From the Citroën Racing design office, to the development team, right up to the race teams, Citroën Racing’s entire technical division is working hard to extract further potential from the C3 Rally2.
The three major upgrades (roof-mounted air-intake, air box and engine environment) introduced recently, have already proven to be effective, as witnessed by the one-two WRC2 class finish scored in Croatia last month and the RC2 category win secured by Gryazin-Aleksandrov on gravel at Rally de Portugal.
Initially approved on the official cars, these improvements will be available in the coming weeks to the 150-plus C3 Rally2s competing around the world.
At Citroën Racing, research and development never stops, to satisfy customers. In seven years of competition marked by a host of wins and titles, the regularly introduced upgrades have enabled the C3 Rally2 to stay at the top of the leaderboard in a class that remains particularly competitive.
Following multiple test sessions on asphalt and gravel, three evolution kits were approved:
The first to the roof-mounted air intake, with improved aerodynamic flow over the top of the car delivering an increase in out-and-out performance.
The second upgrade is to the air box, with improved air intake helping to increase horsepower.
Lastly, the third area is directly linked to the engine environment, with the heat exchanger, the air inlets and the supercharging circuit all fine-tuned to boost power and improve engine responsiveness.
Fitted on the works C3 Rally 2s of Yohan Rossel and Nikolay Gryazin in Croatia and Portugal, these new upgrade kits have already proven successful. Just look at the car’s recent results, such as the WRC2 one-two finish in Croatia by Gryazin and Rossel, who also enjoyed the luxury of claiming all the stage wins between them.
The RC2 category win secured in some style by Gryazin, finishing ahead of the WRC2 entrants on the challenging gravel surface in Portugal is yet further evidence of the progress made by the C3 Rally 2 on this surface.
The next step is to make them available to all Citroën Racing customers in the coming weeks. The aim is, of course, for the 150-plus C3 Rally2s currently competing all around the world to be fitted with these upgrades and continue to fight at the front in their respective championships. The full release plan will be unveiled in the coming days.
Yohan Rossel, alongside Benjamin Boulloud – his one-off co-driver in Italy – and the Nikolay Gryazin- Konstantin Aleksandrov crew, both competing on behalf of DG Sport Compétition, will be contesting the next round of the WRC2 this weekend at Rally Sardegna. Both crews will be determined to maintain their good form and be the best possible ambassadors for the work of the Citroën Racing technicians.
The rally, based in Alghero, features some 266.12 kilometres of timed stages, contested over three days. The stages will be held on fairly narrow roads that are pretty rough in places and are reputed for being very hard on both the drivers and the cars.
