Only two men, Sébastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen, can win the 2011 WRC title. We hear from them ahead of the final showdown at Rally GB in Wales.
Mikko Hirvonen offered a sideways glance at his World Rally Championship rival Sebastien Loeb and smiled.
The Frenchman had just confirmed to the watching world that this week’s Rally GB held no fear for him.
“If he says he’s not nervous, he needs to check his head,” said Hirvonen. “If there’s no nerves, there’s something wrong.”
'It’s win it or bin it' – Mikko Hirvonen
Despite a laid-back demeanour, Hirvonen admitted he was nervous. He is also excited and, most of all, up for a fight in the Welsh woods this week. It’s a fight with a world championship at stake.
Arriving in the principality second and eight points adrift of Loeb brings clarity for the Ford-driving Finn. He has to win. Or at least he has to beat Loeb.
“It’s win it or bin it,” added Hirvonen.
With an eyebrow raised, Loeb admitted his approach would be considerably more measured than that of his rival.
'I do this because I like to drive' – Sébastien Loeb
“I won’t follow the rhythm of Mikko,” said Loeb. “I prefer to take my own rhythm and to see what pace I am driving at. Hopefully this will be enough and I will be quicker than him.”
Loeb then further deflated his rival by announcing that winning the championship wouldn’t change his life. Why would it? It’s not like he hasn’t done it seven times already.
“An eighth title would mean a little difference from seven,” said Loeb. “OK, I would be the first person in motorsport to have done this [beating Michael Schumacher’s seven Formula One titles] and the only person to do this, but this is not my main motivation for doing this. I do this because I like the fight and I do this because I like to drive.”
The odds are not quite stacked but are certainly piled in Loeb’s favour this week. He’s won 67 rounds of the world championship – that’s 53 more than Hirvonen; and outscored the Fiesta driver by five to two this year. The good news for Hirvonen is that he has won in Wales, taking the 2007 event. The bad news is that Loeb has won it every year since.
'In the middle of the year I never thought I would get an opportunity like this' – Hirvonen
“It’s not going to be easy,” said Hirvonen, venturing into obvious-statement territory. “But in the middle of the year I never thought I would get an opportunity like this, so I have to make the most of it.”
Apparently holding all the aces, Loeb has been here before.
“It’s another fight,” he said. “And now I have to do my job.”
And, for seven years, he’s done that job exceptionally well.
Rally GB starts from Llandudno tomorrow (Thursday) and, after running south through Wales for four days, finishes in Cardiff on Sunday afternoon.
Want more?
- Kimi Raikkonen's Lucky Numbers
- Official World Rally Championship website wrc.com
- Report in quotes from the last round in Spain
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