Citroën Xsara WRC

Competition history

World Rally Championship

The Xsara World Rally Car, based on the road going Xsara hatchback but ultimately having very little resemblance to it under the skin, was one of the most successful cars ever to compete in the World Rally Championship. In 1999, the WRCs predecessor, the two wheel drive naturally aspirated Citroën Xsara Kit Car, won overall in Rallye Catalunya and Tour de Corse. This car was considered the best car in the class. The FIA increasing the minimum weight of the cars for the 2000 season, making the car un-competitive against World Rally Car machinery. In 2001, the Kit Cars category disappeared and was replaced by the Super 1600 and Super 2000.

In 2002, the Citroën Xsara WRC was introduced at the 2002 Monte Carlo Rally, with French driver Sébastien Loeb losing out on victory after being penalized for an illegal tyre change. Loeb subsequently won the Rallye Deutschland.

In 2003, Citroën partook their first full championship season, with Loeb joined by former champions Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz. The Xsara was more competitive, winning four rallies, and both Loeb and Sainz went into the final round of the season, the Wales Rally GB, with a chance at winning the drivers title. After championship rival Richard Burns suffered a blackout and withdrew from the rally, and Sainz crashed out on day one, Citroën chose to prioritise winning the manufacturers' title, which they did by 15 points. Loeb finished the rally in second and lost the drivers title by one point to Petter Solberg. In 2004, Loeb won his first drivers championship and successfully defended his title in 2005, winning a record ten rallies in a single season.

Sébastien Loeb won 28 rallies with the car, three consecutive Driver's Championship titles from 2004 to 2006, and Citroën to three consecutive Manufacturer's Championship titles in 2003, 2004, and 2005. In addition to Leob piloting the Xsara WRC, Jesús Puras, Carlos Sainz, and François Duval have also driven it to win since its 2001 conception.

The car was replaced in 2007 by the Citroën C4 WRC, however the Xsara was still used by privateers and others. World champion of 2003, Petter Solberg drove a 2006 spec Xsara for the majority of the season of 2009, which was entered by his own Petter Solberg World Rally Team.

Rallycross

Kenneth Hansen won the FIA European Rallycross Championship every year from 2000 to 2005.

In September 2014, French based Lebanese businessman Nabil Karam entered the 2014 World RX of France with an Xsara, finishing 34th out of 37 entrants after the qualifying heats, and failing to qualify for the semi-finals. Having upgraded to a DS3 for the edition of 2015, this is the only time an Xsara has been used in a FIA World Rallycross Championship event.

WRC victories

WRC results

References

References

1. "Xsara WRC".
2. "Aero evolution of the Citroën Xsara: from the Kit Car to the T4/WRC".
3. (2 July 2008). "WRC, motorsport news, results, features, teams, drivers, updates". Crash.net.
4. (June 5, 2017). "Peugeot 306 Maxi Rallye car Citroen ZX Xsara WRC Race". marxxon.com.
5. (16 November 2011). "Kronos - Season 2006". Juwra.com.
6. "World Rally Championship – Rallies". Wrc.com.
7. "KENNETH HANSEN APPOINTED - FIA'S DRIVER COMMISSION".