Ogier Wants Citroen Works' Drive in 2011

Although the biggest news of the off-season was Citroen's signing of Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen for their Junior Team in 2010, the Finn's future teammate Sebastien Ogier doesn't seem too excited about the news. In fact, the 26-year old rally driver spoke little of his future partnership with Raikkonen, while focusing on his main targets for the 2010 season.

In a recent interview with WRC's official site, Ogier admitted that he aims at a place alongside countryman Sebastien Loeb in Citroen's official team for the 2011 season. Meaning he wants to improve his previous performances in the WRC, namely an 8th place overall (with his maiden WRC podium, in Rally Acropolis) in his first season with Citroen Junior Team.

“The goal for the moment is to continue to progress and maybe to be ready at the end of the season to go to an official team. I think it is a plan of Citroen to give me the opportunity to learn for one more year so that in 2011 or maybe 2012 I could be a good driver for them for the official team,” said Ogier in the aforementioned interview.

As far as the 2010 season goes, Loeb will continue to be partnered by Spanish driver Dani Sordo, with the deal extension agreed by Citroen shortly after the pair concluded Rally Catalonia in the top two spots. That enabled Loeb to get 4 points closer to Ford's Mikko Hirvonen in the overall classification, and keeping his title chances alive for the last round in Great Britain.

Following the 2009 season, Ogier was the only driver in the Citroen Junior Team lineup to secure an extension to his deal with the French manufacturer for the 2010 campaign. The other two drivers who were given a shot by Citroen in the series, Evgeny Novikov and Conrad Rautenbach, are yet to secure their future in the series (the former will definitely not continue with the team next year).