Citroen's
Sebastien Loeb may have already clinched the drivers' title for another year, but the
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team is still in the running to take a third consecutive manufacturers' crown on the final round of the World Rally Championship, in Wales, next weekend.
Malcolm Wilson's squad must overturn an eleven-point deficit on Wales Rally GB so, realistically, nothing worse than a fourth 1-2 finish of the season will suffice, but the team is optimistic that
Mikko Hirvonen and
Jari-Matti Latvala can deliver, as both Finnish pairings have good records on the fast forest roads.
Hirvonen won the British round of the championship last year, while Latvala finished fourth in 2006 and posted a string of special stage wins last year while recovering from a first day time loss.
The narrow forest tracks invite attacking driving, suiting the Finns' style, while Friday's opening leg also offers the rare challenge of competition in full darkness. However, it is Britain's unpredictable weather that can make the event so demanding, as 28-year old Hirvonen admits.
"Some parts of the rally are very fast, even quicker than in Finland," he revealed, "The difference is that the fast parts here don't last long because there are usually hairpin bends that bring the speeds down again, so the nature of the roads changes more than in Finland.
"Last year, however, was probably the toughest Rally GB I have ever driven. Driving in darkness, in fog and rain, was incredibly difficult. Night driving makes the rally even trickier, because this is the only round where we drive in the dark apart from Japan and Monte Carlo. It's something I will practise during my test this weekend. I feel confident and think we have a good chance of a 1-2 finish and, if we can do that, I hope it's enough to win the title."
Team-mate Latvala began his career in Britain aged just 17 and, incredibly, is preparing for his seventh Rally GB, an event he enjoys almost as much as the classic in his homeland.
