Loeb, Ogier Given Equal Status at Citroen

The new campaign in the World Rally Championship in 2011 will probably represent Sebastien Loeb's last impressive performance in the series. And that's not because some other top contender will beat him fair and square (although that could also happen) but because this will probably be his last year before retirement.

Nevertheless, that doesn't mean Citroen will hand him a No 1 status within the team to mark the occasion. Especially since “new kind on the block” Sebastien Ogier has already impressed everyone at Citroen with his performance last year, when he took 2 rally wins while driving for the marque's Junior Team.

That being said, team manager Olivier Quesnel has no intention to giving preferential treatment to any of his drivers in 2011, despite the prospect of maybe losing some points along the way due to Loeb and Ogier going at each other for the driver's crown. And he made that perfectly clear during the team's launch this week.

“Both drivers are starting off with a blank score sheet,” he insisted, according to crash.net. “As was always the case in the past, Citroen is giving them absolutely identical cars. If one sets a better time than the other it's simply because he's quicker. I'm not the kind of guy who puts himself under pressure: I don't have to cope with any rivalry at the moment.”

“What I can tell you is that we all belong to the same family. While the drivers' title is a bit more prestigious and receives more media coverage, the manufacturers' crown has considerable importance for the make. Our two drivers are intelligent guys and they're fully aware of what's at stake for Citroen.”