by Rob Wilkins
Former Junior World Rally Championship star, Kris Meeke has predicted that Dani Sordo could hold the key as to whether or not
Sebastien Loeb or Marcus Gronholm comes out top in the battle for the 2007 drivers' crown.
Meeke, who competed in the Junior World Rally Championship with the
Citroen C2 Super 1600 in 2005 and 2006, added though at that the moment with only 10 points between Seb and Marcus - and five rounds still to go, it is all very much in the balance.
“It is very difficult to say with the asphalt events coming up,” Kris told
Crash.net Radio last week, when asked who he thinks will come out top this year in the WRC.
“Dani [Sordo] I know is very, very strong on tarmac and he is a good friend of mine. I know he will be pushing like hell to get some results - and aid Sebastien in his fight for the title.
“On those tarmac events if Dani can fit into second place it will help Sebastien a lot, because obviously it will be another two point gap to Marcus on each event.
“I think it could go either way at the minute though and I think a lot depends on the second drivers'.
“Ultimately I think Sebastien has what it takes to win all the remaining asphalt events but it remains to be seen where Mikko [Hirvonen] and Dani can fit in. If Dani can finish second it is going to make it very difficult for Marcus.
“To be honest I think Dani is the key player in the title role, which is quite ironic,” he added.
Asked about the WRC more generally, Kris added that while the top two remain very much in a class of their own, he has been impressed by
BP Ford number two driver, Hirvonen.
“It has been another two-horse race this year,” the Ulsterman continued. “Mikko has however picked up his pace and he won Rally Norway outright by himself.
“Mikko has impressed me a lot this season by being able to get that fraction closer to the top two. But I think when it comes to the crunch, Sebastien [Loeb] and Marcus [Gronholm] are in a league of their own at the moment – they are just untouchable, as we saw in New Zealand.
