"Our rally is a popular event. It always has been and always will be. So for the event to be removed from the calendar makes no sense at all," he stated. "No rally has ever been excluded from the championship without due cause – and the Cyprus Rally is praised all over the world as one of the best events in the WRC. Plus, with the addition of the Down Town Special, 2006 is shaping up to be the best Cyprus Rally ever – as well as a highlight of the entire 2006 calendar. I’m confident that we’ll see a change of heart come October."
News from the Manufacturers' teams:
Manufacturer 1.
Kronos Total Citroen:
[
Sebastien Loeb, car #1 and
Daniel Sordo, car #2]
Sebastien Loeb has said that while he would love to win in Finland and add it to his list, he won't take any unnecessary risks in order to 'tick it off'. Indeed of all the events on the current schedule, Finland is only one of three that he has yet to stand on the top step of the podium at - the other two being, Wales Rally GB and Rally Japan. Finland though is an extremely specialist event and to date in 55th editions only seven non-Finns - including two Latin drivers - have reached the finish and beat the home stars. If anyone can add their name to that list though, Loeb is surely right up there - and if he does manage it, he will become the most successful driver in the history of the
FIA World Rally Championship, in terms of outright wins, moving ahead of Carlos Sainz.
"I won the first round [out of these two back-to-back events] in Trier. For the second one, taking place on my rival’s home-ground, the pressure isn’t in my camp. It’s a bit of the same situation as it was 2005," said Loeb. "I dream of winning this prestigious event, where a victory can only be achieved thanks to the attack and not to strategy, but I am not ready to do it at all costs.
