Citroën WRC star Sebastien Loeb has won the last two German Rallies and says he is looking forward to this weekend’s event.
Citroën WRC star Sebastien Loeb has won the last two German Rallies and says he is looking forward to this weekend’s event.
As the championship leader, the Frenchman has been first on the road on the opening leg for the majority of this year’s gravel events. Ordinarily, the position is a disadvantage as the lead driver has to sweep the loose gravel off the top of the stages for his rivals. But on the German asphalt stages, Loeb will face no such disadvantage at the head of the running order.
“For once, being first on the road during the opening leg shouldn’t be a handicap,” Loeb said. “We can choose our own tactics, but tyre choice promises to be more critical following the introduction of quantity restrictions. I feel confident”.
Citroën motorsport boss Guy Frequelin this week said the unpredictable nature of the weather and stage surfaces could catch many teams out and said Citroen would play a conservative strategy in a bid to maintain its lead in both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championship standings.
“I hope the Xsara and our drivers will be in the thick of the fight at the sharp end, and I’m counting on the team’s technical staff to call this one as well as they can, notably concerning tyre tactics,” Frequelin said. “But I have no intention of losing sight of the fact that our ultimate aim is to win both championships. As I have said, this rally can be decided on the throw of a dice, and, if it doesn’t roll as we wish, we will react accordingly.”