Mikko Hirvonen’s gravel pace has been identified as the biggest threat to Sebastien Loeb’s bid to make it eight world rally titles in a row this season.
That’s according to Citroen Total World Rally Team boss Olivier Quesnel who believes the works Ford star has the pace to beat Loeb to the drivers’ crown.
Spain’s WRC encounter later this month runs on gravel for one day while virtually the entire route of Wales Rally GB in mid-November utilises loose-surface stages.
“We have Loeb, [Sebastien] Ogier and Mikko in only three points with two rallies left,” said Quesnel. “Mikko, you can be sure, will be really fast in [Wales].”
Hirvonen won Rally GB in 2007 but Loeb has been unbeaten on the event for the past three years, including in 2009 when he edged Hirvonen to the world crown by a solitary point in a thrilling final-round showdown.
“Missing out on the title by just one point after 12 rounds and thousands of kilometres around the globe was heart-breaking,” said Hirvonen of his title despair two years ago. “I don’t want to go through that again. We have to drive flat-out and if we were to win in Spain, it would make things look very good going to the final round in Britain.”
RallyRACC-Rally de Espana takes place from 20-23 October and is based in Salou south of Barcelona. Wales Rally GB takes place from 10-13 November with the start in Llandudno and the finish in Cardiff, the Principality’s capital city.