WRC: Sebastien Ogier gets New Zealand bonus

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www.wrc.com

Citroen Junior Team driver Sebastien Ogier will contest next month’s Rally New Zealand - but his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen remains uncertain for the Auckland-based event.

Ogier’s 2010, Red Bull-backed programme was scheduled to include every event except New Zealand, but extra budget has been sourced to put the 26-year-old on the plane to the other side of the world.

There remains a chance former Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen will join him in New Zealand, but Citroen Junior Team manager Benoit Nogier said it’s more likely only one car will head south for the start of the fifth round of the World Rally Championship on May 6.

This will be Ogier’s first trip to compete in New Zealand. In his 23 world rallies, he has only twice ventured south of the equator, once for Rally Argentina in 2009 and once for Rally Australia later that year.