In Spain, Ogier, Tänak and Neuville will not be present at the penultimate round of the WRC World Championship. And a fourth thief could well invite himself to the party. Engaged for the third time this season with Citroën, the nine-time world champion Sébastien Loeb is back on a rally between dirt and asphalt.
This weekend, while Sebastien Ogier, Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak will fight for the title in Spain, Sébastien Loeb will return for the third time this season. The nine-time world champion wants to make a rally without error, and see the arrival for the first time this season.
You have multiplied the tests with Citroën, before this rally of Spain. How do you feel before departure?
There were not too many changes on the car, so the goal of the tests was mainly to find the sensations driving. There is an evolution on the rear cradle, but since it has been a long time since we drove, so it's hard to really realize what's changing. In any case, during the tests, the sensations were rather good. I did two days, a bit of dirt, a bit of asphalt. Everything is fine, the feeling is good with the car.
It's been over six months since you did not ride in rallies. What is more complicated when you start again?
It must find his reflexes, with a car a little different, it's true. The most important thing to do is to take the notes and to know how fast to enter the turns. It's more the habit of taking these notes, and their accuracy, which can be more difficult. After, driving the car, in itself, it's okay. I do not think I have lost much. Finally, what is missing is the knowledge of the terrain and the adaptation of the notes.
It's more difficult to get into the rhythm when you have not run a rally for six years, that's for sure. This is obviously not the same as when running in rally every weekend. It's more complicated like that, after, it was not too bad in Mexico and Corsica, hope that it will continue as well.
You also make your first season on the new WRCs, faster, more efficient. Are they more complicated to drive?
They are not necessarily more complicated. You have to start again because they are faster. In the fast, they spend a little better. I was not too disturbed. The cars are nicer. They take more turns, they are more beautiful, there is more air ... and the sensations are stronger!
What result do you see for this rally in Spain?
The goal is to arrive without making small mistakes. In Mexico, we quickly had problems, and we were quickly out in Corsica. Make a clean rally and go to the end, it would be good. Not necessarily fighting in front, but having a good pace, that would be good.
The rally of Spain is peculiar, with dirt, and asphalt. Does this worry you?
We'll see. The difficulty will be to get into the rhythm on the ground, and immediately change surface. It will not be easy, especially when, like me, you have not done so for a long time. On the other hand, I also chose rally because of that, with the idea of changing surface.
Citroën has made important announcements for next year, with new drivers in particular. Do you feel a new momentum in the team?
I think they are motivated to get things done in a good way. They took new drivers, with Ogier and Lappi, and potentially talents to aim for victory and title. This will motivate the team, and it's nice for all the guys who are trying to get back on their feet after a few years that were not the best for them.
The arrival of such pilots, that can change many things in a team?
Having a driver fighting for victory will change their lives. From the moment we replay the win, it feels right away.
Did making a few trips make you want to resume the rally more regularly?
For now, I do not have too much opinion on that. We did not talk about it too much. There is nothing specific for the moment for next year. I thought of doing rallycross full time, but a priori, my program just changed yesterday. I do not know yet what my 2019 season is going to be. I will have to think seriously about it.
Three rallies in the year, that was enough for you?
This year was enough for me considering my Rallycross program of the year. There, we look to go back to rallycross, but today, I do not know in what conditions. But if I do not rallycross, we'll see, but maybe we can do two or three other rallies.