Loeb: “I lack rhythm and consistency”

Sébastien's beginnings Loeb with Hyundai did not live up to expectations. At the foot of the podium at Monte-Carlo, the nine-time champion WRC subsequently took 7th place in Sweden before failing to finish 8th at the Tour de Corse.

Winner four times from 2005 to 2008 with Citroën, the Alsatian saw his weekend complicated from the start by damaging his suspension against a curb.

“The Tour de Corsica? Obviously there is a touch of disappointment. Eighth, this is not the result I expect when I start a rally and even less on asphalt. Now, there are positives to come from this race. And my optimistic side wins in the end! commented the Frenchman. By losing more than two minutes from the first special, the philosophy of the race completely changed. Right away, we are no longer in the match to play for a podium or better and the motivation and commitment are necessarily different... But I can only blame myself. I entered the turn a little too quickly, I found myself 'off track' and we slid until we hit a curb. The score was good, it was an error in judging the trajectory with the passing of the cars in front. »

The Hyundai i20 WRCs may have performed well at the Rallye des 10000 Virages, as the victory of Thierry Neuville, Sébastien Loeb has never been able to score a single scratch, his best result being a 3rd time.

“We took this rally as a test session, changing a lot of things on the car and trying different types of settings, he explained. Sometimes it was good, sometimes not. The car is efficient on a specific terrain profile but we need to work further to make it more uniform. In the bumpy area for example, we are not in the game. I think our pre-race tests were still convincing but our competitors also made progress, particularly the Fords, who were particularly formidable this weekend. For the Toyota, we suspected it… I also have difficulty with this steering which is too incisive for my driving style. This doesn't help me feel completely confident. These are details but which, all combined, cost us tenths here and there. »

Sébastien Loeb is in an unprecedented situation by having to get used to the behavior of the Hyundai i20 WRC before the Rally of Chile (May 9-12) while most of his opponents can drive more by competing in all the rounds on the calendar.

“It’s clear that I lack rhythm and consistency, admitted the Alsatian. But I'm not worried, whether it's me or the car, we'll get there. Or at least, give us the means to get there. I have confidence in the team and the potential of the car. To speed things up, I'll need more attempts, that's for sure. But the regulations and the fact that Hyundai is entering four drivers prevents us from doing so. We have to deal with it, it’s up to us to find solutions and adapt. »

“Corsica passed, we tried to do our best but it didn’t pay off this time. I've already moved on, that's life. Besides, today, I'm discovering the i20 Coupe WRC on gravel and the first feedback is good. It seems to suit me better in this configuration for the moment. That was a bit of my feeling after my tests in Sweden. The only problem once again is that we will only have one day of testing, today, and that the rally will take place in more than a month. The recovery phase is likely to be complicated against our competitors who will all come out of Argentina hot! That's how it is, we are not playing for the title and we are there to ensure points for the team in the event of failure of our teammates. The philosophy is no longer the same as before, we must accept that. »

Discover the analysis of the Tour de Corse carried out by our special correspondent in issue 2210 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version on all platforms and on newsstands.