BLOG: Happy Christmas Roadies!

Well, we're taking our lead from the Government, and packing in for Christmas and New Year today! So we just wanted to say a quick thank you to all the Road Magazine readers and blog followers – we really appreciate your support for our humble daily auto blog and magazine, and we hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
We'll be back in early 2014 with more ace blogging, our fabulous glossy magazine and the usual Facebook and Twitter nonsense. Have a good one! Oh, and if you get bored over the festive season… here's a link to all the back issues of Road :-)
Finally, a massive thanks to my wife, Bonnie of Royle Media (who does all of Road's gorgeous design work) and all who help contribute to Road… including Travis drummer and Road racer, Neil Primrose,  Stuart Staples, Andy Robinson, Ashley Van Dyke etc. I couldn't do it without you! Season's greetings one and all! Road Magazine Editor, Phil Royle

OFFER: "Racing & Waiting" Ice Driving Courses 2014

Our pal Tim Hutton over at Racing & Waiting is offering another dose of Winter driving magic in Norway in early 2014. And if you don't know how much fun ice driving courses are, have a look here.

Racing & Waiting founder, Tim says: "Following on from the success of this collaboration with Classic Grand Touring this year I am very pleased to be able to offer Ice Driving to you all again. This is possibly the most fun you can have on four wheels... Thomas has been visiting the same lake for the last five winters and knows all the elements required to make the trip a very memorable one. 

"CGT will arrange the flights and hire cars to transport you up to the lake. We will have accommodation organised for three nights allowing us two full days driving on the lake. We will also get initial instruction in each of the FWD, RWD and 4WD cars to get the most out of them, then you will be free to enjoy the different cars all day long. At the end of the weekend there will be a timed stage to assess how far you have mastered the art of driving quickly on ice.
"I have been grinning all year after attending this in March, it really is great fun. There is no need to spend thousands on driving 911's or Lamborghini's on ice, this gives the same thrill at a fraction of the cost and the moose burgers aren't half bad either! Below is the full itinerary, if you are interested get in touch with Classic Grand Touring and tell Thomas I sent you!"

The dates & details are:
Thursday 30th January
Fly from Gatwick on the 0910 flight arriving at Oslo Gardemoen airport at 1220. We collect our hire cars here and drive in convoy up to the lake; expect a three hour drive. We will go straight to the lake for our briefing on the weekend’s activities, and there might even be time for a few laps before the sun goes down.

Friday 31st January
After breakfast we head to the lake to get started in the cars. We will share the time between the cars available whilst taking instruction through the day. Lunch is included here.

Saturday 1st February
Again we have a full day on the Lake with lunch included. We aim to round the day off with a timed stage. We will have a finalé evening at one of the ski resorts.

Sunday 2nd February
This morning we will use all the skills we have learned and apply them to ice karting! We then return back to Oslo airport for the 1820 flight arriving into Gatwick at 1930.

The price
£795 per person based on two persons sharing a room (single supplement £150).

What’s included:
• Return flights to Oslo International airport
from London Gatwick
• Three nights hotel accommodation on bed
and breakfast basis
• Use of Ice driving cars on lake
• Tuition
• Lunch on two of the days
• Services of an experienced tour manager

What’s not included:
• Road car hire

VIDEO: One For Our Norwegian Rally Readers!

As a treat for all our lovely, new-found readers in Norway – to which we say Hei! Hvordan går det? – here's a cool video with the Norwegian Royal family of rallying, the Solberg brothers (Petter & Henning) and the army. Sounds quite random, but it's a really well proceed video by Petter Foshaug. Check it out!

BLOG: Just How Ace Will WRC 2014 Be?

This year's WRC has been totally splendid – with VW making history dominating the drivers' and manufacturers' championships with their new Polo R, and the season ending on such a high with a VW 1-2 at a revitalised Wales Rally GB, as you can read in our latest issue here.

And with Hyundai stepping up to the plate with the fresh-faced i20 WRC for 2014 – with the youthful talent of the new Mr consistency, Thierry Neuville, the multi-surface skills of testing ace Juho Hänninen, the tarmac-terrorist, Dani Sordo and gravel giant, Chris Atkinson driving – the sport is looking in finer and finer shape. 

It's so great to have two new teams and their cool new cars to battle alongside the more establish Citroën Racing DS3 WRC and M-Sport's Ford Fiesta RS WRC. 

And the best news – for us British rally fans, who still miss the days of Burns & McRae doing battle with the best – is that we now have not one, but two British drivers in top teams and ace, established cars in the 2014 WRC.

Kris Meeke gets a WRC seat with co-driver Paul Nagle (racing alongside Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson) in an all-new Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team line up, which you can read about here. 

And now, after a storming season in WRC2 – including his win at Wales Rally GB by a country mile – Malcolm Wilson has gifted Welshman, Elfyn Evans an M-Sport drive in the Fiesta RS WRC in 2014. Yay!

Both announcements are massive boosts for UK rallying – coming following what was without doubt the best Wales Rally GB for years – and they make for a thrilling prospect for 2014 WRC, for all rally fans, but especially us Brits.  

Andrew Coe, Chief Executive of Wales Rally GB organiser International Motor Sports is understandably ecstatic at the prospect of having two British drivers back at the sport’s highest level, saying: "This is just fantastic news for the sport in the UK and, in particular Wales. We were thrilled when Citroen signed Kris and now we are further excited that M-Sport has given Elfyn this equally fabulous opportunity. To have a Welsh driver competing at the forefront of the World Championship is a great reward for the Welsh Government, which has been a great supporter of our sport for more than a decade.

"The timing couldn’t be much better either, coming so soon after the huge success of last month’s revitalised Wales Rally GB. The move to a new base in north Wales saw the reintroduction of some classic forest stages and a huge leap in spectator numbers – the only ingredient missing was a British driver in contention for victory. Now, with Kris and Elfyn both in major teams, we have two potential British winners."
Evans is widely hailed as one of the sport’s brightest up-and-coming talents. The baby-faced 24-year-old – son of 1996 British Rally Champion and rally stalwart, Gwyndaf Evans – won the WRC Academy in 2012 and last year impressed in the WRC2 category, notably when taking top class honours on Wales Rally GB on his home soil.
Now the youngster and his co-driver Daniel Barritt graduate to one of two officially entered M-Sport Fiesta RS WRCs as team-mates to multiple WRC winner Mikko Hirvonen, who is due a better year and is sure to come out fighting, especially after his muddy, unceremonious roll in Wales!
"It is an absolutely fantastic feeling to know that I will be driving a world rally car for a full season next year!" admitted a delighted Evans. "For Dan and I it is great to be able to take the next step in our careers. The whole team is behind us and we have a long-term plan to get to where we all, ultimately, want to be. This is just the first step and I am extremely grateful to M-Sport for this opportunity and their belief in my future."

Roll on 2014! It's going to be so good to see two such talented, different British rally drivers at the top of the sport again, winning stages, rallies, even WRC titles… just like the good old Burns-McRae era, only different, as it's now Irishman Vs Welshman, not Scot Vs Englishman. I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere… 

We wish (the experienced, yet untested properly in WRC) Kris and (the WRC2 master and young gun) Elfyn all the best and you can follow their news here, on Facebook and Twitter with Road Magazine… British rally fans to the core! 

Read our latest Rally GB special FREE here.

NEWS: Falken Tyres U17s Motorsport Boost

Falken Tyre Europe are providing support for the U17's Motor Club Autosolo at Autosport International 2014 – helping get youngsters into motorsport.
Building upon the success of its inaugural support of the Under 17 Motor Club in 2013, Falken Tyre Europe will be helping more young drivers to get involved in motorsport – by providing tyres for their Autosolo event at Autosport International (Jan 9th-14th 2014).
Autosolos are a series of timed, ‘all-forward’ (i.e. no reversing) courses on hard surfaces such as car parks or airfields. Unlike traditional autotests, there is no requirement for special techniques such as spin turns. Cars must be taxed, insured, have an MOT certificate if applicable and be driven to the event. Road tyres are also specified with Falken’s ZE914 ECORUN and Sincera tyres popular, both providing a blend of grip and affordability.
Twenty competitors a day including Under 17 Motor Club members will provide visitors to the Autosport Show with a taste of the sport through passenger rides on a course inside one of the halls. This year, for the first year, rides will be available on all four days of the event. Cars set to appear include Mazda MX-5s, Nissan Micras, Citroen Saxo, and a Peugeot 205.
“Falken is delighted to expand its support to enable young drivers to learn about car control in a secure environment and to make the first steps into competitive motorsport, with the opportunity to actually take part,” says Stefanie Olbertz, Falken Tyre Europe’s motorsport marketing manager. “The demonstrations will provide a great opportunity to show the motorsport enthusiasts this growing branch of motorsport that is breeding ground for competitors that don’t have the budgets for karting.”
Falken’s backing for the Under 17 Motor Club follows its support for other youngsters in UK motorsport in 2013. This includes 11 year old Catherine Harris in BriSCA Ministox, Hazel Johnson in North West rallying as well as enabling 19 year old race driver Christie Doran to experience its drift cars.
Further information can be found at: www.falken-europe.de

And join Falken on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/falken.motorsports

NEWS: Subaru BRZ Buyers Get FREE Winter Wheel & Toyo Tyres Package

We're re-testing the compact, RWD, flat four, big fun Subaru BRZ this week, after our Road Magazine racer and Travis drummer, Neil Primrose tested it earlier this year here. And, we've got to say, we LOVE it… especially for its ability to set you on an impromptu sideways session on the way to the shops. What could be more fun?
The choice to fit skinny, relatively low grip Michelin rubber, rather than fatter, stickier tyres was a masterstroke – letting the car be sliding fun, rather than top of the traction pops (which its chassis is certainly capable of). 

But, much as we love going sideways, with Winter setting in, we did get to thinking… what's the BRZ going to be like in the ice and snow?  Conclusion… a handful! 

But Subaru has the answer – offering a FREE set of Toyo winter tyres AND wheels for new Winter 2013 BRZ buyers, supplied by the dealers (who will also store customers’ standard tyre over the winter). As big supporters of the Winter tyre 'movement' here in the UK (see our Outback Alpine tyre test here), we think it's a great idea and a fabulous buying incentive… worth £1,095!
Toyo's brand new Snoprox cold weather tyres have been designed with special tread patterns to improve braking and provide more stable and predictable handling throughout the colder and wetter winter months. To accompany the 215/45 winter tyres, BRZ buyers can choose between bright Silver or Anthracite Grey 17-inch alloy wheels, which should maintain the BRZ's ace looks.
Customers qualify for the offer by purchasing a new BRZ up until the end of February 2014 and can at the same time have their standard tyre/wheel combination stored free of charge at the local dealer, ready to be re-fitted when the weather warms up.
Darren James, Subaru UK Director for Aftersales explained: “The BRZ has won plaudits from across the industry as a great driver’s car. The offer of a free set of winter tyres will mean new owners can fully appreciate the BRZ’s blend of light weight, usable power and rear-wheel drive handling, even when the weather takes a turn for the worse.”
Further information on the Subaru BRZ can be found at www.subaru.co.uk.
Great idea for a great car Subaru. Bravo! 

PRODUCT: Shell V-Power Nitro+ Test

Our (unscientific, but none-the-less user-based, and hopefully useful) consumer tests of the new Shell V-power Nitro+ unleaded continue, with surprising results on two of the oh-so-thirsty V6 and V8 Road Magazine Project Cars.

Our twin-turbo V6 Audi S4 is loving its new fuel – seemingly more so, the more it sups. It's definitely running more turbo boost with the higher octane fuel – giving it a noticeable surge in torque on turbo spool-up. And, when I've eco-tested it on a recent run, it returned it's best ever mpg, 29.5 – which ain't bad for a 300+bhp forced aspiration V6 eh?

And whilst our Project P38 4.6-litre V8 Range Rover can only dream of hitting just shy of 30mpg (despite being LPG converted, so it might get close in cost per mile terms), it's also loving the V-Power Nitro + treatment, feeling much more peppy and powerful and also returning more miles per gallon. 

It might cost more at the pumps this new Shell V-Power fuel, but – with a light right foot – it's saving you money with improved mpg. And, hopefully, it's reducing servicing costs/extending the lifetime of our engines, thanks to the fact its designed to clean out nasty, power-sapping engine deposits from the moment you turn the key. 

And the more of the fuel you use, the more it cleans up and frees up your engine, with its clever "Friction Modification Technology" – as tested with Ferrari, which is designed to instantly reduce friction in critical engine areas, thereby helping the engine to deliver more power to the wheels.

It's certainly working with our old performance cars, and we hope aiding their long-term health.

Shell has teamed up with Formula One™ fan, Jake Humphrey, to launch the new V-Power Nitro+ Unleaded (and Diesel) and he says: "I’ve spent the last four years travelling the world with the F1 circuit and have seen first-hand how Shell share with Ferrari the passion for performance in motorsports. They’ve competed in over 500 races together and that is a testament to the fuels Shell produce. It’s a thrill to know that when I fill up with Shell V-Power Nitro+ Unleaded I will experience the same technology that is developed for Ferrari on the track, in my own car."
David Moss, Shell UK Retail General Manager, adds: "Shell V-Power Nitro+ fuels come with a racing seal of approval having been inspired by the Shell Technical Partnership with Ferrari, the titans of Formula One racing. At Shell, we are committed to making better fuels for our customers. Formula One helps us to deliver those better products. Our Shell V-Power Nitro+ fuels are the result of over 60 years of innovation and shared passion for performance with Ferrari in the motorsports arena and we’re excited about giving UK drivers the opportunity to try them for themselves and experience just what these new fuels can do."
For more information, visit www.shell.co.uk/vpower.

PRODUCT: TomTom GO 6000 Test Update

We've got the latest, all-singing, all-dancing, all-new-design flagship TomTom GO 6000 on test right now – with its brand new design language appearance, offering a streamlined, "map-centric experience" making it easier for the driver to use and read, displaying only the most relevant information at any given moment.
The new GO 6000 retails at a £1 under £300, so the fact it now includes lifetime Traffic and Map updates (of 45 European countries!) and built-in mobile data for the first time is a good thing, as that's quite an investment.
But what you get for your money is a stunning six-inch touchscreen, which is larger than a lot of built-in sat nav devices. The supplied mounting bracket is also really good, conventionally sticking into position, then twisting to get it stable and solid.
Being used to the old TomTom menu system, we found it took us a bit of time to get used to the new layout, colours, sounds and all with the fresh and funky GO 6000. But, once you do acclimatise, there's no going back… it's really intuitive, clean and clever.
The TomTom GO is the only navigation device which allows you to start navigating in two taps, which is really simples when you're in a hurry, and the map with live traffic is the first thing you see – giving you an immediate overview of the traffic situation around your current location and your potential route - supplying you with instant options and helping you avoid traffic from the off. That's ace.
But the best feature by far is the ‘Jam Ahead’ warning for traffic incidents – indicated with the bar on the RHS – which tells you exactly when you’ll hit the jam, what type of incident it is, warns you in case you’re moving at a faster speed than the traffic ahead and tells you exactly how many minutes it's going to add to your journey. And, if it's bad it'll suggest re-routing, where possible. This use of real-time TomTom Traffic information is just amazing, and has saved us countless times getting stuck in horrible traffic jams on a number of occasions already… which more than justifies it's £299 price tag to us.  

The GO 6000 is really good helping you stay legal too. Like the TomTom's of old, you get a central speed display, which goes orange when you wander over the limit and red when you're in points territory. But, even better now, the new RHS bar display that gives you traffic info. also calculates your average speed when you're travelling through a camera-monitored average speed check zone – again, changing colour to warn you if you're just, or miles over. This helps you stay points-free, at a glance – which is dead useful, especially in those frequently-found, nasty 50mph, narrow lane motorway roadworks the M25 and M62 are full of right now. And the GO also shows you the locations of solid-state and mobile zone Gatsos, which is helpful (although the updates for these are an extra £19.99).  

Another top function we enjoy is when you're searching for a destination – the TomTom GO starts finding it and suggesting options from the moment you start typing… like a Google search. And it'll even list points of interest on the RHS of the search too. 

And when you enter a city, the map goes all 3D on your ass, making it easier to relate the map to what you see ahead of you as a driver. This is really useful, and cool: When you approach a real landmark, there it is in 3D form in front of your eyes. 

Our experience to date with the GO 6000 has been akin to my experience with the most recent Kings of Leon album. At first, whilst I knew it was good, I didn't like it as much as the last one. But, the more I listened/used it, the more it rewarded me with its apparent simplicity, but actual complexity.  

The GO 6000 may not be cheap, but you get what you pay for and it comes highly, highly recommended by us at Road HQ. 

NEWS: David Appleby Engineering Get First Bentley Continental GT3

Lucky David Appleby Engineering has announced it will become the first Bentley Continental GT3 customer team – taking delivery of the new, glorious, 600bhp, twin turbo V8 race car in January.
The team, which will race under the Generation Bentley Racing banner, has been formed to develop young talent in motorsport for drivers, engineers and mechanics and will compete in the British GT Championship in 2014.
Drivers James Appleby (GB) and Steve Tandy (GB) will take the wheel next year in British GT and the car is available to compete in the FIA Blancpain endurance series for interested parties. The team is keen to take full advantage of the Continental GT3's eligibility for a wide spectrum of worldwide endurance racing.
James Appleby from Banbury, initially began his racing career in the SEAT Cupra Championship in 2008. James has since competed regularly in the Aston Martin GT4 at a European level as a Junior Aston Martin Racing team driver and was presented the star of the future award by Aston Martin Racing in 2010.
Steve Tandy from Gloucestershire started his career racing classic sportscars in 2006 and is very familiar with the British GT Championship having competed for the last two seasons in the GT3 class achieving two overall wins and a multitude of podium finishes.
Launched at Goodwood in July this year, the new 1300 kg Bentley Continental GT3 race car features a 4.0 litre V8 twin turbo V8 developing an unrestricted 600 bhp. The new race car is based on the road-going Continental and has received an aerodynamic package of enhancements while retaining its iconic and recognisable form.
Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush, comments: “I am delighted that David and his team will be competing with the Continental GT3 in our home country in 2014. The team has a wealth of experience and I'm confident that their energy and professionalism will see some very encouraging results next year. We'll be supporting them every step of the way and I wish them every success in the British GT Championship.”
David Appleby, Managing Director, David Appleby Engineering said: "Having had enormous success in GT4, we are very excited to be taking it to the next level. The Continental GT3 is a fantastic package of British design and engineering, and it's eligibility for both British GT and Blancpain makes it a perfect racecar for us."

Generation Bentley Racing will make its debut at the opening round of the British GT Championship taking place at Oulton Park on 19 April 2014.

NEWS: Hyundai Motorsport i20 WRC 2014 Line-up

Hyundai Motorsport has unveiled its full team line-up at a special launch event in Frankfurt today – readying for its debut in the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship at Monte Carlo next month.
Thierry Neuville made his first public appearance in Hyundai Motorsport colours as the team’s lead driver, while testing ace Juho Hänninen – who will drive the second i20 WRC at selected events – was also present. It was also announced that both Dani Sordo and Chris Atkinson will partner Neuville at several events during the season, with Sordo running on Rallye Monte-Carlo and Atkinson confirmed for Rally Australia. Quite a cool, youthful, talented line-up eh?

Hyundai Motorsport says they have "set realistic targets for its debut season with the primary objective of finishing each rally event with two cars. The young team will approach each rally with the goal of accumulating vital knowledge and data in order to strengthen its foundations for subsequent years. Going up against vastly more experienced WRC competitors, the team knows that it has a steep learning curve, but it certainly relishes the challenge and will be aiming to compete for podium places during the season."

“We have worked tremendously hard to get where we are today and to be able to launch our new WRC team to the world,” explains Team Principal of Hyundai Motorsport GmbH, Michel Nandan. “In less than one year, we have built and tested a brand new WRC-specification car, the Hyundai i20 WRC, and established a professional team and modern motorsport facility. It’s a huge accomplishment but we know that we have a lot to learn in our first season. Our aims for 2014 are realistic: we want to finish each rally with both cars and build up a database of information and experience so we can develop ourselves into prospective rally winners in the future. If all goes well, we will hope to be competing for occasional podiums as the year progresses.”
The launch event was held at the home of Hyundai Motor Europe in Offenbach, just a short drive from Hyundai Motorsport’s facility in Alzenau, where final preparations are taking place for the team’s rally debut in just over one month. Over 150 journalists and guests attended the event to see the newly liveried Hyundai i20 WRC and team on display.
The complete line-up for 2014 includes a new title partner, Shell, which will see the team named Hyundai Shell World Rally Team. The multi-year partnership will see Shell Helix-Ultra logos adorn the Hyundai i20 WRC at all WRC events.
“Shell is delighted to be returning to the WRC in 2014 with Hyundai,” said Colin Abraham, Shell Vice President Marketing (Fuels and Lubricants). “Shell and Hyundai have worked closely together to deliver a high quality product to customers around the world for more than eight years. We bring a genuine understanding of each other’s strengths to this exciting new team as the Hyundai i20 WRC prepares for its first competitive season.”
“I am really excited at the prospect of helping Hyundai Motorsport to integrate itself into the tough WRC environment,” said Neuville. “It is an honour to be representing a manufacturer like Hyundai Motor Company but also to have the extra responsibility of leading the team in our first season. I am looking forward to Monte Carlo. I can already feel the professionalism, motivation and passion of this team so although it will be a steep learning curve, I am sure it will be a positive one.”
Hänninen said: “I respect the opportunity that I have been given to join Hyundai Motorsport in its debut WRC season. I was the first to drive the Hyundai i20 WRC back in May so I feel really close to the project and have a great relationship with the team. I am looking forward to competing in Rally Sweden and continuing our learning curve.”
Sordo commented: “I am very happy to be part of this exciting Hyundai WRC project. It might be a young team but there is a high level of experience and professionalism that makes the team a really appealing package. I am looking forward to bringing my years of WRC experience to the team in its debut season and to take part in Rallye Monte-Carlo, the first event.”
“It’s been a pleasure to be part of Hyundai Motorsport in testing this season and to have had the chance to contribute to the development of the i20 WRC,”said Atkinson. “It’s fantastic to be able to carry on with the team into 2014, our first WRC season, and to be able to drive in Rally Australia later in the year.”
Hyundai Motor Company also used the occasion of its WRC launch to announce that Hyundai “N” will be used to symbolise Hyundai’s high performance technology on both the i20 WRC car and future mass-produced high performance cars. Linked directly to the company’s renewed involvement in WRC, “N” brings together Hyundai Motor’s technology and innovation with the learning from motorsport to provide a new experience for customers.
Representing the company’s passion for high performance, “N” takes inspiration in both name and spirit from the Namyang R&D Centre that has collaborated with Hyundai Motorsport on the development of the i20 WRC. The Namyang R&D Centre is at the heart of the technological innovation and development that serves as the driving force behind Hyundai’s growth as a global brand.
The Hyundai WRC team has come a long way since the first iteration of the i20 WRC car made an appearance at the Paris Motor Show in September 2012. Hyundai Motorsport has developed from scratch into a fully functioning motorsport team, defying the odds to build, test and prepare two rally cars ready to compete in 2014.
With more than 90 staff from 18 nationalities, made up of motorsport specialists and experienced Hyundai personnel, the team represents the perfect mix of Hyundai and motorsport ideals.

In just over one month’s time, Hyundai Motorsport is set to add a new dimension to the FIA World Rally Championship by competing in its debut event of 2014. The company has already shown what can be accomplished in a short space of time with the right mentality and approach. For the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team, January cannot come soon enough.

NEWS: Brit Kris Meeke Gets Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team Drive

Hooray for British rallying! Colin McRae's rising star, Kris Meeke finally has a full WRC drive in 2014  – with co-driver Paul Nagle, racing alongside Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson in an all-new Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team line up, which looks impressive. 2014 is shaping up to be a great year, with Hyundai Motorsport entering the fray with youthful talent and VW Motorsport's amazing Polo R WRC aiming to stay on top with their dream team. Bring it on!
Having won the World Rally Championship eight times between 2003 and 2012, Citroën Racing is to continue its involvement in WRC with the two new, talented "high-potential" pairings.
Kris Meeke came through the ranks of Citroën Racing’s promotional formulas, before driving a C2 Super 1600 for the brand in the Junior WRC. IRC Champion in 2009, the Northern Irishman has since made a return to the World Rally Championship. His two 2013 appearances – in Finland and Australia (which he was leading until he rolled out) – saw him put in some impressive performances at the wheel of the DS3 WRC. 2014 will see these occasional outings give way to a full programme, as he becomes the first British driver to race a full season since Colin McRae’s 2003 swansong with Citroën.
“It’s an incredible opportunity,” said a delighted Meeke. “I've always been close to Citroën over the last few years. I’m really lucky to be able to work with a team that has so much experience and so many titles.”
“I have only competed in ten World Championship rallies in a WRC,” Meeke added. “I think I’ve got some potential, but I still need to get some experience under my belt. The Citroën DS3 WRC is a terrific car and I’m going to be able to use the team’s knowledge to help me improve. I know that I'll have to be patient in the first half of the season and learn all about the rallies that I haven't done before.”
Twenty-six-year-old Mads Østberg has already taken part in 65 WRC rallies and won the Norwegian Championship four times. With seven podium finishes to his name at world level, he notched up his first WRC victory at the Rally of Portugal in 2012.
“I am very happy and proud to be joining Citroën Racing,” explained the Norwegian. “We worked hard to get an official driver’s spot. After so many years watching Citroën win, it’s a dream come true to be part of this team.”
“Competing is the most important thing,” added Mads. “And even though I don’t know the team or the car yet, I can recognise the worth of the guys and the Citroën DS3 WRC. Of course, I’m joining Citroën Racing to get some good results and to try and win some rallies. I've always shown that I could be quick. I know that the standard in the World Rally Championship is exceptionally high, but I want to be competitive!”
Like last year, Khalid Al Qassimi will take part in a selection of World Championship rallies. The driver from Abu Dhabi will line up for the races in Sweden, Portugal, Italy and Spain and will concentrate on taking part in the entire Middle East rally Championship.
“Our team line-up for the 2014 season is in keeping with our ambitions,” concluded Yves Matton, Managing Director of Citroën Racing.
“Kris Meeke and Mads Østberg have followed very different career paths, but both of them are on the cusp of making it into the very top class of world rally drivers. After an initial phase of learning and getting to know each other, our goal will be to help them to improve and turn them into real contenders for victory.”

Citroën Racing will unveil its entire rally and track racing programme for 2014 on Monday 16 December, at a press conference in Versailles, France. The event will be broadcast on www.citroen-wrc.com at 14:30 (GMT+1).