challenge). It is also the second encounter of the ERC (European Rally Championship) which kicked off last month with Italy's Mille Miglia. Rally Turkey will see the leading contestants of both series come together for the all-gravel fixture.
The route is entirely new and only the locals will benefit from prior knowledge of the stages which are based to the east of Istanbul on the strip of land that runs between the Black Sea to the north and the Sea of Marmara to the south. The tests themselves promise to be particularly varied, with a cocktail of faster and twistier portions.
"Our maiden outing with the Citroën C2 S1600 didn't bring us any rewards," observes Simon Jean-Joseph referring to his run on the Mille Miglia. "Even so, it was a positive start because I felt increasingly comfortable with the C2. It also marked the beginning of our association with the members of the Citroën Sport and PH-Sport teams and everything looks very promising."
"I'm also looking forward to competing on gravel again. I really enjoy the loose," continues Simon. "The event itself is totally new and seems to be pretty open. We have heard that the stages are reasonably fast, and that suits me fine. I was able to see during our gravel testing – where we worked essentially on the suspension – that the Citroën C2 has tremendous potential.
The early days of our relationship with Citroën's technical staff have been very constructive. The C2 has impressive traction and soaks up the terrain with remarkable ease, which is surprising for a car of its size. We are fully aware that we will have our work cut out against all the four-wheel drive runners but my objective will be to show how quick the C2 is on the loose and to score as many points as possible in both championships. It's an exciting challenge and I can't wait to get started."
For
Citroen Sport's Customer Competition Manager Yves Matton, there are several aspects to the Rally Turkey: "To begin with, it's the first IRC event where Citroën drivers are eligible to score points. In response to demand from them, it was important for Citroën to be registered for the series and Simon Jean-Joseph and the C2 will perhaps be the first to make a name for themselves in it. Rally Turkey is also this second round of the ERC and stands out as an opportunity for Simon and Jack to secure a top result with regard to their championship hopes. The C2 Super 1600 crew's run on the Mille Miglia indicates that they are in with a chance. It won't be easy against the four-wheel drive runners on the loose, but they have a real chance to catch up with the pack."
Citroen Sport
