Title rivals go face to face in Wales

The two contenders for this year’s World Rally Championship squared up to one another today as the start of Wales Rally GB drew ever closer.

Sebastien Loeb, the seven-time title winner, will hold an eight-point advantage over Mikko Hirvonen when the first of 23 stages get underway on Thursday afternoon.

Citroen driver Loeb, who has won in Wales for the past three seasons, said: “This is never an easy rally but the rain before the event could help me a little bit because it’s not so difficult to drive first on the road in these conditions. Sometimes it can be even better to be first on the road.”

He continued: “I like the new stages, they are very typical of what you have in Wales. It’s a good place for the fight.”

Hirvonen, who heads Ford’s factory effort in the world championship, said: “It’s the last rally and it’s win it or bin it this weekend. We have to go for a big, big push but only when we get into the forests. Those first two Tarmac stages could be a really nasty place if you get caught out. I will be playing it safe there and I don’t mind if I lose 10 seconds. But once we get to the gravel it’s flat out.”