▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁commit ▁such ▁a ▁high ▁amount ▁of ▁their ▁budget ▁to ▁a ▁driver ' s ▁sal ary . ▁The ▁two ▁parties ▁split ▁on ▁am ic able ▁terms , ▁with ▁Ford ' s ▁European ▁director ▁of ▁mot ors port ▁Martin ▁Whit aker ▁stating ▁" On ▁beh alf ▁of ▁all ▁of ▁us ▁at ▁Ford ▁Motor ▁Company ▁I ▁would ▁like ▁to ▁public ly ▁thank ▁Col in ▁and ▁Nick y ▁for ▁their ▁efforts ▁during ▁the ▁past ▁four ▁years ▁with ▁the ▁Ford ▁team . ▁I ▁wish ▁them ▁both ▁well ▁in ▁the ▁future ." ▁Mc R ae ▁said ▁of ▁his ▁time ▁with ▁Ford ▁" It ' s ▁been ▁a ▁very ▁successful ▁four ▁years , ▁we ' ve ▁achieved ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁very ▁good ▁results ▁and ▁I ' m ▁quite ▁happy ▁that ▁myself ▁and ▁Ford ▁have ▁had ▁a ▁very ▁successful ▁partners hip ." ▁▁ 2 0 0 3 : ▁Cit ro ën ▁ ▁For ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Mc R ae ▁signed ▁for ▁Cit ro ën , ▁a ▁team ▁of ▁winning ▁pedig ree ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁success es ▁of ▁the ▁previous ▁year ▁with ▁young ▁French man ▁S éb ast ien ▁Lo eb ▁but ▁otherwise ▁undert aking ▁its ▁first ▁complete ▁campaign ▁at ▁World ▁R ally ▁Championship ▁level . ▁Mc R ae ' s ▁second - place ▁finish ▁on ▁his ▁début ▁in ▁Monte ▁Carlo ▁alongside ▁Lo eb ▁and ▁Carlos ▁Sain z ▁whom , ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁X s ara ▁W RC , ▁helped ▁complete ▁a ▁ 1 – 2 – 3 ▁finish , ▁trans p ired ▁to