Wales Rally GB Preview

The World Rally Championship is set for a dramatic climax on Wales Rally GB this week with Mikko Hirvonen and Sebastien Loeb facing off for the world title. This is a summary of what the leading contenders have had to say in the build-up to the battle in Britain.

Citroen Total World Rally Team
Sebastien Loeb (aiming for his eighth world title): “The scenario’s like the one in 2009. We started Rally GB neck and neck with Mikko Hirvonen and whoever finished in front of the other was world champion. With a seven-point gap between victory and second place and three points for the best time in the Power Stage, it’s not a very comfortable situation. My aim won’t be to win at any cost but to run my race depending on Mikko’s.”

Sebastien Ogier (will play a supporting role for Loeb): “I can drive without any pressure where scoring points for the team is concerned. Finishing on the podium would be a good result for me. With regards to the drivers’ world championship, Seb is determined to be master of his own destiny by finishing in front of Mikko. But it’s obvious that if circumstances require it I’ll do everything I can to help him win the title.”

Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team
Mikko Hirvonen (starts eight points behind title leader Sebastien Loeb): “The only thing I can do is aim to win the rally. If something unexpected happens to Loeb, I may not need to win anymore, but from the outset, the sole target has to be victory. In Wales, everything depends so much upon the conditions. If they’re tricky, you need to be confident, trust the pace notes and take risks, even if you can’t see so well in places.”

Jari-Matti Latvala (still without a win in 2011): “I want to fight for victory and to try to be in a position to help Mikko. Our target is to aim for first and second places. It’s important for the team to put myself ahead of Loeb and take points away from him, so I’ll drive as fast as I can from the start. It will be vital to be sharp from the very first kilometre, because if we allow Loeb to build a lead it will be hard to pull him back.”

M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team
Mads Ostberg (hoping for a strong end to promising 2011 season): “I’d say that Sweden, Finland and Wales are three of my favourite rallies in the WRC so I’m really looking forward to competing in the UK next week. I’m aiming for a top five finish this week but if our test on Saturday goes well then I may feel that we could push for a podium.”

Matthew Wilson (aiming to shine in front of home fans): “Wales is my home event and it’s always a fantastic rally to mark the end of the season. The fans are incredibly supportive and it’s a rally where I want to finish with a good result more than ever. For sure, I was disappointed to move down to eighth in the standings after my final day retirement in Spain but we’ve been a lot closer to the drivers in the top five in terms of points this year.”

Henning Solberg: “Sweden and Wales are two of the WRC events that I know the best and even though we don’t have a test before I think I’m well prepared for the rally. The last couple of rounds have been good for us, it’s taken a while for me to get to grips with the Ford Fiesta RS WRC but I’m now feeling very confident in the car and think that if we have no problems then we will have a good finish.”

For more info and tickets please visit www.walesrallygb.com