Citroen/Peugeot out of rallying, Into World Touring cars?

[Draven]

News on Crash.net that Citroen and Peugeot will leave the world rally championship after next year.
Heres the news in breif...

"Just days after Ford confirmed that it would be committing to the World Rally Championship for a further four years, PSA group marques Citroen and Peugeot have shocked the rally world by announcing that they would remain in the series for just one more season."

"In due course, Citroën Sport and Peugeot Sport will announce the disciplines in which they plan to participate after 2005"

So Today Ford announce that they will stick with the WRC and offer focus for the WTCC.
PSA are taking their brands out of the WRC , so will that mean that we could maybe see them in the WTcc in 2006?
Hope so.

[Kicking-back]

I think we may see Peugeot in the DTM, actually.

[SPARK Msport]

I beg the question why? Ok, maybe it could be money related, but why don't they keep one of the brands in? Aren't Citroen running a new car next year... well that'll be a waste if it only see's one year of rallying...

Bad news for Rallying as that leaves only a handful of manufactures left but then there are rumours Renault could enter and maybe some other 3rd world brands....

Would like to see one do BTCC, Peugeot should commit and do more then 1 season, Citroen errrr... I personally don't really see Citroen as a 'strong' brand

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

Well that's a shocker. But in all honesty I don't think it will damage the championship all that much. Afterall, Ford, Skoda, Subaru and Mitsubishi will all still be present. The only downside is a lack of seats to share between the top drives might see some of the popular drivers left by the wayside.

I doubt Citroen or Peugeot are interested in sportscars so it leaves them contesting a touring class or nothing at all.

[Hazard]

Personally, I don't believe it.

I can see Peugeot departing to make a move somewhere else. The most sensible move being to observe the early stages of the WTCC, and then to either enter into that for 2006, or as Kicking-Back says - replace Opel in the DTM with the 407.

Considering Citroen's status in the WRC now, the fact that it shares the same parent company as Peugeot - and the new C4 WRC is on the way - I very much doubt Citroen will leave the WRC at the end of 2005.

[touringlegend]

I think both Peugeot and Citroen are leaving, with autosport reporting the story as well.

Peugeot would do themselves no harm at all from a DTM campaign, although I don't know where you've got that from K-B :confused:

I see them more in the WTCC, because that's where as a manufacturer you'll have to be in the coming years.

[FIRE]

Originally posted by touringlegend
I think both Peugeot and Citroen are leaving, with autosport reporting the story as well.

Peugeot would do themselves no harm at all from a DTM campaign, although I don't know where you've got that from K-B :confused:

I see them more in the WTCC, because that's where as a manufacturer you'll have to be in the coming years.

For DTM you need also a lott of money. And I agree with you WTCC is the future.

[flor]

you dont need more money for dtm than for wtcc

[E46]

Originally posted by flor
you dont need more money for dtm than for wtcc

Sure?can you put some money numbers to see if this is true?

[E46]

Edit because of double post.

[Mike_Wooshy]

Maybe just is team is going to leave rather than both ????, as citroen seem comited for a while with the C4. But what about Peugeot they also seem committed with the 307 as its quit an new car when you think about it?? i dont know if i can belive this.

[flor]

Originally posted by E46
Sure?can you put some money numbers to see if this is true?

Mercedes has a budget between 20 and 30 mil € for 8 cars

[Go_For_Pole]

And Opel's is claimed to be 11 mil Euro. I would assume though that in both cases most of budget goes to promotion purposes

[Draven]

Personally as a fan or Rallying as well as Tin top racing I would have prefered to see one of the PSA brands stay in ralling,(Citroen I think). And then the other move to track racing in Btcc, Wtcc, or DTM . The 407 is already a popular car for it's styling so it would suit racing from a PR point of view.

No matter how much the cost of entry into touring cars and even with 2 new Rally cars (307 fairly new) it will be cheeper to be out of Rallying with both of the brands and into touring with one.

Shame though.

[kmchow]

Originally posted by Draven
No matter how much the cost of entry into touring cars and even with 2 new Rally cars (307 fairly new) it will be cheeper to be out of Rallying with both of the brands and into touring with one.

Shame though.

Alternatively, the cheapest would be out of Rallying with both and not to race in anything?? hrug:

[Duffacus]

I would really like to see Pug get more involved with the WTCC so we can see the likes of Magnussen and Watt on terms with the front runners, I hate seeing them that far back...

As for Citroen, it would make sense for them to stick to the WRC.

That way each manufacture has its own way of getting itself exposed and ultimately generating the money.