On paper, there isn’t a better roster: Two-time world champion Marcus Gronholm and up and coming star Markko Martin (who finished third in the championship last season). Peugeot has been here before with great results — in 2002 the team lured world champion Richard Burns from Subaru and Gronholm won the title and Peugeot won the maker’s championship. The honeymoon was over quickly however, as the introduction of the 307 WRC brought the team nothing but bad luck. The 2004 season was only slightly better, with Gronholm bringing the team its first win with 307.

There are three variables in the team’s success this year:

1. The car. The 307 showed promise during the latter part of the 2004 season. Can the team squeeze more performance from the car? Have they worked out the gremlins that haunted it in 2003 and 2004?

2. The team. PSA (Peugeot’s parent company) has announced that it would pull both Peugeot and Citroen from the WRC after 2005. The management will not be interested in making long-term commitments to the 307.

3. Markko Martin. Richard Burns never felt at in the 206, and his results reflected that. Martin has toed the party line after his first round of testing, but only competition time will tell if Martin can come to grips with the car.

Even if Peugeot can’t find the speed to win rallies, they shouldn’t have much trouble winning the manufacturer’s title. Citroen lost Carlos Sainz to retirement, and as fast as Francois Duval can be, he’s also inconsistent enough to hurt Citroen’s chances for a repeat. As long as the 307 holds up reasonably well, Gronholm or Martin should be in the top 5 in nearly every event. If the team has worked the gremlins out of the car, well, Martin or Gronholm should be in the hunt for a win on nearly every rally.

Posted on 14 January 2005