Loeb bets on starting order in Sweden

After having conquered a new Rally Monte-Carlo, Sébastien Loeb will start the Swedish event (February 9 to 12) leading the Championship. The Alsatian should no longer be handicapped by his position as opener on the courses of the first stage since the shakedown will for the first time serve as qualifications on the starting order. However, the eight-time world champion will have to think carefully about his position on the road since the snowy special stages will place many constraints on the crews.

“I found the old system unfair, since the Championship leader was penalized at the start of each rally. From now on, I will only have myself to blame if I have a bad position on the road”, comments the Citroën driver. “It won’t be easy to choose the right starting order. In Sweden, the first cars created a layer of crushed ice which reduced grip as soon as you deviated a little from the trajectory. But starting first can be handicapping if a snow shower falls during the night and covers the stages with powder. No parameter should be neglected. »