Next year’s team line-ups became a bit clearer today as Citroen signed Carlos Sainz to their second Xsara for next season, effectively leaving Colin McRae without a drive for next season. There are no longer any major works teams seats open for next season (with the FIA drivers rules in effect), so Colin will be faced with joining a second tier team (Hyundai, Skoda, or Mitsubishi) or trying to finance a third car on one of the major teams (McRae would basically pay for the right to drive a WRC-spec car, and he could not score manufacturers point for that team).

There may or may not be a drive open at Skoda, as Didier Auriol has to decide whether or not rejoin the Czech team next season, but with the new Fabia, it is expected that Auriol will resign to help with development. Hyundai may end up resigning Freddy Loix after manufacturers were limited to two cars per rally soon after Loix took the third seat for Peugeot. Mitsubishi has yet to settle on a second driver to join Gilles Panizzi, but this has got to be tempted for McRae. Though the start of the season could rough for Mitsubishi, things could get better very quickly, and suddenly the team could become a threat in the manufacturers championship given Panizzi skills on tarmac.

Posted on 12 September 2003