Pons to sit out next season

The Spanish driver enjoyed a full campaign with Kronos Racing during 2006, but the team has not yet confirmed their plans for next year as Citroen returns to a full works team.

Pons outperformed the highly-rated Dani Sordo at Kronos towards the end of the season, and he has decided not to sign a deal that wouldn't allow him to be competitive again.

"The proposals we had on the table offered me minimum guarantees of fighting for podium places in 2007," said Pons.

"Nobody could offer us a good testing programme, and to accept that kind of agreement would waste all of the hard work we have put in up to now."

However, Pons intends to continue pursuing options in the WRC, and he hopes that a suitable opportunity will come along.

"It is very sad, but that's life," he said. "But I will continue with my fitness training as usual hoping to find any chance of coming back if any team so desires in the future."