After a delayed start due to transport problems getting the cars to Jordan, Sebastien Loeb will begin his pursuit of World Rally Championship win number 64 on the banks of the Dead Sea on Friday.
The ultra-successful Citroen driver is joint leader of the WRC ahead of the race and shares with us some inside knowledge.
Not the perfect preparation
We have done our preparation for this rally the same as every time, but when we are not using our normal recce car [the scaled-down rally car which is usually used to practice the route] and we are driving big 4x4 road cars, the vision is not the same for the road ahead. At the start of the recce, I was in a smaller 4x4, but I broke this in the second stage – so I had to have a much bigger car. It’s a bit difficult to adapt my style for this, but in the end, I think it’s okay.
Enjoying the rocky road
This road surface is a very difficult one for the drivers. There are a lot of big stones on the road and there are more stones sometimes pulled out by the drivers ahead, you have to watch for these. And the other thing which can make this difficult is the crests with the corner hidden behind. You know, you have no reference in the middle of the desert and you are coming very fast towards a blind crest, where you know the corner is behind it. You have to make the turn without being able to see the corner – and then sometimes, you have the rocks waiting for you on the inside or outside of the corner.
Not too tyred
We have a new tyre here from Michelin, but we don’t have so much experience with it. I have only done 15 kilometres testing on the new tyre. I have not done any real work with the tyre. I did two two runs on the test road with it, but that’s it apart from the shakedown stage here in Jordan. Even though I didn’t do too much driving with it, the feeling is okay. It was sliding quite a lot in the first time I drove it at shakedown, but this is coming more from the surface than the tyre.
On the right road
Winning this event is the same as every event, you have to stay on the road and make sure you don’t hit the big rock to get the puncture. That’s vital, but it’s not so easy: we have the speed and the corners which you can’t always see. It’s a tough rally.
No time for tactics
There is no strategy from me. Tomorrow will be very long and I think the road will clean for the cars coming behind me. The main thing is that I have to push from the start and see what happens for Sunday.
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