Citroën rules out team orders

Citroën drivers Kris Meeke and Mads Østberg will be free to fight one another on Sunday’s final leg of Xion Rally Argentina.

With just two stages and 32.64km to go, Meeke leads the event from his team-mate by 38.6sec, while Citroën is on course to record its best result since Rally Finland 2012.

But even with so much at stake, Citroën Racing Team Principal Yves Matton denied he would order his two DS 3 drivers to hold positions.

"I told them the same as I have asked since the beginning of the weekend, and that is to have two cars in a good position at the end," he explained. "In this case, and with the gaps they have, they are clever enough to know what they have to do."

Matton admitted that the chance to secure Citroën’s first rally win since ADAC Rallye Deutschland 2013 left him "feeling stressed" - especially with two passes through one of the championship’s most difficult stages remaining.

"Okay, two stages to go, maybe that’s not so long, but we know that El Condor is always rough and things can happen. But for sure, when you have two cars, it’s always more easy," he said.

"It’s now a long time that we are waiting for a good result and especially a victory. For all the team who have been working so hard it would be the perfect thank you."