Citroen committed until at least '09

The French manufacturer has taken three consecutive drivers' titles with Sebastien Loeb since 2004, although Ford took the manufacturer's title last year.

"We are a dynamic company and our presence in the WRC fits perfectly with our image," Michel was quoted as saying by Italian magazine Autosprint.

"We'll be here in 2008 and also in 2009, with the objective of winning both the constructors' and the drivers' titles."

Michel added that Citroen's future in the WRC beyond 2009 would depend on the level of competition in the championship, and he also highlighted his disappointment with the current TV coverage of the series.

"We'll see how the situation evolves and what our competitors will do, since we are interested in being main players in a hard-fought championship like this one," he said.

"The TV coverage is still insufficient and with time this will become a problem."

Michel also admitted that Citroen is preparing itself for the retirement of WRC team boss Guy Frequelin in the near future.

"We are getting used to the idea that Guy will retire, so we are looking around to decide who to give the responsibility of the racing department," he said.