01/10/2009
RallyRACC, Shakedown: Sébastien Loeb was the fastest man in an all-Citroën

Sébastien Loeb (Citroën). Shakedown RallyRACC

The Shakedown held in the Coll de la Teixeta area this morning included this year for the first time the first 4.32 km of what will be Riudecanyes SS, scheduled for Day Three. All priority 1 and 2 drivers, except for Andreas Mikkelsen, hit the road today under a sunny sky that replaced yesterday’s rain.

Even though the Shakedown times can not be taken as an indicator for the race, Sébastien Loeb (Citroën) set the fastest time in the last of the four passes done in the area, on 2:36.4. Citroën Junior Team driver, also Frenchman Sébastien Ogier, classified next on 2:37.4, in his second tarmac race on a WRC. Citroën undisputedly dominated the race, with Spanish RACC driver Dani Sordo, also for Citroën, third on 2:37.9. Drivers made hardly any modifications in their cars and used today’s opportunity to ensure they worked smoothly.

Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala, on Ford, clocked discrete times on 2:38.9 and 2:39.2, respectively. Most drivers made between four and five passes, but Petter Solberg made as much as nine to familiarise himself as soon as possible with the Citroën C4 WRC, which is making its debut in the RallyRACC. Sébastien Loeb, who has won in Spain for the past four years, said: “Everything went well and we did not make any specific changes. I hope everything will develop smoothly. I hope I’ll win and my team mate Dani Sordo can finish second”.

On Friday, press conferences with Ari Vatanen and Jean Todt, candidates for FIA President
Jean Todt and Ari Vatanen, the two candidates running for President of the FIA, have both organized press conferences to present their candidacies at Port Aventura Hotel next Friday, once the activities of RallyRACC Catalunya-COSTA DAURADA are over. Vatanen and the Spanish member of his team, Fernando Falcó, have invited the media to the Far West Room at 5.45 pm. Todt and his candidate for Deputy President, Carlos Gracia, have announced their press conference at Polinesia Room, at 7.30 pm.

Both Vatanen and Todt will use this opportunity at the RallyRACC to lay out the main points of their candidacies and to present the members of their teams. This will be the first and only event for both candidates in a WRC rally for both candidates. They have also presented their proposal in several F1 Grand Prix.