Loeb: “The rules must change”

Sébastien Loeb, how did you experience this Rally from Jordan?
It was a difficult race, in the special stages, in terms of the terrain. It's a surface full of traps, really not easy. Latvala was very fast on the first day, staying in the lead in the evening. The next day, we managed to climb back up and regain the lead. But it was a difficult choice last night to decide whether to stay in the lead or not, always because of these sweeping stories. We decided to stay in front and it worked. It was a great fight with Jari-Matti Latvala, who made no mistakes. Petter Solberg was there too. In any case, it is an important victory. We're taking advantage of the fact that Hirvonen doesn't score a point to score a victory, so that's a good thing.

Is this the type of victory you like, with its tactical side?
It's always a story of strategy, which is part of the game today due to current regulations. We have to get into it. Whether it is Ford or Citroën, the teams spend their time developing their strategies. We know that, without strategy, due to sweeping, we cannot win. We have to play this game.

Do you believe these strategies are part of the rally?
Today, it's part of the game, but I hope that will change because it's not the most pleasant thing for us. Our role is to attack and try to set times. Slow races aren?t the nicest thing. But, ultimately, the strategies did not change much. Latvala remained in the lead the first day, us the second. Today, everyone had their own sweeper. I had Ogier, Latvala had Hirvonen but that didn't change much.

So your victory is based on teamwork?
Ultimately, it's a team race but one that requires some drivers to sacrifice themselves.

That bothers you ?
Yes, it bothers me. Ogier is in full development, he's starting to be really competitive, so we're not going to ruin his races until the end of the year. It would therefore be a good thing if the regulations changed so that we were all on equal terms.

Did you have a little scare during this last day?
Here, there are many places where we have no visual cues, with bends at the top of hills where we cannot see the road. There was a moment when I turned too much, we found ourselves on the embankment, on the verge of going down. It was hot.

We are still far from the end of the season but is this victory important?
That's always the case. We have a victory in advance, it's a joker. It?s good for morale and gives confidence. On the other hand, last year, we won the first five races and, after the seventh, we were no longer leading the championship. So you have to stay focused.

With his zero points this weekend, does Mikko Hirvonen remain your main rival?
It's hard to say. It's not just him. There is Latvala who is in good shape this year, who seems rather reliable. Solberg is good, he has a good car, he is in the game. There are Sordo and Ogier who are also potential clients. There are 4 or 5 pilots who can fight.

Did you think you made the right choice on Friday evening, by placing yourself in the lead?
No, last night, I was not convinced that we were going to win. But I decided to give it a try by walking past. It was the right choice but these strategy stories are a bit boring. I leave that to others. This morning, when I saw Ogier arriving in front of me in the first special, I wasn't even aware of it. I discovered it when he passed in front of me. It could only help me but I'm not sure I needed it.

Do you have any ideas to suggest for changing this regulation?
Today, we have to do a shakedown, four passes (traditionally on Thursday). If, for the same shakedown, we make four passes, being obliged to go there four times, in the order of the championship, for a sweeping story, then after three or four passes, the road is swept, it is the same for everyone. We therefore fight on equal terms. We take that as a qualification. Whoever wins the shakedown chooses their starting spot for the next day. It would make it possible to publicize the shakedown, to tell something interesting about that day, which is not the case today. And the next day, the first in the ranking chooses their starting position for the day after tomorrow.

It would be like qualifying for a Grand Prix. If you have the best time, you choose your starting place. If you're wrong, you only have yourself to blame. There is also the solution of returning to the old regulations, that is to say having the first fifteen start in reverse order. But you need fifteen, not eight. If we take this rally for example: on the first day, I was fifth, Hirvonen sixth. The next day, if we reverse the first eight, Hirvonen starts third, me fourth. And, Latvala, starting eighth, we never see him again. That would be a bad solution. If we reverse it, we need fifteen. The idea of ​​the shakedown is what seems the most sporting to me. Then, the drivers who are early must wait on the starting line and return to their place. This would help avoid excesses, as there were on this rally.

Olivier Quesnel calls for changes for Turkey?
Me too ! The proposal I made concerning the pilots who clock in early is possible, feasible (from Turkey). I don't see any problem with it, to begin with. Because if we continue like this, it will become nonsense. Today, we had no sanctions. So, what we did, we have the right to do. Let's imagine that the championship is like last year, being played out over the last races. On the last rallies, Ford would put four cars in front of Hirvonen and Citroën would put four cars in front of me. We have to stop this before it becomes anything.