Sébastien Loeb: “I was the fastest”

Sébastien Loeb will probably keep a bitter taste from the Acropolis Rally, with the strategy put in place by Citroën. The seven-time World Champion consoles himself by increasing the gap on his direct rival Mikko Hirvonen in the Championship.

Published on 19/06/2011 à 20:48

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Sébastien Ogier adopted a strategy allowing him to start behind his teammate Sébastien Loeb in the special stages of the last stage. This choice, implemented by Citroën, allowed him to win his third victory of the season by finishing the Rally from the Acropolis with a 10??5 lead over his teammate.

Sébastien Loeb did not appreciate this maneuver on the part of his team (see here) and thinks he could have won the victory without this strategy. “Before the start, I was not absolutely aiming for victory”, admits the Alsatian. “I gave everything, but the circumstances of the race meant that I was not able to fight on equal terms. However, I think I was the fastest. The 20 points scored allow me to widen the gap a little further on Mikko Hirvonen. »

For his part, Olivier Quesnel is delighted with the Citroëns drivers' double victory in an event where Ford usually shines. “Achieved on one of our opponents’ favorite grounds, this double is a fantastic result for Citroën”, adds the director of Citroën Racing. “I am happy for our two drivers, who are doing very well for the World Championship. With six victories in seven rallies, we can be proud of our first part of the season. »

Discover in your AUTOhebdo magazine, on newsstands from Wednesday, the complete analysis of the Acropolis Rally by our special correspondents in Greece.