Kimi Räikkönen and Petter Solberg have the priority for Olivier Quesnel

Citroen’s motorsport boss Olivier Quesnel said that Kimi Raikkonen and Petter Solberg will have the priority to drive for the Citroen « B » team in 2011.

Olivier Quesnel told web site www.wrc.com that he is confident to run four DS3s in the inaugural round of the 2011 WRC season, the Rally Sweden in February.

Team Citroen Racing revealed the identity of its works team,with Sebastien Ogier joigning Sebastien Loeb, but nothing has been finalised yet concerning the « B » team.

"We will have two teams next year but I can’t tell you who will be in the second team because we need to secure the budget first," said Olivier Quesnel.

"We are in hot demand but we would prefer to run drivers who have a budget and who are also very fast. We would be very pleased to run Kimi and Petter and I think they would be our priority, but in the end we will see."

Former Citroen driver Dani Sordo looks closer to a ride with Mini, as he is performing some tests aboard the Countryman this week in Sardegna.

Source: Auto123

Räikkönen close to staying in rally with Citroën - boss

Kimi Räikkönen is reportedly close to deciding to stay in the world rally championship with Red Bull and Citroën next year.

After F1's world champion of 2007 quelled speculation he is looking to return to Formula One next year with Renault, Citroen's competition boss has now revealed that talks between Räikkönen and his sponsor Red Bull are well advanced.

"I know the negotiations are progressing well for Kimi to stay in the Citroën junior team," Olivier Quesnel reportedly told Autosprint magazine in Italy.

"I don't know when something will be officially announced," he acknowledged.

It had been rumoured that energy drink Red Bull's enthusiasm for the Citroen junior team project had waned.

More rumours had linked Räikkönen, 31, with a move to Ford, with funding from the Monster energy drink.

Source: Motorsport.com

LE MANS IS A TEMPTATION FOR LOEB AND KIMI

Turun Sanomat 13.2 2010 00:21:31

Olivier Quesnel has been presented with the idea of driving two champions, Sebastien Loeb and Kimi Räikkönen, next summer in Le Mans 24.

Quesnel has been the manager of both Citroen Racing and Peugeot Sport since January 1st 2009.

Peugeot won last year when the trio Marc Gene, David Brabham and Alex Wurz drove the French label to the top.

Le Mans is during the rally-break in the middle of June so both Loeb and Räikkönen would be free to take part in it. Yet they haven't had any discussions over it. Quesnel is only starting to think about it.

David Robertson confirmed to TS that Kimi's contract doesn't have any hinders in his contract that would prevent him from taking part in Le Mans. Robertson also knows that Kimi would like at some point of his career experience the legendary challenges of Le Mans.

Räikkönen made true what Loeb only was planning last year. Loeb would have wanted to drive for Toro Rosso in Abu Dhabi GP. The plans didn't yet come true because he didn't get the superlicense from FIA.

Loeb has taken part in LeMans twice in 2005-2006 and came in second.

Hagfors/Heikki Kulta

Courtesy: Nikki @PF1 Forum

Rally Sweden day one: Manufacturer team reaction

BP Ford Abu Dhabi Team principal, Malcolm Wilson on...

Mikko Hirvonen's leading performance: "I'm very happy. Everybody likes to be leading from the start, but Mikko made some small changes to his set up on SS4 and from then on he's had good confidence. We were a little bit worried that he might have destroyed the tyres by being maybe a bit aggressive, but now we’re starting to see the benefit of his experience - he just kept on pushing to get as far ahead as he could."

Jari-Matti Latvala's contribution: "He's done a good job. On the second stage this afternoon we saw what he's really capable of, but I think he pushed a little too hard there and did some damage to the tyres. But when you see those sorts of times you see he's got the potential."

Citroen Total World Rally Team director, Olivier Quesnel on...

Sebastien Loeb's cautious approach to tyre wear: "This afternoon we thought we should take care of the tyres, and maybe Seb didn't push enough, but this is it, and Mikko was right to push."
Dani Sordo and Sebastien Ogier: "Dani is doing a very good rally, but I must mention Sebastien Ogier too. This is his first time in Sweden and only his second time on snow. What he's done here is amazing."

Kimi Raikkonen's learning curve: "Kimi is learning. He went off the road but as I've said before we have to give Kimi time to learn. We have to wait until the middle of the season. In the second half he should be okay, but this is his first WRC rally with us. Everybody is very fast and Sweden is very complicated. For me there is no problem. He just has to learn."

Source: WRC.com