Source: wrc.com
Fresh from victory on Rally de Espana, championship leader Sébastien Loeb is hoping to do the same again on Rallye de France, this week's second instalment of the asphalt double-header. This time, however, there's a chance he could wrap up the 2008 drivers' championship too...
Winner of the Tour de Corse for the last three years, Citroen driver Loeb has the strongest track record and must be the favourite to do it again.
And for the first time this year there is something bigger than a rally win at stake. As Loeb's co-driver Daniel Elena pointed out after Rally de Espana, if the Frenchman wins Corsica and Mikko Hirvonen finishes lower than sixth, then the Citroen duo will wrap up drivers' championship number five.
Hypothetically, even if Hirvonen wins in Japan and GB, he will only be able to match Loeb's post Corsica total (106) and when the number of wins is taken into account, Sebastien will be home and dry. Loeb, however, says he is trying to put championship-winning scenarios to the back of his mind for now, and is concentrating instead on strengthening his lead.
Seb's teammate Dani Sordo will go to Corsica another favourite for a good result. In Spain Sordo and co-driver Marc Marti scored their third consecutive second place finish, and after two podiums in Corsica in 2006 and 2007, the Spaniards look more than capable of going one place better this year.
Behind them, Francois Duval makes his second outing for the factory Ford squad, after showing podium pace on his 2008 debut in the BP team in Spain. With the benefit of three days seat time in the Focus RS WRC, and a preference for rougher asphalt roads, Duval could well be the Citroen team's biggest threat.
Then there's Mikko Hirvonen. Asphalt certainly isn't the Finn's favourite surface but by the end of Spain he had settled into a comfortable rhythm, and seemed far more capable of worrying those up ahead. Like Duval, it remains to be seen whether that improvement will continue in Corsica, and whether the different conditions will improve his confidence.
Up to now Hirvonen's best result in Corsica is the fourth he scored in 2006. So he's going to have to dig deep. But while the championship is still possible, he's promised to give it everything he's got.
photo:Ford
Fresh from victory on Rally de Espana, championship leader Sébastien Loeb is hoping to do the same again on Rallye de France, this week's second instalment of the asphalt double-header. This time, however, there's a chance he could wrap up the 2008 drivers' championship too...
Winner of the Tour de Corse for the last three years, Citroen driver Loeb has the strongest track record and must be the favourite to do it again.
And for the first time this year there is something bigger than a rally win at stake. As Loeb's co-driver Daniel Elena pointed out after Rally de Espana, if the Frenchman wins Corsica and Mikko Hirvonen finishes lower than sixth, then the Citroen duo will wrap up drivers' championship number five.
Hypothetically, even if Hirvonen wins in Japan and GB, he will only be able to match Loeb's post Corsica total (106) and when the number of wins is taken into account, Sebastien will be home and dry. Loeb, however, says he is trying to put championship-winning scenarios to the back of his mind for now, and is concentrating instead on strengthening his lead.
Seb's teammate Dani Sordo will go to Corsica another favourite for a good result. In Spain Sordo and co-driver Marc Marti scored their third consecutive second place finish, and after two podiums in Corsica in 2006 and 2007, the Spaniards look more than capable of going one place better this year.
Behind them, Francois Duval makes his second outing for the factory Ford squad, after showing podium pace on his 2008 debut in the BP team in Spain. With the benefit of three days seat time in the Focus RS WRC, and a preference for rougher asphalt roads, Duval could well be the Citroen team's biggest threat.
Then there's Mikko Hirvonen. Asphalt certainly isn't the Finn's favourite surface but by the end of Spain he had settled into a comfortable rhythm, and seemed far more capable of worrying those up ahead. Like Duval, it remains to be seen whether that improvement will continue in Corsica, and whether the different conditions will improve his confidence.
Up to now Hirvonen's best result in Corsica is the fourth he scored in 2006. So he's going to have to dig deep. But while the championship is still possible, he's promised to give it everything he's got.
photo:Ford