Peugeot and Citroen to end rally racing in 2006

[evoWalo]

Peugeot/Citroen pull-out deals a double blow
Thu November 04, 2004 09:20 AM ET
http://www.reuters.co.uk/printerFrie...toryID=6716253

By Alan Baldwin

LONDON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - French stablemates Peugeot and Citroen dealt rallying a double blow on Thursday with the shock announcement that they were pulling out of the world championship at the end of 2005.

The decision came just two days after Ford had given a commitment for the next four years, ending fears that they too could quit after pulling the plug on their Formula One operations.

Peugeot and Citroen, both part of the PSA Group, have won the last five manufacturers' titles as well as three drivers' championships.

But a PSA statement said they were reviewing new opportunities in motor sports due to tougher conditions in the car market.

"PSA Peugeot Citroen has decided that the marques will no longer take part in the WRC beyond that date (2005)," the statement added.

While Peugeot's continued involvement was in doubt after two difficult years, Citroen had been expected to stay after investing heavily in a new car for 2005.

Without the French teams, the manufacturer-dominated championship runs the risk of looking threadbare even if next year promises a healthy line-up.

So far only Ford is publicly committed to staying beyond 2005, although former world champions Subaru can be expected to join them.

NEW REGULATIONS

Mitsubishi will make a full-time return next year, after skipping several rounds this season, while Skoda said in September they would be staying after scaling back operations in 2004. But neither have committed beyond 2005.

Citroen have won both crowns this year, with France's Sebastien Loeb taking the country's first drivers' title in a decade after narrowly missing out in 2003.

Thursday's statement, coming before a meeting of team bosses and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) in Paris on Friday to discuss cost-saving measures, will send a tremor through the driver market.

Both Loeb and Finland's Marcus Gronholm, twice a world champion with Peugeot, will be looking for new seats from 2006.

A decision on the new technical regulations, to come into force from 2006, will be made next month.

FIA president Max Mosley put forward a proposal in September that he said would cut costs and could encourage new manufacturers to enter the sport.

They included the use of common parts and a limit on sophisticated and expensive components and development.

Peugeot, champions three years in a row before Citroen beat them in 2003, have won just once this year and clashed with the FIA in June when they were disqualified from the Cyprus Rally for using an illegal engine part.

Team boss Corrado Provera told reporters later that he considered the punishment excessive and "the shame cast upon Peugeot is unacceptable".

[TT]

Ugh! WRC sadly is getting more and more in danger... sooner or later there will be only one or two manufacturer left

[evoWalo]

Things dont look any better in Formula 1 either. After 2007 Formula ceases to exist if none of the teams sign up.

[SPEEDKILLAR]

Damn, that's so sad, its such a great motorsport...

Maybe MB abd BMW will join..........lol(I hope so)

[evoWalo]

Audi should come back. They made AWD popular.

[Skaala]

this is so sad. first ford &jaguar leaves f1, and now this... :cry:

[stracing]

Originally Posted by dani_d_mas Citroën or Peugeot doesn't have market in China or Australia or New Zealand

ummm...are you sure?

[TT]

Originally Posted by stracing Originally Posted by dani_d_mas Citroën or Peugeot doesn't have market in China or Australia or New Zealand ummm...are you sure?

Well, not like here but hell, they should indeed risk in those markets instead of insisting here where they already sell 1 bazillion 206 every day!

[leo_26782]

They could at least keep one of them in this championship. It would cost less, but still be a good advertising.

[kompak]

it's so boring when there are only few teams left in the championship...rite??

[evoWalo]

Originally Posted by leo_26782 They could at least keep one of them in this championship. It would cost less, but still be a good advertising.

We dont have those two brands here but watching them win all the time makes me want to buy their car. Just wish they sold turbo variants of their street cars.

[africanmojo]

that is a big blow for the WRC, i think peugeot should definetly reconsider as i see a lot of 206's and 307's around now and they are getting more and more popular just think if they made a turbo or rally replica it would do a whole lot better citroen don't do as well here but can only do better with the number of wins they are having. am a hugh rally fame just hope the sport doesn't slowly die out now.

[m3mys3lf4ndi]

shame :/ so whos going to do rallyn in 2007 ?? KIA ????

[stracing]

Originally Posted by TT Originally Posted by stracing Originally Posted by dani_d_mas Citroën or Peugeot doesn't have market in China or Australia or New Zealand ummm...are you sure? Well, not like here but hell, they should indeed risk in those markets instead of insisting here where they already sell 1 bazillion 206 every day!

hhaha
well we don't have bazzillion pugs...but still there are quite a few. i'm sure they are making money because they have existed here for a very long time

[Ford Capri 2.8i]

I agree with Dani....once the french PSA groups goal is the european market mostly (as most european generalist brands such as Skoda, Seat, Renault, Opel,......and once the FIAs goal is to achieve the a WRC which surrounds the whole world in order to get the maximum repercusion....regardless the brands objetives(in other words ignoring their objetives), the PSA group cars decide to retire from the WRC in 2006 because they arent making any profit with the current WRC coverage......

On the one hand, it sad news for the rallying supporter...on the other hand, the FIA deserves this such damage(as well as the fords, skodas and mitsubishis unstable World Rallying program)....