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Back to November 2011 Motorsports News Archive
| 09-11-2011 at 08:00: WRC Goes Right Down to the Wire | |
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For a start the British round of the World Rally Championship, held in south Wales, is notoriously unpredictable in terms of conditions, weather and road surfaces. Loeb could face anything from rain to snow, fog or sunshine not to mention mud, gravel and slippery tarmac – possibly all on the same day.
Unlike 2009 when Loeb snatched the title away from Hirvonen by just one point, the point system has changed, so that Loeb not only has to finish in second or third place, he also has to take the maximum three points on the power stage to take the title.
In the penultimate round of the WRC, Rally Spain, the Citroën Total World Rally Team won its seventh World Manufacturers’ title, while the seven-time world champion won his fifth rally of the season, joining Mexico, Sardinia, Argentina and Finland, and they are aiming for their eighth title on the trot.
“The scenario’s like the one in 2009. We started Rally Great Britain neck and neck with Mikko Hirvonen and whoever finished in front of the other was world champion,” Sébastien Loeb remembers.
“Obviously, it’s less stressful trying to win the title when it’s not the last event. You can say to yourself that in case of problems there will be other match points! This time it’s now or never! We’ll just have to ignore the additional pressure caused by what’s at stake.”
Loeb has an eight-point lead over Hirvonen in the Drivers’ World Championship ratings.
“With a seven-point gap between victory and second place and three points for the best time in the Power Stage, it’s not a very comfortable situation,” says the Frenchman.
“My aim won’t be to win at any cost but to run my race depending on Mikko’s. It doesn’t matter to me if Ogier, Solberg or Latvala are in the lead provided I’m in front of my rival.”
Like Sébastien Loeb, Sébastien Ogier has been on the topmost step of the podium five times this season (Portugal, Jordan, Greece, Germany and France). The driver of the no. 2 DS3 WRC is no longer in the running for the world title after his retirement in Spain, but he is assured of a place in the top three in the 2011 World Rally Championship.
“I’m happy to be back racing in this event, even if it doesn’t have only good memories for me. As the manufacturers’ title is already in the bag, I can drive without any pressure where scoring points for the team is concerned. Finishing on the podium would be a good result for me. With regards to the Drivers’ World Championship, Seb is determined to be master of his own destiny by finishing in front of Mikko. But it’s obvious that if circumstances require it I’ll do everything I can to help him win the title.”
“In Rally Spain we achieved our first objective with Citroën’s seventh world title. The make is very proud of this,” declares Olivier Quesnel, the Citroën Racing Team Principal.
“We’re up against a new challenge in Great Britain, and it won’t be easy as Mikko Hirvonen is especially quick on this type of surface. We’re tackling the event with calmness, determination, serenity and humility. Loeb and Elena are never as strong as when they’re faced with these extreme pressure situations.” |
Sébastien Loeb may have his name against just about every record in the World Rally Championship, but his bid for an eighth World Rally Drivers’ Championship title this weekend (10-13 November 2011) at Rally GB will not be neither easy or a fair accompli for the Citroen driver to secure the required points to fend off rival Mikko Hirvonen and take the title.^ Back to top ^
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