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At the end of the 42nd Portugal Rally, Simon Jean-Joseph and Jack Boyere made the most of their C2-R2 MAX’s potential to win Group A and their class, as well as the two-wheel drive category. Using their extremely effective BFGoodrich tyres, the Citroen, prepared and maintained by the PH-Sport team, showed its class on the Portuguese stages.

The rally was run in the Algarve region to the south of Portugal, and kept up the standards as well as part of the route that was used last year on the World Championship. The route consisted of just over 249 competitive kilometres split amongst 13 stages. Having met with universal approval in 2007, the organisation and the roads were once more exemplary.

Simon Jean-Joseph was one of the many to be delighted by this event. At the end of the recce, he enthused about the spectacular nature of the gravel stages. The rally got underway with a spectator superspecial around the streets of Faro on Thursday night, while the first day on Friday allowed Simon to get to grips with the local territory. He was immediately at his ease, climbing to the lead of his class, Group A, and the two-wheel drive category. « We got off to a perfect start, » said the man from Martinique. « I had a very good feeling with the C2-R2 MAX, which was disconcertingly easy to drive. It felt competitive and natural both in the dry of the opening loop, as well as in the damp of the afternoon. »

The Citroen crew started leg two with a double objective. They aimed to continue to dominate the category and also to improve their position in the overall classification. Throughout the day, the enthusiastic Portuguese fans – who are as passionate as they are enthusiastic – gave the C2-R2 MAX a warm welcome. « I think they were amazed at the performance and the show that a car of this size could provide, » said Simon at the finish. « The development work that Citroen Sport has put into this car really paid off today. The MAX grips, slides, jumps and lands really well. It’s comfortable, precise, easy to handle, and above all really sure-footed and competitive. Using a set-up that absolutely every driver could utilise, we had a really good time on these amazing roads in the C2-R2 MAX, which were damp today. The only thing that myself and Jack regret is the fact that there’s not another day tomorrow ! »

«We can draw an extremely positive conclusion from this third rally of the season for Simon and Jack, » said Jean-François Liénéré, who is responsible for Citroen Sport’s customer operation. « Once more, the C2-R2 MAX demonstrated excellent performance and reliability. Just as was the case on the asphalt of the Rally Eger a few weeks ago, our tyres from BFGoodrich were absolutely flawless. We had no punctures at all, and the way they worked on the Portuguese stages allowed the Citroen crew to perform to the best of their abilities. »

The third round of the Citroen C2 Challenge, organised by Citroen Portugal, was won by Paulo Antunes/ Hugo Magalhães…

The third round of the European programme of Simon Jean-Joseph, Jack Boyère and the PH Sport-prepared Citroën C2-R2 MAX will take place on the Rally of Portugal this weekend. The Citroën crew will once again be relying on experience, talent and its BFGoodrich tyres to continue to demonstrate the C2-R2 MAX’s potential on gravel.

Portugal was always an iconic event on the World Rally Championship, although it did not form part of the series from 2002 and 2006. It returned to the WRC last year, but this season forms part of the IRC (Intercontinental Rally Challenge). The new-look Portugal Rally takes place entirely in the Algarve, the country’s most southerly region. A number of elements have been carried over directly from last year: the service park next to the Algarve Stadium and classic stages such as S. Bras Alportel (SS4-7) or Ourique (SS9-12). Other aspects, such as the timing of the event, are quite different. Just over 249 competitive kilometres have been spread over three days and 13 special stages – including a brand new all-asphalt superspecial stage that will run through the streets of Faro. The rest of the rally will take place on gravel.

« I’m very pleased to be getting to know this rally », enthused Simon Jean-Joseph. « Portugal is a country that I really love. Motorsport enjoys huge support there and every event turns into a massive party. The fans are extremely knowledgeable and we receive a very warm welcome. I’m even more motivated than ever following the mishap during our last rally with the C2-R2 MAX: I’m keen to put things right. I know that we have the chance of scoring a very good result, and our aim is to make that happen in Faro – where the quite smooth and fast gravel should suit our car. »

« We will be competing against an extremely high quality field, with a number of very well-known crews, » added the man from Martinique. « The traction, roadholding and user-friendliness of our Citroën C2-R2 MAX, matched to our excellent tyres supplied by BFGoodrich are our trump cards. This will once more allow us to take on some extremely talented drivers not just from our own class, but from the class above – which is again our objective. »

Jean-François Liénéré, in charge of Citroën Sport’s customer competition programme, commented: « From its very first rally on gravel in England, we could see how competitive the Citroën C2-R2 MAX was on this surface. Unfortunately, an impact with a big rock that was right on the racing line meant that Simon and Jack were not able to finish the job off. But the performances shown by drivers with far less experience than Simon, during the second round of the C2 Junior Experience on the Jordan Rally, underlined the car’s excellent potential. In Portugal, the Citroën crew is going to once more try and punch above its weight. The day after the rally, in collaboration with Citroën Portugal and the Algarve Automobile Club, we will be hosting a day of promotion and presentation of the C2-R2 MAX, which will allow Portuguese media and drivers to sample the new car for themselves. »

The Portugal Rally will also be the third round of the ‘Citroën C2 Challenge’, organised by Citroën Portugal.