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Citroen and M-Sport WRC teams plan radical steps for 2015

Citroen and M-Sport have started work on the most radical changes yet to their current cars ahead of next year's World Rally Championship

Both teams underlined their commitment to the 2015 series during last week's Rally Poland.

Next year is the start of a new period of homologation for the current cars, albeit under the same technical regulations. The next major technical shake-up in the WRC comes in time for 2017.

Citroen team principal Yves Matton revealed work on the evolution of the DS3 had begun as soon as the firm's World Touring Car Championship programme was underway.

"I won't tell you exactly what we will be doing," said Matton, "but we know we want to work in three specific areas on the car.

"These will be the biggest changes we have done since we came with the DS3 [in 2011].

Citroen's participation for next season has always been underwritten by its three-year contract with Abu Dhabi, which runs out at the end of 2015.

There is an option on a two-year extension that would take Citroen and its DS3 WRC through to end of another three-year homologation cycle.

With M-Sport now in its second season as a private team, Malcolm Wilson said the Cumbrian firm was working to secure funding for next season but work on its Ford Fiesta was ongoing.

"We could just carry on with the current car into next season, but if you stand still in this championship then you're dead, which is why it's vital to keep pushing ahead," he said.

"We're working as though we will still be here [next year] and, obviously, that's very much the plan."

Wilson said the 2015 car would be unveiled in time for round four, likely Rally of Portugal.

"The new developments won't be in time for Monte Carlo, they won't be there for the first three rounds, but after that, if everything goes according to plan, then we will have made the biggest step with the Fiesta since the start of 2011," he said.

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