Follow the Q&A with the dominant WRC driver in the first part of WRC 2010 season, Sebastien Loeb.
Congratulations on winning one of the most closely contested rallies this year; it was a great fight!
"It was a big battle, but not between two drivers - it was five and that’s really exciting. The first day I lost a little time cleaning the road, but the second day was also difficult. I couldn’t make up the time. Finally, in the afternoon, I found a good rhythm. On the second day we were leading and we decided to keep this lead, I didn’t know what the weather would be like. I thought it might rain; I had some memories of rain in Turkey before and I knew it was better to be first on the road. So I decided to keep my 17 second lead. We tried that and it was really a good choice."
You're leading the championship now by a margin of 40 points. Does this mean you can relax a little on the next round in New Zealand?
"We can’t afford to relax. I remember last year we won the first five rallies and then lost the lead. I approach all the rallies in the same way. Like today, I didn't need to fight with Petter - my main goal was to stay in front. Even if I was second it was good for the championship but I cannot drive like that. I like to fight and when I start a rally I want to win it."
Petter Solberg is your closest rival in the drivers' championship now. How do you asses his performance in Turkey?
"I think he did really well. He was fast in most of the stages and very fast in others. He found a rhythm, and seemed to have understood really well how the car is working. He's starting to be dangerous."
And he says he has more to give...
"He says a lot of things! We will see."
After the recce many drivers were concerned about the rough stages here in Turkey. How were they?
"The surface was really bad in places. We were lucky enough not to get any punctures ourselves but a lot of drivers did - especially in the 27km stage (Riva). Luckily our tyres were really strong. Okay, some punctures are part of rally but that stage for me was too risky. You had to go flat out on big stones and just hope it's okay. That's not what I like. Nearly every stage was nice except that one. And even that one was only a problem because of the material they used. Instead of making it with the small gravel they made it with huge rocks!"
Turkey featured a lot of asphalt sections. How were they to drive and should we perhaps have more in the WRC?
"I like the asphalt sections but here they were very fast to drive on gravel tyres. When it’s a bit more twisty it's no problem because you are sliding, but if you lose the control at high speed on asphalt it's more difficult to get the car back - and on gravel tyres it's worse. Generally though I like it. I would say yes to more because I know it’s a bit of an advantage for me to have this surface in these rallies."
The two stages that were cancelled this morning were run this afternoon, what's your view on that?
"I cannot say it was frustrating. I had a 17 second lead and every stage I didn’t have to drive was better for me. I think it was a good thing to cancel these stages and it was very difficult on the second pass this afternoon. It would have been nearly impossible on the first pass."
Compared to the Jordan Rally we’ve seen a tactic-free event here. Are you pleased about that?
"For sure, it’s much better to win like this without any tactics. But the regulation is like it is, we cannot do what we saw in Jordan. The job of the team is to win the rallies and when the regulation is permitting some things like that, you have to use it. The problem is from the regulation. If you want no tactics, you have to change the regulation. It was a good thing not to check in [early], that was too far in Jordan. But, for sure, our job is to go fast and when you can win a rally going flat out, it’s better."
by wrc.com
