Loeb not pushing for Finnish win

Sebastian Loeb has said that he will not push his limits in order to take a second win on this weekend's Rally Finland.

Loeb says that victory is not an objective that has to be completed, but pushing to win & risking his 17 point lead in the Championship is not an option. How the DS3 WRC handles the fast gravel roads will determine his approach, he says.

“Victory in Finland isn’t an out-and-out objective. Depending on how I feel I’ll see how hard I want to push. So far I’ve felt very much at ease on gravel in the DS3 WRC. If that’s how I feel in Finland, it’ll give my confidence an extra boost.”

The seven-times World Champion won the event for the first, and so far only, time in his glittering career three years ago. He was under attack from Ford driver Mikko Hirvonen right to the end, but held on to the rally lead from start to finish. Hirvonen struck back a year later, leading from SS2, and Loeb had to admit defeat.

However, he says that the super-quick gravel stages don't go well with his driving style, but this a different story for his Finnish rivals, as they know the terrain like 'the back of their hand'.

“But it’s not my favourite terrain. Maybe these roads don’t suit my natural style of driving. On the other hand the Finns are very much at home on them. They probably feel they’re taking fewer risks in an environment they know like the back of their hand. I remember that I had to give 200 per cent to win this rally. The titles at the end of the season are the priority.” he added.

Loeb currently holds a 17 point lead over his chief local rival Mikko Hirvonen. Loeb's team-mate Sebastian Ogier is 22 points behind Loeb, and is confident that he can win the event. However, this may prove a difficult, if near-impossible, task, with seven Finnish drivers WRC car mounted, and all in with a chance of victory in their home event.