Citroën wants to move forward

If the start of the season went off without a hitch with five victories in five rallies, it must be admitted that the last two events in Italy and Greece ended in poor performances for Citroën. Sebastian Loeb, the reigning world champion, was even forced to retire during the Rally from the Acropolis two weeks ago, after having carried out numerous rolls. Worse, with only seven points ahead in the Drivers' championship, he now sees his most dangerous opponent, Mikko Hirvonen, coming back on him.

In Poland, for the Rally's return to the World Championship for the first time since 1973, Loeb knows the pressure is on his shoulders. In the event of another poor performance, he could even be overtaken in the general classification by his Finnish opponent. “ It is obvious that this puts a little more pressure on our shoulders “, he acknowledges. " We had a superb start to the season before stalling for two rallies. It would be a shame to lose everything. »

To prepare as best as possible, he will be able to count on two days of reconnaissance scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. “ With two recognition passages, you have to be even more concentrated when taking notes. In the World Championship, each field has its specificity and you have to learn to ?read? the road and its pitfalls “, he says. " This application is essential to hope to reach the finish line in a good position. The fewer notes to correct during the race, the better! When the rally starts, I will do as usual: I will drive as I feel and we will see where we are compared to the competition. »

His teammate Dani Sordo compares Poland with what he already knows. “ It's a bit like Finland, but narrower with fewer bumps. », adds Dani Sordo. “ The soil is also softer, with many sandy portions. I like it, I also think it will be a great test. » Apart from a 2,5 km long special scheduled for Thursday evening, the serious things will really begin on Friday with seven special stages contested.