Citroën’s manufacturer-supported effort in the World Rally Championship’s second division will be a family affair next year, as Yohan Rossel remains with the French marque into 2025 and will be joined by his younger brother Léo Rossel in a second car.
The elder Rossel was a title contender this year until the last round of his WRC2 campaign, Central European Rally, when a stage one crash into a bank ended his hopes. Younger brother Léo won the French Tarmac title this year aboard a Citroën and will make his WRC debut at the Monte Carlo Rally next month.
Léo Rossel was French junior champion in 2020 and won the Stellantis Cup in 2022: “Becoming the 2024 French Rally Champion with the C3 Rally2 was an incredible milestone in my career and joining Citroën Racing as an official driver in 2025 is a dream come true,” he said. “Having grown up in the world of rallying and through the Stellantis Motorsport promotion programs, my journey is a testament to Citroën’s commitment to young talent.”
While the younger Rossel arrives, there are also departures: Nikolay Gryazin has left Citroën’s factory driver lineup and there is also a change of preparation firm for the manufacturer’s works-supported effort, as reigning WRC2 teams’ champions DG Sport is replaced by long-running Citroën affiliate PH Sport.
Léo Rossel will join older brother Yohan in PH Sport-run squad
While sibling team-mates are rare in the WRC, the Rossels are not the first: Marco and Bruno Bulacia were team-mates at Śkoda-backed squad Toksport from 2022 to 2023 and Colin and Alister McRae represented Subaru together at the 1998 RAC Rally.
Iron Dames and Iron Lynx drivers Pablo Sarrazin and Sarah Rumeau will also receive semi-works backing from the French manufacturer for their 2025 WRC2 campaigns. Citroën also confirmed works support for Réhane Gany’s French championship bid as part of Iron Lynx’s switch away from Ford Fiesta Rally2s to Citroëns.
Both of the Rossels will be on the start line at next month’s Monte Carlo Rally but the remainder of their WRC2 program is yet to be announced.
