Carlos Sainz has overtaken Citroën team-mates Colin McRae and Sébastien Loeb in the WRC drivers’ standings, but he still rues the mistake that cost him a win in last weekend’s Argentinean Rally.
Carlos Sainz has overtaken Citroën team-mates Colin McRae and Sébastien Loeb in the WRC drivers’ standings, but he still rues the mistake that cost him a win in last weekend’s Argentinean Rally.
Sainz had a fantastic battle with Richard Burns on the final day of the rally, which was only resolved on the final stage of the rally when the turbo on Burns’ Peugeot failed.
But Sainz’s chances of scoring a record-breaking 26th WRC win evaporated when the Spaniard misinterpreted a hand gesture from co-driver Marc Marti and entered a time control early.
Sainz, leading the rally by 30 seconds at the time, was given a one-minute penalty for the indiscretion, which saw him drop out of the top three. He recovered by setting some blistering stage times on the final day, but was obviously disappointed not to have scored his second win of the season.
“The car performed well and was reliable,” said Sainz. “I attacked 100 per cent from the start until the finish. I think we made a good rally but this mistake is costing us the victory. I am sincerely sorry for the team, but we have proved this is very encouraging for the future events.”
“It was really my mistake,” Marti told . “But it can happen in the rallies. It was my mistake and I will try to do my best in the rest of the season. We must think now in Acropolis Rally.
Despite the service park faux pas team boss Guy Frequelin was happy with his team’s progress, despite Loeb crashing out on Day Two and Colin McRae retiring on Day One.
“I am far from being angry at the crews,” said Frequelin. “Everybody can make a mistake, and what I would like to remember from this rally is that the Xsara was equalling our best competitors’ cars on this terrain.
“This is good for future events. Carlos has showed what a motivated and determined performer he is. Sébastien has also surprised all of us with his skills and his talent. It was a pity that he did not finish the race, because to keep contact with the front-runners of the Championship, it’s very clear that it’s crucial to have two cars in the points all the time,” he added.
Sainz now lies third in the drivers championship, eight points behind series leader Burns.
