Dani Sordo: Citroen Total World Rally Team

Nationality:	Spanish
Date of birth:	02/05/1983
Team:	Citroen Total World Rally Team
Co-driver:	Marc Marti
Championship titles:	FIA Junior World Rally Champion 2005
WRC debut:	Catalunya 2003
WRC wins:	None
Website:	www.danielsordo.com
Why support him?	He hopes to follow in the footsteps of Spanish rally legend, Carlos Sainz. That first win must be just around the corner - surely. It's not easy when you're team-mate is Sebastien Loeb.

Career highlights:

2008: Six podiums. Third in WRC Drivers' Championship.

2007: Seven podiums. Fourth in WRC Drivers' Championship.

2006: First outing in a World Rally Car with Kronos Citroen. Fifth in WRC drivers' Championship

2005: J-WRC Champion in Citroen C2. Also takes Spanish national title.

2004: P-WRC outings in Group N Mitsubishi Lancer. Wins Spanish Junior title.

2003: Spanish Junior Rally Champion.

Career summary:

Dani Sordo is one of Spain's rally talents looking to follow the lead of double champion Carlos Sainz. The Citroen-backed driver is closer than many to the 26-times rally winner, though... he's backed by the man himself. Sainz has been instrumental in helping Sordo's career - to the extent that his former co-driver Marc Marti now partners the youngster on the stages.

Sordo has demonstrated skill that justifies such endorsement, however, winning the Junior WRC title in 2005 in a Kronos Racing-run Citroen C2. Sordo started off his competitive career like so many future rally drivers - in motocross. After success on off-road bikes, karting and touring cars, he turned his attention to the stages in 2001 contesting mostly national events. His World Rally Championship debut came in 2003 in a Group N Mitsubishi Lancer on home soil, but he focused on winning the Spanish national title's Junior class in 2004, before stepping up to the international stage to take the Junior WRC title and overall Spanish title in 2005.

As well as being groomed by Sainz, the works Citroen team kept a close eye on Sordo as he made the step up to rallying's highest level in 2006 with Kronos Citroen's third Xsara WRC. The Spaniard impressed with three podiums in Corsica, Spain and Germany as well as with some solid results on gravel events. As a reward Citroen gave him the second seat alongside Sebastien Loeb in the team's all-new C4 WRC for 2007.

That year Sordo scored seven podiums and finished fourth in the drivers' contest. Another six podiums in 2008 put him third in the drivers' competition and helped Citroen take the manufacturers' title. Sordo is still relatively young, and though a first WRC victory has eluded him up to now, this may prove to be the year where the young Spaniard gets his first win.