WRC drivers’ standings leader Richard Burns says he is leaving Peugeot for Subaru because he would not be sufficiently involved in the development of the French team’s 307 rally car.
WRC drivers’ standings leader Richard Burns says he is leaving Peugeot for Subaru because he would not be sufficiently involved in the development of the French team’s 307 rally car.
The Briton this week revealed that, for him, the main reason for his move to Subaru was to have greater involvement in car development. The decision about his future was, says Burns, a mutual one between him and Peugeot, reached shortly after he tested the new 307 just before Rally Deutschland.
“It was based on a couple of things,” quoted Burns as saying. “Not so much the feeling of the car, but the feeling that I got from the team. I think I can help develop a car quite well, and I just felt that I wouldn’t be allowed to.”
He said the decision wasn’t all his own: “I is not a total decision on either my side or Peugeot’s. It was more like a mutual ‘Is this going to work? Probably not.’ Once I had that answer in my head then I knew I could look for something that was going to work.”
Peugeot is expected to reveal details of its new 307 WRC shortly. Peugeot team principal Corrado Provera recently confirmed that the French team was readying the new car for the start of next season.
Provera said the replacement for the highly-successful 206 WRC would be based on the roadgoing 307 Coupe Cabriolet. Provera’s hand was forced by the appearance of pictures of the 307 WRC in French daily newspaper L’Equipe last week.
While details of the car remain scarce, one team insider said: “Everything in this car is new. Nothing has been carried over from the 206. The engine, suspension, gearbox, everything – they’re all new parts designed for this car.”
Provera said: “It is our target to have the car ready for Monte Carlo next year. Whether the car starts next year or not is not our decision – that is a decision which will be taken by Peugeot managing director Frederic Saint-Geours – not by Peugeot Sport.”