Abu Dhabi Rally Team aiming high

A Mexican fan waves out to the Abu Dhabi Rally Team driver

Since 2004, the World Rally Championship teams have had to deal with a new challenge at the Mexican round of the WRC. Contested on a highly compact route around León and Guanajuato, the stages are all held on roads that are at least 1,800 metres above sea level, peaking at close to 2,800 metres. The Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team DS3 WRC now head across the Atlantic to Mexico for the Rally Guanajuato Corona, on March 6-9.

Citroën Racing engineers therefore look for ways to mitigate the effects of the laws of physics. “We have to adapt the engine to this environment,” explained Didier Clément, Chief Operations Engineer for the DS3 WRCs. “The engine mapping is adjusted to reduce the loss of horsepower. If we didn‘t do this specific work, we’d lose around 10 per cent of maximum power output with every 1,000 metres of altitude.”

“The idea is to lose as little power as possible but also reduce the response times during acceleration,” added Didier Clément. “An engine needs air, a lot of fresh air, in order to operate really effectively. In Mexico, there is less air and it’s hot, so we need a really efficient mapping!”

Sheikh Khalid bin Faisal Al Qassimi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Racing, has high hopes for the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team: “Rally Mexico is different than the two previous rallies, this is the first gravel rally this season with stages well elevated on Mexican mountain tops, which pose a great challenge for both man and machine, but I have faith that with the expertise of the Citroën Team, 8x winner of World Rally Championship, a winning formula can see the light at Rally Mexico.”

Al Qassimi added: “I have solid confidence in the capabilities of Citroën engineers and technicians, I am certain they will put in their best to prepare the cars. As for Kris Meeke and Mads Østberg, both have proven their elite stature post Rallye Monte Carlo and Rally Sweden results, and although they are strangers to Rally Mexico, I have faith they will be at the heart of the competition, right on the podium.”

“We are still learning,” admitted the Norwegian. “But every mile we cover in the car makes me happy.” Having competed in Mexico for the last three years, his best result being fourth overall in 2012, Mads Østberg hopes to do even better this year: “Although we have to bear in mind that Rally Mexico will still be our first rally on gravel in the DS3 WRC, I’m convinced that we’ll be competitive. I’m positive. A podium finish would be an excellent result.”