“I always was in front of him immediately at the start of the season and he accepted easily to be the second driver and score the points and do what the boss was telling him to do,” reflected Loeb on the period of time the two were teammates at Citroen. “He accepted I was faster than him and he didn’t try [to beat me]. He was doing his best but I was always in front.”
Sordo has now moved alongside Kris Meeke in Prodrive's MINI project, where he will be limited to a selected events programme for 2011. Starting next year however, he will presumably have an improved rally-spec Countryman to his disposal, as well as a full WRC schedule to play with, in order to challenge for a first win in the series.
“He will have the freedom to fight for himself now and maybe he can be stronger because it’s a different situation for him. I think it’s good for him to have this position in the team now he has a lot of experience. He was working for a manufacturer for a long time and for sure he can do some good things.”
Although Prodrive doesn't have a tradition in setting up No 1 driver schemes in the WRC, Sordo would obviously be handed that status should the situation require it during a rally. And that would be a first for the Spanish driver, who spent 5 years in the shadow of Loeb at Citroen. During that time, he was runner-up for no less than 17 times, but not once did he manage to win a rally.
Sordo and Meeke will mark John Cooper Works WRC's official return next month, during Rally d’Italia Sardegna.
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