Loeb Aims For Seven Out Of Seven As 2010 World Rally Season Kicks Off In Sweden
Sébastien Loeb, already by far and away the most successful rally driver of all time, will be aiming for a new record of seven consecutive World Rally Championship titles when the 2010 WRC season kicks off in Sweden this weekend (11-14 February 2010).
The ice and snow of Sweden used to offer cold comfort for the Citroën driver’s rivals, with the Scandinavian drivers 
dominating their home events, but Loeb proved that he was not the tarmac only expert sceptics though early in his career when, in 2004, he made the ultra difficult Swedish Rally his first ever non-tarmac win. The only consolation his rivals can draw is that he not won the event since.... but he has come second twice and he won in Norway’s snow last year!
“I like starting the season with this rally but it looks like the conditions are going to be very difficult,” says Loeb. “You just have to stay on the road, which isn’t all that easy when I think back to the 2008 rally. My only aim is to rack up another world title, but the way last season panned out shows that you can’t count your chickens before they’re hatched!”
Loeb’s team mate Dani Sordo’s season began a few days ago. In order to get back in the groove, the young Spaniard raced in the Arctic Lapland Rally, the opening round of the Finnish Championship. It was a success, as he set all the fastest times in the rally.
“It was a great way of boosting my confidence on this surface. Even though I didn’t really have any rivals there’s nothing like competition to get you back into the right rhythm and feel the reflexes coming back! Unlike a test session where we use the same route so we know it by heart, each special was a new challenge for me and I had to analyse the behaviour of the C4 WRC. The route was very similar to that of Rally Sweden so I feel absolutely ready.”
Dani’s main aim hasn’t changed in relation the previous seasons, which is a crucial factor in the conquest of the Manufacturers’ title.
“You have to be quick, consistent and score the maximum number of points in each rally. That’ll still be the case in 2010 but I want to push even harder. I’m really determined to win my first WRC rally this year. I know I can do it, and whether it comes in one of the asphalt rounds or the gravel events that I like very much such as Mexico, New Zealand or Portugal, doesn’t make any difference.”
No change has been the rule for the Citroën team during the off season, not least because rule changes mean that this is the last season for the all-conquering Citroën C4 WRC.
“You don’t change a winning team so we’re tackling 2010 with the same crew as the previous seasons. The final year of the World Rally Cars looks like being a great one for the World Championship - and for Citroën - which has a real dream team,” adds Olivier Quesnel, the Citroën Racing Team Principal. “The drivers of the five C4 WRCs entered this season have all been word champions in motor racing: namely, Sébastien Loeb, Dani Sordo, Sébastien Ogier, Kimi Raïkkönen, and Petter Solberg with his own team. Difficult to do much better!”