Loeb-Hirvonen duel in Poland

If the calendar of WRC has lightened up this season, nothing prevents it from returning to lands forgotten for several decades. This is how the rally from Poland returned to the world championship calendar in 2009. Er should offer, unless the reigning world champion quickly takes the lead, an interesting duel between Sébastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen.

If the Frenchman seemed unbeatable at the start of the season, with five victories in five rallies, he has since slowed down. A fourth place in Sardinia then a retirement in Greece gave hope to his pursuers in the world championship. In fact, the Alsatian is only seven points ahead of his pursuer, Mikko Hirvonen, who could get even closer in Poland.

Sébastien Loeb, who a few weeks ago seemed on course towards a sixth world title, is therefore under threat from the Finn in this second half of the championship. Now under pressure, the five-time world champion knows that he has a rival and, above all, that he no longer has the right to make mistakes, otherwise he will lose his status as leader. As a symbol, the two men achieved the same time, to the nearest tenth, during the shakedown on Thursday morning. Author of most of the best times of this start, Loeb and Hirvonen will indeed be the two most prominent drivers in Poland.