Peugeot announces Martin deal

[ales]

Originally Posted by [url=http://www.wrc.com/News.aspx?PO_ID=5480&flash=False&lang=en_GB

www.wrc.com[/url]]
Peugeot has announced that Markko Martin will join double champion Marcus Gronholm in its team next year. The Estonian will make the move despite the fact that Peugeot will leave the World Rally Championship at the end of next year.

A deal between Peugeot and Martin has believed to be on the cards for some time - especially as Ford had yet to confirm its involvement in the WRC - but questions were raised over whether Martin would definitely move for a one-year deal when Peugeot announced it would pull out of rallying at the end of 2005 and Ford confirmed a four-year commitment to the sport. Martin has denied that the fact that his deal with Peugeot means he’ll be looking for another drive for 2006 worries him, however.

“Despite this agreement being limited to just one year, I’m very happy to be joining Peugeot Sport and I’m looking forward to having Marcus as a team-mate,” Martin said. “We get on well together and I have a great deal of respect for him. I believe he is still the fastest driver in the championship. My main objective will be to work closely with Marcus and the team to enhance the competitiveness of the Peugeot 307 and to play my part in securing the manufacturers’ and drivers’ titles.”

Peugeot is keen to make up for a disappointing 2004 season with the new 306 after a string of title successes in the early years of this decade. Gronholm said that his already strong relationship with Martin would help the team move forward to achieve their goals.

“Markko is a first-class recruit,” he said. “He’s shown that he’s very strong on all types of surface and that he’s very important for Peugeot’s bid to secure the manufacturers’ championship in 2005. I’m certain his arrival in the team will ensure a serene, cordial atmosphere.”

Not that we didn't have a pretty good idea about that before ...
Hope they have solved their gearbox issues by the beginning of next season.

[RallyRaider]

Good to see this finaly confirmed. I wonder if Martin and Duval don't know more than PSA is currently saying, both signing for teams that are supposed to withdraw?

With Markko's recetly demonstrated speed on tarmac I think he could give Marcus quite a run for his money!

[ales]

It's quite cool, actually. My favourite driver at my favourite WRC team plus the driver from my country in the same team (didn't see that one coming, did you? ).

I kind of refuse to believe that both PSA teams will withdraw, I just don't see that happening with the success they've had lately, so I'll believe it when I see it.

[RallyRaider]

Have I got this right Alex - Gronholm and Peugeot are your favourite driver and team too? Glad to see that we can agree on Rallying even if we are always at loggerheads in some other less important branches of motorsport.

Yeah the withdrawal announcement has to be a political thing, we all know how the French love to play politics! Hopefully they are protesting the numerous rule changes and back flips that the FIA have been subjecting the teams to. I hope that Peugeot stays and there is something resembling WRC for them to stay in. Would be nice to have Citroen stay as well, but the diluted effort two teams generates has always been puzzling.