The Citroen DS3 WRC in the thick of Argentinean fervor!

In the best Argentinean tradition, the shakedown took place in dusty conditions in front of a big, enthusiastic crowd. The Citroën Total World Rally crews were able to validate the setups of the DS3 WRCs before the start, which will be given at 14h30.

Rally Argentina, the sixth round of the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship, began slightly earlier than usual for the Citroën Total World Rally Team. On Saturday, Sébastien Loeb, Daniel Elena, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia were in Buenos Aires for a road show that attracted over 50 000 people around the obelisk on the Place de la République.

Two days later, the crews were in Villa Carlos Paz in the province of Cordoba to start reconnaissance. On this route in particular, Julien Ingrassia underlined the difficulties of the 49,21-km Ascochinga-Agua de Oro (stage (SS16) stage that will be run on Sunday morning: “It’s the kind of long stage we like! It’s a combination of two of the 2009 stages. The start is given in the Pampa with not a tree in sight. We race on open ground where you can see for several kilometers. The second part in the forest is very different. There are cacti and poplars. The roads are steeper and there’s a ford where the spectators love to watch. It’ll be a crucial stage at the end of the rally.”

During the shakedown, the Citroën DS3 WRCS had their first taste of dust. Despite a 3-minute gap between each start, the crews had to cope with clouds still hanging over the roads.

“It was tricky in the early morning with the low sun,” underlined Sébastien Loeb, winner of the last five events. “There were still a lot of people on the roads. To sum up, with the dust and the crowds we’re having a typical Argentinean Rally. Let’s hope it’ll be the same thing for the result! Being first out on the road means we’ll have to push. During the reconnaissance we ran across stones that came out of the ground easily, so we’ll have to be careful.”

Sébastien Ogier who has only raced in this event once, in 2009, summed up: “Even if we don’t have a lot of experience, our aim is to score the maximum number of points. I like this route, especially on the second day. On the new asphalt sections we’ll have to nurse the tyres.”

The first stage of the rally starts today at 15h05 in Carlos Paz on a 3,02-km super special.