Speculation is rife that Carlos Sainz will sign for Citroen to contest the 2003 World Rally Championship. Left without a seat for next season after Ford failed to renew his contract, the Spaniard's future looked bleak as Hyundai failed to obtain the budget needed to run the double-world champion.
However it is now emerging that Citroen will sign Sainz in a unique deal that will see the Citroen provide the budget for 7 rounds of the championship, while Sainz and his associated sponsors will provide funding for the rest.
MOTORSPORTFORUM revealed earlier this month that Sainz was likely to sign a limited deal with Citroen. However with more funds potentially available from Sainz himself and his personal sponsors, the Spaniard may still contest the entire 2003 season.
At this stage the sponsors concerned are unknown and the deal is yet to be inked, but Sainz's renowned skills as a development driver will be a significant advantage for Citroen as it looks to fine-tune its Xsara to match the dominant Peugeot's. Already a proven winner on tarmac, the Xsara will need to match that performance on loose surfaces in 2003 if it is to become a genuine title contender.
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