Loeb: “We couldn’t have hoped for better”

Sébastien Loeb, you must be relieved after this victory. THE Rally Did it go according to your expectations?
I think we couldn't have hoped for much better than today. When we arrived here, we knew that it was important to get back into the championship to score four points more than Hirvonen. For that, I was counting on Dani (Sordo) because Solberg doesn't have much experience with the car, Ogier no more, on asphalt in any case. I was hoping Dani could help me and he did.

Dani Sordo competed with you in terms of time. Did he push you to attack?
We fought at the beginning. But we knew that in the end, I had to be in front. We pushed each other while staying within the limits. He did that very well. From Saturday onwards, we did what we wanted, as long as we stayed on the road. We finally found ourselves with the same instructions and in the same rhythm. We were able to widen the gap on the others while remaining focused. It’s clear that today (Sunday), we unfolded.

Did Mikko Hirvonen surprise you with his performances?
I wasn?t surprised, I was expecting it. For two years, he has been doing really well here. We almost feared having a big surprise and that he would be there, up front with us. I knew he was capable of doing great things.

Were you confident before the start of the Rally?
It was absolutely necessary to achieve a good result to get back on track. We theoretically had the advantage. Whether it was me, whether it was Dani, we knew that the double was possible. But saying and doing is not the same. We had to have a perfect race. The team was perfect. The cars were impeccable from start to finish and we had a great race.

You will change terrain in Great Britain. What conditions do you hope for?
If we could have a little less ice or a little less snow than last year, that would be good. It's a rally that I like overall but it can be very tricky if there is a little snow or a little ice. Even without that, with the fog and the heavy rain, it can be very difficult.

Mikko Hirvonen will open the road in Great Britain, could that be an advantage?
It all depends on the conditions. If, by chance, it could be “drying”, perhaps. But otherwise, no.
When we open the road on land, we must accept losing time, we must not get upset. He has made a lot of progress in this area. When he was the first on earth, he wasted a lot of time, now he doesn't waste much time.

Do you have victory as your only objective for the last Rally?
You have to be in front of Hirvonen. In any case, it will be a great end to the championship. We will find ourselves at the start of the last race of the year with equal chances of winning. Especially since we are not far from being at the same level on earth.

How do you explain your dominance on asphalt?
Certainly a very good feeling on this surface. But there are two of us, since Dani is capable of winning on asphalt. He showed a very good burst of speed. He agreed to play his role as teammate and go behind. It could have been a closely fought fight.

Did you give it your all, or did you keep some under control seeing that Hirvonen was quite far away?
We could have gone faster. Friday was going strong. But, from Saturday morning, the objective was zero risk. If he had been there and I had had to go in front, I would have pushed harder. But it?s difficult to quantify.

Citroën wins the manufacturers' title in Catalonia for the 2009 season. Is this important to you?
It?s important for me because it?s important for the team. It’s clear that a drivers’ title has more value. We know that people talk more about this title. But for the team, this title is important because it is teamwork, it is a great reward for them. It?s a story of consistency, the fact of finding the two cars at the end?

What did you think of Dani Sordo's performance?
He proved that he was capable of going very quickly here. I think he was capable of winning. We'll never know but I think it would have been very close. It could have lasted like at the beginning for three days and I don't know which one would have been ahead. He agreed, which cannot be easy, to sacrifice a possible victory for me, especially at home.