Loeb-Hirvonen, the duel resumes

Sébastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen will once again be the two main candidates for the world champion title this season. Sébastien Loeb, never satisfied, is motivated to win a seventh title. As for Mikko Hirvonen, after missing out on his first crown in 2009, he is determined to beat the Frenchman. Hirvonen, winner of four events (out of twelve) in 2009, wants to take more risks to get ahead of his rival. “ Sometimes I lacked courage by not making the decisions I needed to set up my car, or to drive more aggressively. », recalls the Finn. “ When you have the courage to take a chance, you can make a difference. »

Sébastien Loeb, despite his record of world titles and victories in WRC, for his part, has not lost an ounce of motivation. The driver of the chevron brand keeps victory as his leitmotif. “ Since I lost a title for a small point (in 2003, editor's note), I have always applied the same reasoning, confides the Frenchman. Every point is essential when you want to win a championship as difficult as the WRC. The way things went last year only reinforced my state of mind. »

But Sébastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen will not be the only candidates for victory, in Sweden and for the rest of the season. Jari-Matti Latvala, determined to make up for certain past mistakes, will want to show that his team can count on him for the quest for the constructors' title. Winner of a rally Last year, the Finn may have to step aside in the face of team strategy but will know how to be present when the opportunity allows him to take the initiative.

In Sweden, Marcus Grönholm is also to be placed on the list of challengers. Double world champion, the Finn has a Ford Focus WRC 08. During the shakedown, by coming within two tenths of Mikko Hirvonen, he proved that he had lost none of his speed.

At Citroën, the “dream team”, according to Olivier Quesnel, should also see more than one candidate applying for victory. Dani Sordo, teammate of Sébastien Loeb, wants to win his first rally this season, after often remaining in the shadow of the six-time world champion. “Dani is getting her bearings. He is one of those pilots who progress, gradually achieving solidity and competence. He's progressing slowly but coming out very little, which is important for us in the constructors' championship. He will be able to surprise more than one this season,” declared Olivier Quesnel on RMC.

Sébastien Ogier, winner of the Monte-Carlo Rally in 2009, should also display more ambitions this season. Very fast and consistent, the Frenchman has impressed on several occasions, notably during the last Monte-Carlo Rally, during which he was the best performer (seven special stages won out of fifteen), managing to beat Mikko Hirvonen. For Ogier, this season should be one of confirmation (see elsewhere), the driver being able to claim a place on the podium.

Newcomer to the WRC, Kimi Räikkönen should start the season with a lot of humility, in order to gain experience in his new discipline. But, world champion of Formula 1 In 2007, the Finn is a born competitor and will be able to prove himself to be a tough driver once he has assimilated the main difficulties of the Rally.

Surprised by Subaru's withdrawal at the end of 2008, Petter Solberg set up a team in his name the following season, participating in several rounds of the WRC at the wheel of a Citroën Xsara. After changing cars by opting for the Citroën C4 WRC, the Norwegian got his bearings behind the wheel of a previous generation car. This season, the 2003 world champion will benefit from a latest specification C4 and will have almost nothing to envy of Sébastien Loeb and Dani Sordo, their cars being almost identical.

The forces involved will be revealed this weekend, during the first round of the season, during the Rally Sweden. At the end of the shakedown, Sébastien Loeb and Dani Sordo achieved the best times, ahead of the Ford Focuses of Jari-Matti Latvala, Mikko Hirvonen and Marcus Grönholm.