Former Citroën star Kris Meeke has admitted that his time as a top-class WRC driver “is finished”, after he missed out on the final remaining 2020 factory seat.
Last season the Northern Irishman was signed by Toyota but was then dropped by the Japanese team after the year-long campaign.
Now confirmation that former Citroën driver Esapekka Lappi has been signed by M-Sport, it leaves both Meeke and Jari-Matti Latvala in the cold. The 40-year-old has said it is time for him to seek a new challenge.
“When the driver market is like this, it’s not possible,” admitted the Ulsterman. “At this stage of my career, I have to be realistic. I don’t drive for nothing. I don’t spend 200 days a year away from my family for nothing.
“I think Lappi will take the salary from Citroën so he doesn’t need any money. So when it’s like that… for me, I think it’s finished. I’m still talking with Toyota to be involved, maybe in some testing, and we’ll see. Certainly I’m looking at other things.”
Meeke said he had been invited to the Dakar in Saudi Arabia by multiple bike champion Cyril Despres, involved with a new off-road project in the UTV class. The Ulsterman revealed he was put on standby in case Despres’s co-driver Mike Horn couldn’t make it.
“I’m good friends with Cyril and he is involved now in this T3 class Red Bull Junior Team,” added Meeke. “I always followed it on TV. I remember Ari Vatanen doing it many years ago, Colin McRae, and everybody coming from the rallying side.
“I’ve always had a passion for it. Also, I’ve done some endurance events with my motorbike, so I said that when WRC is finished for me, maybe I’ll have a look. It’s huge, and you only get a true feeling of this when you come to see it. It’s something I would love to explore.”
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