Loeb: I don’t fear running first on the road

Citroen hero Sebastien Loeb says the prospect of running first on the road on Rally d’Italia Sardegna does not worry him as he sets out to extend his lead at the top of the world championship drivers’ classification.

Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen were tied at the top of the standings when they arrived at the start of the Jordan Rally last month, but the Ford-driving Finn went ahead of Loeb and his Citroen DS3 WRC.

For Loeb, running first on the road is nothing new having won 63 of the 142 world championship rallies he has started - collecting seven straight titles along the way.

“It’s the sport,” said the 37-year-old superstar. “I don’t think anybody wants to do it, but it’s okay, I am not worried by it. Sardinia can be quite a tough place, but what can we do? Somebody has to be first!”

Loeb has won the Olbia-based event three times from six starts on the Italian island event. And winning from the front in Sardinia is perfectly possible, as demonstrated last time out by Ford’s Jari-Matti Latvala who did just that in 2009.

“It was not easy,” said Latvala, “but when I did win that event from being first on the road, I feel it was one of the best results ever for me - certainly it was some of my best driving.”

Loeb’s team-mate Sebastien Ogier has also shown that winning from the front is possible, with the Frenchman claiming victory on the last two gravel rallies while leading the field into the final day.

Rally d’Italia Sardegna gets underway with the 10.21-kilometre Lago Omodeo stage on Friday morning. The test is one of four repeated stages located in the west of the island that make up the opening day’s action.