Barely had the Citroën C4 WRCs of Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Dani Sordo/Marc Martí rolled off the finish ramp in Catalonia and no sooner had the Citroën Sport mechanics packed up their tool cases and their engineer colleagues switched off their computers than it was time for the team to turn its gaze to the Tour de Corse – round 13 of the 2007 World Championship – for which both Citroën crews have been entered.
The French event has figured on the WRC calendar ever since the creation of the series in 1973 and stands out as one of the sport's legendary fixtures. Although its current, compact Ajaccio-based route has seen the Tour de Corse lose some of its former splendour, it continues to be one of the championship's emblematic encounters and this reputation is fed by its magnificent backdrop, its unique stages and the warm welcome given to competitors by the enthusiastic islanders.
The region visited by this season's event is basically identical to that of recent years. However, some 57% of the stages are either new or haven't been used for some time. And even though much of the island's aging, abrasive asphalt is gradually being resurfaced, the reputation of its road network hasn't changed.
Although twisty, the stages are covered at a sprint-like pace, with corners feeding directly into each other, leaving drivers precious little time to catch their breath. "For the first time this year, we've got two asphalt events following each other," observes Citroën Sport Technical Manager Xavier Mestelan-Pinon.
"There are some significant differences, however, between Catalunya and Corsica, not the least of which is the amount of grip that is available and the profile of the stages. There are fewer places in Corsica where the cars corner really hard and the surface is often bumpier. The roads are much twistier and do not call for a circuit-type driving style to the same extent. Another key factor we have had to take onboard is the fact that we will be using the same cars in Corsica as the ones that competed in Catalonia."
As in Spain, it will also be important to take the weather into account. Following its switch from a spring to an autumn slot, this year's Rallye de France could well take place in unstable weather and the familiar cocktail of bright sunshine in Ajaccio and showers or fog high in the mountains promises to make tyre choice particularly difficult.
"All these ingredients make the Tour de Corse a very complex event," agrees Guy Fréquelin. "lt's a tremendous rally and it's also nice to be competing in France, in front of French fans. That doesn't make the weekend any easier, however. Contesting long loops of three stages at a time with the same tyres in conditions that can differ from one test to the next is clearly very stressful. We will need to be as spot-on in our tyre and compound choices as we were in Spain. To obtain a good result in Corsica, I will be counting on the excellent contribution of everyone at Citroën Sport and the performance of our BFGoodrich tyres. As for our objective, it will be the same as it was in Catalonia: to do our best to finish first and second..."
