Citroën at the front on the shakedown

Three Citroën C4 WRC took the top three positions of the Wales Rally GB Shakedown.

Sébastien Ogier set the fastest time ahead of World Champion Sébastien Loeb and Citroën privateer Petter Solberg.

Ogier completed his best run in 1’14’’2 and was just 0.1s quicker than Loeb. Solberg was 1.5s slower. Behind the three C4 were three Ford Focus RS, respectively driven by Mikko Hirvonen, Jari-Matti Latvala and Matthew Wilson. All three of them set a 1’16’’7.

They were followed by Dani Sordo and Kimi Raikkonen, both at the wheel of a Citroën C4.

Originally scheduled to take place in Margam Park, near Port Talbot, on Thursday morning, the Shakedown was moved to the Barrage in Cardiff Bay and ran on Wednesday evening (from 7pm to 10pm).

The change of venue and time has been made by the rally organisers in a bid to further reduce the spread of the ongoing infection of trees in Margam Forest by ’Phytophthora ramorum’ (P. ramorum).

Shakedown fastest times:

S.Ogier – Citroën – 1’14’’2
S.Loeb – Citroën – 1’14’’3
P.Solberg – Citroën – 1’15’’7
M.Hirvonen – Ford – 1’16’’7
JM Latvala – Ford – 1’16’’7
M.Wilson – Ford – 1’16’’7
D.Sordo – Citroën – 1’16’’9
K.Raikkonen – Citroën – 1’17’’3
H.Solberg – Ford – 1’19’’4