Loeb: Finland win not a priority

Date published : 28 Jul 2011 - 10:44:23

Sebastien Loeb has insisted that his focus is not on winning Rally Finland, despite setting the fastest time on Thursday morning's shakedown stage. The Citroen driver has won Rally Finland once previously, but the Frenchman admitted the Jyvaskyla-based event is not his favourite round of the series. He arrives in Finland with a 17-point lead over Ford driver Mikko Hirvonen and says the Finns are the firm favourites for victory on their home WRC round. "I don't especially need to win, I need some good points," said the world champion. "We are leading [the championship] at the moment and it would be good to lead when we leave here. If I can fight to win, I will, but I have won it one time and I find it an especially difficult rally for me to win." Loeb's team-mate Sebastien Ogier was second fastest at shakedown, 0.6 seconds slower than his countryman. Jari-Matti Latvala was the fastest Ford in third place, 0.9s off Loeb's quickest time.