Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website WRC - Citroen Racing - Craig Breen finishes fifth at tour de corse
april 10, 2017 - Citroen Racing

WRC - Citroen Racing - Craig Breen finishes fifth at tour de corse

The Tour de Corse provided further drama on the third and final day, as #craigbreen and Scott Martin grabbed fourth place, before dropping back to fifth overall, losing out in the end by just a tenth of a second! Back in action, Stéphane Lefebvre and Gabin Moreau made sure that Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT scored points with both of its #c3wrc.

  • After Ajaccio and Bastia, the Tour de Corse headed for Porto-Vecchio on Sunday. The final leg consisted of just two stages: Antisanti – Poggio di Nazza (53.78km) and the Palombaggia Power Stage (10.42km).
  • Fifth at the start of the day, #craigbreen was in sparkling form on the longest stage of the #rally. After setting the fastest time at the first two splits, he ended up third on the speed test to move ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala.
  • Going into the Power Stage, it was difficult to predict the final positions in the top five. Although Neuville was clear out in front, Sordo, Ogier, Breen and Latvala were bunched together behind him, separated by less than twenty seconds!
  • On the Palombaggia Power Stage, #craigbreen set the third fastest time but he dropped back to fifth position, missing out on fourth overall by just a tenth of a second! The Irishman could take some consolation from taking three bonus points.
  • After rejoining under Rally2 rules, Stéphane Lefebvre and Gabin Moreau added to their experience in the Citroën #c3wrc. The crew made it to the finish, adding another six points to the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT’s tally in the Manufacturers’ World Championship.
  • Competing in a DS 3 R5 as a reward for winning the Citroën #racing Trophy title last year, Yohan Rossel ended his home event on the podium in the WRC2. Tenth overall, the young Frenchman therefore scored his first ever World Championship point! Equally competing in a Citroën Racing-backed DS 3 R5, Simone Tempestini – the reigning FIA Junior Champion – finished fourth in the WRC2.
  • The World #rally Championship heads back across the Atlantic for the next round, which will be held in Argentina on 27-30 April.

QUOTE, UNQUOTE

Yves Matton, Citroën #racing Team Principal: “We leave Corsica in a positive frame of mind, because the Citroën #c3wrc was the fastest car this weekend. Obviously, the race wasn’t the same after Kris Meeke retired. #craigbreen coped with the additional pressure, and fought well with drivers who have already won rallies at this level. He maintained his position and had an error-free #rally. Stéphane Lefebvre made it to the end of the #rally, meaning we scored more points than the team above us in the Manufacturers’ standings. Congratulations also to Yohan Rossel for his podium in the WRC2!”

Craig Breen: “This morning, the conditions were ideal once again, with beautiful weather and magnificent roads. Obviously, it’s very frustrating to lose a position by only a tenth of a second, but that’s also why we love rallying! I have no regrets, because I tried my best on the Power Stage. I have to be pleased with the weekend. We didn’t make a single mistake and we held our own when fighting with drivers with a lot more experience than us. That bodes well for the future.”

Stéphane Lefebvre: “We completed today’s final two speed tests looking to increase our knowledge of the car and the Corsican stages. We really enjoyed it and that helped to increase our confidence. We won’t be #racing in Argentina, so I can’t wait for #rally de Portugal to come around. Last year, I really enjoyed competing at this event.”

STANDINGS

TOUR DE CORSE (SUBJECT TO CONFIRMATION)

  1. Neuville / Gilsoul (Hyundai i20 WRC) 3:22:53.4
  2. Ogier / Ingrassia (Ford Fiesta WRC) +54.7
  3. Sordo / Marti (Hyundai i20 WRC) +56.0
  4. Latvala / Anttila (Toyota Yaris WRC) +1:09.6
  5. Breen / Martin (Citroën C3 WRC) +1:09.7
  6. Paddon / Kennard (Hyundai i20 WRC) +2:16.3
  7. Mikkelsen / Jaeger (Skoda Fabia R5) +8:10.7
  8. Suninen / Markkula (Ford Fiesta R5) +9:17.0
  9. Sarrazin / Renucci (Skoda Fabia R5) +9:23.6
  10. Rossel / Fulcrand (DS 3 R5) +12:57.1 

DRIVERS’ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

  1. Sébastien Ogier – 88 points
  2. Jari-Matti Latvala – 75 points
  3. Thierry Neuville – 54 points
  4. Ott Tanak – 48 points
  5. Dani Sordo – 47 points
  6. CRAIG BREEN – 33 points
  7. KRIS MEEKE – 27 points
  8. Hayden Paddon – 25 points
  9. Elfyn Evans – 20 points
  10. Andreas Mikkelsen – 12 points
  11. STEPHANE LEFEBVRE – 10 points
  12. Juho Hanninen – 9 points
  13. Teemu Suninen – 5 point
  14. Jan Kopecky – 4 points
  15. Pontus Tidemand – 3 points
  16. Stéphane Sarrazin – 2 points
  17. Bryan Bouffier – 1 point
  18. Yohan Rossel – 1 point

MANUFACTURERS’ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

  1. M-Sport WRT – 129 points
  2. Hyundai Motorsport – 105 points
  3. Toyota Gazoo #racing WRT – 82 points
  4. Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT – 73 points

Related news

february 14, 2024
february 12, 2024
february 09, 2024

The eagerly awaited 2024 FIA Junior WRC season kicks off this week at the legendary Rally Sweden (15 – February).Based out of the ...

The FIA Junior WRC is delighted to confirm a significant extension of its partnership with Wolf Lubricants, ensuring that the flee...

After an impressive start to the season on the opening round at Rallye Monte-Carlo, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team re-centres itsel...

You might be interested in

december 22, 2023
december 22, 2023
december 13, 2023

The 2024 Dakar Rally is just two weeks away and the towering dunes of Saudi Arabia's Empty Quarter desert await those brave enough...

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team is excited to announce that Adrien Fourmaux and Alex Coria, and Grégoire Munster and Louis Louka wil...

The movie “Race for Glory”, the incredible true story behind the 1983 World Rally Championship, will be released on January 5th in...