The Frenchman only managed to hold the lead during the early stages of Friday, after which Hirvonen was unstoppable for the overall win. Three stages until the finish line, the defending world champion admitted his defeat, reckoning that there was nothing he could do to close the gap on the Finnish driver on top of the classification.
“I gave myself a few frights, in particular when I kissed a wall of snow! I said to myself that from now on it’d be better to hang on to second and not start the championship with a retirement. As I’ve always said, I start each rally with victory as my aim. But if I feel that winning isn’t within my grasp, I prefer to bag the maximum number of points rather than risk an accident,” said Loeb.
Additionally, the Frenchman admitted that he didn't consider himself a favorite for the Rally Sweden win from the start, which is why he cannot be too disappointed with his runner-up spot in the standings. However, as far as the Mexico rally is concerned, his aim will be totally different.
“I didn’t reckon I was the favourite for this event and I found myself up against a rival who drove a perfect rally. It’s good to start the season with a large haul of points and I’m looking forward to Mexico to get my revenge!” added Loeb, who now trails Hirvonen by 7 points after the first event of the season.
With Dani Sordo finishing the rally in 4th place, Citroen now trails Ford in the manufacturers' standings by 10 points.
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