Loeb: “Second, not so bad”

Sébastien Loeb, sixteen seconds behind at the start of the day, knew that it would be difficult for him to catch up with Mikko Hirvonen. Impeccable, the Finn held to his rank and quickly destroyed the last hopes of the Citroën clan. In these conditions, the six-time world champion then sought to secure big points, no longer wishing to take any risks until the finish, in order to be satisfied with his second place. “ The season is long. We saw last year that abandonments were costly, indicates the Frenchman. Finishing Sweden second isn't so bad. Hirvonen was favorite here, it?s his home ground. He had a perfect race. We know that he is super fast on the snow. »

Sébastien Loeb recognizes the superiority, in this event, of Mikko Hirvonen and Ford. Even without the time lost by the #4 Citroën C1 due to tire choices on the second day, the Finn was able to widen the gap throughout the stages. “ They were more consistent than us, they broke tires less. Yesterday, of course, we made a mistake in the choice of tires but, as a general rule, he was always a little better than us. It would have been difficult anyway. », recognizes the Alsatian.

Beaten by Mikko Hirvonen at the start of the world championship, Sébastien Loeb is not ashamed of his second place, on a terrain which remains the preferred surface for Scandinavian drivers. “ Second in Sweden, that?s not ridiculous. It's like in Finland: Hirvonen is on his home turf. He wants to win at home and, today, he has a level which allows him to be able to do so. I have no regrets. I have often left Sweden in much more unpleasant situations. Losing regularly is something I don?t particularly like but secondly, in Sweden, it?s not so bad. »