Even though it has been several weeks since the 2010 season came to an end, the Citroën Racing crews are still busy alternating tests with promotional and media activities. Like many people in France, the recent bad weather conditions have caused them a few problems. We take a quick glance at their diaries…
Tuesday 30 November
Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena are meant to fly off to Slovakia. However, Geneva airport is closed until midday on Wednesday due to severe weather. So the team that is already on site is forced to call off the road show that had been organised for the 3500 workers in the Trnava factory. Until next time!
Wednesday 1 December
The team in charge of developing the DS3 WRC also had to contend with heavy snowfall throughout the Drôme region, in the south of France. Hoping for better weather conditions, the engineers decide to head further south to Narbonne. With Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena still stuck in Geneva, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia have to work overtime before being replaced by the two seven-time World Champions at lunchtime the following day.
Friday 3 December
Once testing is over, Seb and Daniel head for Valence, for the annual evening with the Seb Loeb Fan Club.
Monday 6 December
The week begins with the FFSA (French motorsport federation) prize giving ceremony. The day after, the drivers are at hard work at the Versailles-Satory factory, taking care of some day to day business with the team. Then on Tuesday evening, it’s another TV appearance for Seb and Daniel, who are on the panel of Grand Journal: a programme on French channel Canal+.
Wednesday 8 December
As expected and feared, snow is falling heavily all over Paris! Ninety members of the Citroën Racing team have no choice but to spend the night at the office. Julien Ingrassia, who was meant to meet his colleagues Sébastien Ogier, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena at Versailles ends up stuck in a taxi on the A86 for more than five hours. With the situation showing no signs of improvement, he decides to get out and drag his suitcase along the road for the last five kilometres, reaching his hotel nearly frozen! Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena instead get back to the French capital by jumping on an RER train, after a shooting of a commercial south of Paris. But the hard work isn’t over yet. They trudge along the streets desperately looking for a hotel that isn’t fully booked, so that they can finally get some sleep…
Thursday 9 December
The Citroën crews are meant to be at Valenciennes, for a roadshow at the Sevelnord factory. As the roads are still snowed under, travelling by train is the preferred option – but then it turns out that the trains aren’t running either. Eventually, they set off for the north of France by car. It is worth the arduous trip: on arrival they are greeted with a very warm welcome from the locals. But the journey to Charleville-Mézières, where their promotional tour continues the following day, is not expected to be any easier.
Friday 10 December
Sébastien Loeb, Daniel Elena and Julien Ingrassia have to go to Monaco to collect their trophies at the official FIA prize giving ceremony. Daniel Elena, the only Monegasque world champion, makes a noteworthy entrance by turning up in his immaculate Simca 1000, a far more original mode of transport than all the other flashy sportscars pacing the Principality…
Saturday 11 December
While Sébastien Ogier competes at the Bologna Motorshow, his colleagues finally get some well-deserved rest. Sébastien Loeb is going to a Chantal Goya concert with his daughter Valentine before heading to Sweden to continue the DS3 WRC test programme. This time, the snow will actually be welcome!
Don’t miss – if everything goes according to plan – the signing session at Citroën’s C42 building in the Champs-Elysées, scheduled for today at 16:30. After then, it really will be holiday time for everybody!