French marques will be allowed to fight
The boss of PSA, the firm which owns both Peugeot and Citroen, has given his blessing to the widely-predicted battle on the stages between the two manufacturers
Citroen joins the World Rally Championship with a four-event programme this year, starting with the Catalunya Rally this weekend.
Pre-event hype has billed the team's Xsara WRC as an instant challenger to Peugeot's 206 WRC, kick-starting speculation that Citroen's drivers might be asked to move aside to aid Peugeot's more substantial title bid.
But Jean-Martin Folz, CEO of the PSA group, poured scorn on that suggestion.
"There is no motorsport policy within the PSA group," he said. "I am not a motorsport director. We have two brands, each independent and with its own motorsport policy. We would not stop either brand from selling cars in one region to help the other and it's the same with motorsport."
Citroen team boss Guy Frequelin has stated that the marque's target of one victory in 2001 is achievable, but its appearances in Corsica and Sanremo later in the year could play a crucial role in deciding the championship.
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