Loeb Carries Sets His Sights on Victory in World Title Decider

Sebastien Loeb has set his sights on victory in the Andalucia Rally as Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX) seeks a grand finale to the inaugural World Rally-Raid Championship in southern Spain starting on Wednesday.

Loeb and co-driver Fabian Lurquin head into the championship’s final round in their BRX Prodrive Hunter needing to wipe out a 22-point advantage held by Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah in the drivers’ title race.

The French pair carry plenty of momentum with them, having recorded a superb final stage factory at the penultimate round in Morocco earlier this month, following the steering issue which cost them the championship lead 24 hours earlier.

Andalucia’s stage wins could prove decisive, as they carry bonus points. Added to the uncertainty of rally raids, which run over rugged terrain and present stern navigational challenges, the title race may still produce a tense finish.

The stages in Spain will suit nine-time World Rally Champion Loeb, as they are similar to those in last year’s Baja Aragon, where he led before a small technical problem denied him a sure victory.

“We saw in Morocco that we were on the pace, so I hope to be competitive in Andalucia,” said Loeb. “For the championship, we are aiming for the perfect result and to get the maximum points available. Our goal is to manage our rally as best as possible.

“It will be different from what we’ve had in the more open nature of cross-country, with many tracks that should suit my driving. So I hope to be performing well there, with the target to win the rally.”

Loeb’s input has been crucial in developing the world’s first all-terrain hypercar, based on the Hunter rally car, unveiled for prospective buyers in Dubai next month. The car is being built in limited numbers to the individual specifications of select supercar enthusiasts.

After his historic victory in Morocco, the first for the Prodrive Hunter, Guerlain Chicherit returns to action in partnership with fellow-Frenchman Alex Winocq looking to complete back-to-back wins.

In testing, only two weeks before the start in Agadir, Chicherit drove his GCK Motorsport Prodrive Hunter for the first time, but his confidence and liking for the car grew each day.

“Andalucia should be a different event to Morocco, but we are well prepared for it,” said Gus Beteli, the BRX Team Principal.

“We have a shot at the drivers and manufacturers championships, and we’re focused on getting as many points as possible after the speed we had in Morocco.

“It’s great to have the GCK Motorsport crew back with us after their brilliant win, so I hope we can have such a strong result as we did last time.”

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