Citroën’s latest specification C3 WRC – the car the French firm created for 2020 before walking out of the World Rally Championship – could finally be seen in action next season.
Saintéloc – the team running private C3 WRCs at the sport’s highest level – has confirmed to DirtFish that it is ready to push for the necessary final homologation sign-off to get the car up and running for 2021.
That latest-spec Citroën was tested with a new engine and radical aerodynamic overhaul in Spain at the end of last year. Then Citroën drivers Sébastien Ogier and Esapekka Lappi both felt the car was a significant step forward over its predecessor, as did its WRC2 driver Mads Østberg.
Andreas Mikkelsen, who has driven the C3 in his role as Pirelli’s test driver, had hoped he could fast forward homologation plans in order to run the Citroën at Rally Monza at the end of the season.
“That would be a really good plan,” said Mikkelsen. “To bring the car with the new aero and latest parts would be really interesting.
“Of course, it needs the homologation to be signed off. Saintéloc owns a car, but I’m guessing this is something Citroën would be able to do.”
Saintéloc told DirtFish there are no plans to get the 2020-spec C3 WRC homologated for Monza, but it is a very real possibility for next season.
Rally manager Vincent Ducher said: “From our side, everything could be ready to run next year with the new aero kit, if we succeed to build a good program with good drivers. The process of the homologation has been launched by Citroën last year and then stopped. All the homologation documents exist and just need to be reactivated.”
When Petter Solberg tried the C3 WRC
Saintéloc's Citroën C3 WRC did get a run-out in this year's WRC on the recent Rally Italy. He was co-driven by Andreas Mikkelsen in a PR stunt for Pirelli's new 2021 tires.
