The Citroën Racing Team has announced Pierre Budar is to succeed Yves Matton, who joins the FIA as Rally Director, after having initiated the return of the brand to the WRC.
Citroën Racing states that under the leadership of Budar, the team will attempt to ‘reconnect with the brand’s prestigious victories in motorsport’, which have seen it clock 8 WRC titles, 3 WTCC titles and 4 victories at the gruelling Paris-Dakar Rally.
A graduate of the Ecole Centrale de Nantes, Budar joined Groupe PSA in 1989 as an engineer before becoming an official 309 Group N driver for the Peugeot Talbot Sport Team in 1991 and pursuing a brilliant career in engineering in France and Asia.
After having created the department of sports road versions in 2010 (DS3 Racing, 208 GTi 30th, 308 GTi, DS3 Performance), he expanded his scope in 2016 to activities related to Customer Competition. With his teams, he notably developed the 308 TCR and the C3R5.
His passion and skills will undoubtedly be an asset to reinvigorate Citroën Racing who is preparing to start the 2018 season of WRC at Monte Carlo rally with his C3WRC entrusting the talents of Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle and Craig Breen / Scott Martin.
“Groupe PSA has given me a unique opportunity to reconcile my passion for motorsport with an engineering career,” stated Budar. “I never imagined one day running one of the most prestigious competition teams in the world. I measure the challenge that is proposed to me at the head of an extraordinary team and I will strive to obtain the best of its talents.”
“I am proud that the FIA nominates Yves Matton to this prestigious position and would like to thank him for his contribution,” added Jean Marc Finot, senior vice president of PSA Motorsport. “I am pleased to give Pierre Budar the opportunity to express all his energy and enthusiasm in the service of our passion: motorsport”
