Kris Meeke’s future at Citroen seems to be continually up in the air, despite the Irishman’s maiden World Rally Championship win in the Rally of Argentina this year.
While there’s no doubting his speed, having notched up five podium finishes in his season and a half with the French team, a number of off-road excursions have seemingly put him on the outer with team management.
Irishman Kris Meeke at Rally Australia in 2014.So where will Meeke end up in 2016, and what are the chances that he could land at M-Sport and drive for his “home” WRC team?
M-Sport’s Malcolm Wilson publicly stated in May that he would be keen on re-signing former driver Thierry Neuville, but the Belgian star quickly doused those flames, saying he was committed to Hyundai for 2016.
The Ford squad has been consistent in 2015, but still some way off regularly challenging the dominant Volkswagen team.
Ott Tanak has managed to spray the champagne once, when he finished third in the recent Rally of Poland, while the team’s other young driver, Elfyn Evans, is gaining experience and speed with each event, finishing third in Argentina, and fourth in Mexico and Sardinia.
But if M-Sport are looking for another driver with outright speed, that’s where Meeke may come into play.
VW’s line-up is locked in for next year, leaving possibly only Meeke, his current team-mate Mads Ostberg, and Hyundai’s Hayden Paddon as likely signings should M-Sport decide to make a change, or run a third car for 2016.
All three would be much-sought after by M-Sport if they have the funds to chase a winning driver, now that the latest spec Fiesta World Rally Car appears capable of winning rallies in the right hands.
Of course all of this is just talk, and they don’t call it the silly season for nothing. However, if Kris Meeke does lose his seat at Citroen (to be replaced by Sebastien Loeb, I wonder?), then M-Sport could well be the perfect fit for him.
Then again, if he can keep his car on the road for the remaining events of 2015 and finish on the podium regularly, Citroen may be more than happy to re-sign the 36-year old.
- Peter Whitten
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