After returning from Central America, the Citroën Junior Team now heads to the Middle East for Rally Jordan, round three of the 2010 World Rally Championship (1-3 April).

Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia and Kimi Räikkönen/Kaj Lindström will be at the wheel of the two Citroën C4WRCs, and their objective will be to gain as much experience as possible within an unusual and testing event.

The rally is based close to the Red Sea coast, 400 metres below sea level, and is back on the WRC calendar after a one year absence. Sébastien Ogier took part in the Jordan Rally back in 2008 in a Citroën C2 Super 1600 and won the Junior WRC category.

This year he sits third in the World Rally Championship following his podium finish in Mexico: “Jordan is again going to be a difficult rally as the characteristics of the stages are quite unusual. All the landscape in the middle of the desert looks very similar, which is why having good pace notes becomes even more important than it is on other events. Myself and my co-driver Julien will certainly have to pay a lot of attention during the recce.”

Following on from their first gravel rally with the C4 WRC in Mexico, Kimi Räikkönen and Kaj Lindström continued getting to grips with the car at a test session in the south of France. “I’m learning more with every kilometre,” said Räikkönen.

“But what I need most is more experience, and these test kilometres are allowing me to go through the wide range of set-up options that the team has come up with.”

The 2007 Formula 1 World Champion is aiming firmly to get to the finish of the Jordan Rally. “I’m still lacking kilometres in rally conditions,” he concluded.

“On an event that is as specialised as this one, it’s vital to cover all the stages. I still need to get used to the Citroën C4 WRC on gravel and find a way of driving that suits my style. We’re going to see what the gap is between myself and the frontrunners at the start of the rally and then just try to reduce it bit by bit.”