Rally Finland begins today after three days’ reconnaissance.
The Citroën DS3 WRCs took part in the shakedown this morning to prepare for the 314 kms to come. Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier laid down a marker by setting the two fastest times!
The shakedown held around Ruuhimäki used part of a stage of one of the previous rallies that included several consecutive jumps. The two Citroën Total World Rally Team drivers, Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier, set the fastest times. Petter Solberg and Kimi Raïkkönen in their Citroën DS3 WRCs from Citroën Racing Technologies were not that far behind.
Loeb, the current leader of the Drivers’ World Championship, topped the time sheets in the no. 1 Citroën DS3 WRC at an average speed of almost 110 km/h: “Overall, I’ve got a pretty good feeling and you can see the result! It’s proof that the car’s handling well, but the Finns will be tough adversaries right from the start of the rally. The aim is to score points – a big haul if possible. We’re going to push at the start and then we’ll take a rain check. This evening’s three stages will give us an idea of everyone’s potential. As I’m first out on the road, I’ve got no choice but to really go for it!”
Ogier, who finished second last year, arrived in Jyväskylä with his confidence at an all-time high: “I feel good in the Citroën DS3 WRC on this terrain. The shakedown was short, but it’s representative of what we’re going to have to face in this rally. We’ll know a lot more after the start this afternoon. We’re going to do our best to go for victory. I like this route very much. We’ll have to be at our best to compete with the local drivers.”
Petter Solberg set the fourth-best time and said he was pretty satisfied with his performance: “Our tests have enabled us to find the right balance. The shakedown’s validated our setup. The Citroën DS3 WRC is very quick on this kind of terrain. This afternoon we’ll have to push right from the start in the first three stages.”
Kimi Raïkkönen took advantage of a good test session on his home turf to set the seventh-quickest time: “It’s encouraging. We got into the right rhythm almost immediately. I felt good in the car first time through. Our tests were very positive. We’ll have to keep up the good work right from the start – then we’ll see what happens!”