Three questions to Sébastien Loeb

"This season will be hotly contested right till the very end"

By Franck Drui

20 May 2011 - 12:21
Three questions to Sébastien Loeb

Looking back on the first five rallies of the season, the score card reads two victories and the lead in the world championship so everything seems to be going pretty well…

“This season will be hotly contested right till the very end. All the rallies are very closely fought. In Sardinia, we won by around ten seconds from Mikko Hirvonen. The gap between Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala in Jordan was only two-tenths of a second! It’s hard to predict how things are going to pan out in the coming months. It’s good to be in the lead, but it’s early days yet. There are many victory contenders. But I have to say I don’t think about this very much when I’m behind the steering wheel, I just try to do my best.”

After your performance .in Rally Italy, do you think that sweeping is still as important as ever this year?

“Maybe be the gaps are not as big at the same speeds. I think I was a bit lucky in Sardinia. The first day was very handicapping, and then I was quicker than my rivals in the second leg. It went off much better than we expected before the start. But you’re still penalized by this phenomenon when you’re first out on the road. If you have the choice it’s better to start behind.”

You’ve won the last five Argentinean rallies. Is it one of the events on the calendar you particularly look forward to?

“It’s got an ambience unlike any other. The Argentinean spectators are mad about rallying. They’re very warm, very demonstrative and really participate in the event. There are people everywhere, from the hotel to the summits of the stages. We’ve got a good record in this rally, which I can’t really explain. The route’s very varied. Some stages alternate technical portions and quicker ones. Maybe I’ve just been a bit more successful than my rivals over the past few years. For sure, I feel good here!”

WRC

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