Urmo Aava

http://www.urmoaava.com/



Aava signs deal to use C4

Junior Rally Championship runner-up graduates to 'senior' level.

Urmo Aava has announced hat he has signed a deal with Citroen Sport that will see him take in ten events in the FIA World Rally Championship this season with a Citroen C4 WRC car.

The Estonian, who has competed in the Junior World Rally Championship for the last five years, finishing runner-up last year and in 2006, will begin his campaign with the C4 WRC on the Uddeholm Swedish Rally next month.
In addition to the ten events in the WRC, he will also take in his home event, the South Estonian Rally, which runs from July 18-19.

"Thanks to some successful Estonian companies, who believe in our aim, we are able to continue our career in WRC," Urmo told his personal website, www.urmoaava.com. "We have been negotiating for a long time with the main teams and today we believe that the 2008 contract with Citroen Sport, who will provide us with their huge sporting experience and a winning car, could be the start of a long-term cooperation.

"We will start by doing the recce of the Rallye Monte Carlo, despite the fact that we will not participate in this event. It will allow us to get to know the team and will be valuable preparation for the event in 2010.

"Our opening event will be the snowy Swedish Rally at the beginning of February. All our fans will also be able to see us and the Citroen Sport team in action on the beautiful rally roads of South Estonia too."

Benoit Nogier, who is responsible for the Citroen Sport's Technologies department, meanwhile is hopeful Aava will do well with the C4 WRC car and build on what he achieved last season with the Suzuki Swift Super 1600 and the Mitsubishi Lancer WRC.

"We are delighted that Urmo has decided to choose the Citroen C4 WRC," he added. "Citroen Sport Technologies will bring its full technical support to the team running his car on the ten rounds he has selected for his programme in the World Rally championship. This is the start of a new collaboration and we hope for good results with a promising driver throughout the season."
Currently, in addition to Sweden, Aava is due to take in the WRC events in Jordan, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Finland, Germany, Spain, France and GB - basically all the European rounds with the exception of this weekend's season opening, Rallye Monte Carlo.

www.urmoaava.com