Mexico : Citroen Sport - PreviewThe early part of the 2007 WRC calendar featured three winter fixtures: the Monte Carlo Rally, which took place in mild conditions, the Swedish, which saw temperatures dip as low as -25°C, and newcomer Rally Norway, the second day of which
was affected by a snowstorm. Now, turning their back on the cold and overcast skies of wintry Europe, everyone at Citroën Sport is looking forward to some warm sunshine in Mexico where two Citroën C4 WRCs have been entered for
Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Dani Sordo/Marc Martí.
Rally Mexico is also a relative newcomer to the series and this year is just the fourth time that the American event counts as a qualifying round, yet several of its characteristics have seen it swiftly emerge as a key encounter. To begin with, it is the first gravel rally of the season, which means that this year's event will mark the debut of the new Citroën C4 WRC on dirt, the most widely featured surface type of the championship.
Also, with a total route length of 850km, Rally Mexico offers one of the most compact formats of the sixteen-round calendar. Meanwhile, following the rather specialised nature of the three events contested to date, the trip across the Atlantic will perhaps provide a more accurate picture of the performance potential of the championship's different players. Some even go so far as to suggest that the series only really gets underway in Leon.
The stages themselves take crews to the mountains to the east and north-east of this bustling city. They are smooth and often very fast, although the surface is often rougher second time through since the hard-packed base tends to cut up progressively with each passing car, causing ruts to form and buried stones to become exposed.
Another hallmark of the event is the altitude at which it takes place. The service park is situated at more than 1,800m, which is the lowest-lying part of the route. The middle part of the Ortega stage (SS2/5) takes crews as close to the clouds as they come in the course of the entire year, namely 2,700m.
"At altitudes like this, atmospheric pressure is significantly lower and the rally cars' engines are consequently much less powerful than they are at sea level," points out technical manager Xavier Mestelan-Pinon. "Mexico is also a fast rally which means the suspension needs to soak up a lot of energy. For Citroën, this event poses several questions because it is the first hot weather round for the C4, and its first gravel outing too. Our preparation for Mexico notably included a test programme in Spain."
As is the case with the majority of dirt rallies, running first on the road is a handicap, and the last time Sébastien and Daniel didn't have that honour was… in Mexico in 2006. Some will see that as a good omen since they went on to win that event and the three-time World Champions start will be out to repeat that result this time round. Meanwhile, Dani Sordo and Marc Martí will initially focus on restoring their confidence after their two delicate sorties on snow before upping the pace with a view to attempting to secure a strong finish in the Manufacturers' points. The festive atmosphere and the backing of the Spanish-speaking fans could well play in their favour.
Following its somewhat complicated first attempt at Rally Norway, Citroën Sport will be back on more familiar terrain in Mexico and Guy Fréquelin has set his team a clear objective: "As on every rally, we will be out to win. Following our disappointing trip to Norway, it is especially important to come away from Mexico with a top result in terms of the Manufacturers' championship. As he continues his apprenticeship, I am expecting Dani to build on his good performances on the loose last year and score some points for Citroën."
Citroen Sport
