Zoom Quesnel counting on Loeb's experience

Citroen World Rally Team boss Olivier Quesnel believes that the 2009 WRC crown will only be decided when the season concludes at Wales Rally GB in late October.

Although the Frenchman has full confidence that his star driver Sebastien Loeb will succeed in obtaining a sixth World Rally Championship title this year, he considers that the one-point gap between Loeb and the Ford team's Mikko Hirvonen will not decidedly shift in his driver's favour with only four rallies remaining on the calendar.

While Hirvonen has won the last two rallies, Loeb encountered problems in Sardinia and then Greece before crashing on Rally Poland's Day One. The five-time champion returned the following day and moved back up the order to take two points in Poland, but lost the lead of the drivers' standings to his rival by a single point.

Citroen boss Quesnel cannot avoid the fact that the last three outings have been problematic, but holds no doubts whatsoever on Loeb's ability to bounce back.

"Honestly I'm still confident because Seb is a five-time champion, he's got 52 victories and he's very strong in his head," Quesnel declared.

The next event takes place in Finland - where Hirvonen should be very well at ease on home territory - followed by Australia, Spain, and Great Britain.

"In Finland it could be a really nice rally for everybody and in Australia too. Spain should be good for us and I'm quite sure the fight will go all the way to the last rally in Great Britain," Quesnel predicted.

"And it will be quite close," he added. "I'm sure."

Daniel BASTIEN
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