Citroen enters third car for Rally Australia

Citroen has entered a third C3 World Rally Car, to be driven by Mads Ostberg, for Kennards Hire Rally Australia in a bid to bolster Sebastien Ogier’s title hopes.

Ogier is currently second in the championship at a 28-point deficit to Toyota’s Ott Tanak with two rounds remaining.

Citroen has run two cars, for Ogier and Esapekka Lappi, in the first dozen rounds of the season but the additional entry for Ostberg in Coffs Harbour is a strategic play.

With the Norwegian set to start the opening day in 11th on the road order, Ostberg has an opportunity to potentially take points off Tanak and give a position to Ogier, depending on how the rest of the rally plays out.

The WRC entry list for Rally Australia comprises 26 cars, including 12 in the top class and six in WRC2.

Hayden Paddon will finally get his first start in a World Rally Car this year, after a crash in testing ahead of Rally Finland and then a fourth position in the WRC2 Pro class with M-Sport last time out in Great Britain.

The New Zealander will again line up in an M-Sport Ford alongside co-driver John Kennard.

Hyundai will field Thierry Neuville, Dani Sordo, and Andreas Mikkelsen in Australia.

Rally de España is next up on October 25-27, where Ostberg will drive a C3 R5 in WRC2 Pro, with the season finale in Coffs Harbour on November 14-17.

Entry list: Round 14, Rally Australia

Num	Team	Driver	Co-driver	Car	Group class	Priority	Elig
1	Citroen Total WRT	Sébastien OGIER	Julien INGRASSIA	Citroen C3 WRC	RC1 WRC	P1	M
2	Citroen Total WRT	Mads OSTBERG	Torstein ERIKSEN	Citroen C3 WRC	RC1 WRC	P1
3	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Teemu SUNINEN	Jarmo LEHTINEN	Ford Fiesta WRC	RC1 WRC	P1	M
4	Citroen Total WRT	Esapekka LAPPI	Janne FERM	Citroen C3 WRC	RC1 WRC	P1	M
5	Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT	Kris MEEKE	Sebastian MARSHALL	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1 WRC	P1	M
6	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Dani SORDO	Carlos DEL BARRIO	Hyundai I20 Coupe WRC	RC1 WRC	P1	M
8	Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT	Ott TÄNAK	Martin JÄRVEOJA	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1 WRC	P1	M
10	Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT	Jari-Matti LATVALA	Miikka ANTTILA	Toyota Yaris WRC	RC1 WRC	P1	M
11	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Thierry NEUVILLE	Nicolas GILSOUL	Hyundai I20 Coupe WRC	RC1 WRC	P1	M
20	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Hayden PADDON	John KENNARD	Ford Fiesta WRC	RC1 WRC	P1	M
33	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	Elfyn EVANS	Scott MARTIN	Ford Fiesta WRC	RC1 WRC	P1	M
89	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Andreas MIKKELSEN	Anders JAEGER	Hyundai I20 Coupe WRC	RC1 WRC	P1	M
21	Skoda Motorsport	Jan KOPECKY	Pavel DRESLER	Skoda Fabia R5 Evo	RC2 R5	P2P	WRC2Pro
41	Pierre-Louis Loubet	Pierre-Louis LOUBET	Vincent LANDAIS	Skoda Fabia R5	RC2 R5	P2	WRC2
42	Benito Guerra	Benito GUERRA	Jaime ZAPATA	Skoda Fabia R5	RC2 R5	P2	WRC2
43	Marco Bulacia Wilkinson	Marco BULACIA WILKINSON	Fabian CRETU	Skoda Fabia R5	RC2 R5	P2	WRC2
44	Fabio Andolfi	Fabio ANDOLFI	Simone SCATTOLIN	Skoda Fabia R5	RC2 R5	P2	WRC2
45	Gaurav Gill	Gaurav GILL	Glenn MACNEALL	Ford Fiesta R5 MkII	RC2 R5	P2	WRC2
71	Neal Bates	Harry BATES	John MCCARTHY	Toyota Yaris Ap4	ASN AP4
72	Craig Brooks	Molly TAYLOR	Malcolm READ	Subaru Impreza WRX Sti	ASN PRC
73	Neal Bates	Lewis BATES	Anthony MCLOUGHLIN	Toyota Yaris AP4	ASN AP4
74	Mike Young	Mike YOUNG	Scott BECKWITH	Peugeot 208	ASN AP4
75	Luke Anear	Luke ANEAR	Andy SARANDIS	Ford Fiesta R5	RC2 R5
76	John O’Dowd	John O’DOWD	Toni FEAVER	Skoda Fabia R5	RC2 R5
77	Super Alex Troop	Atsushi MASUMURA	Hideki TAKEYABU	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	ASN NR4
78	Martin Grigg	Martin GRIGG	Rachel MESSER	Ford Fiesta R5	RC2 R5