from :http://www.wrc.com/news/features/wrccom-preview-wales-rally-gb/?fid=15700&page=6016

04 Nov 11

Wrc.com
preview:
Wales
Rally GB

Who’s going to win?

1 2 3

Sebastien Loeb starts Wales Rally GB knowing that second place will be enough for an unprecedented eighth world championship. However, the Frenchman insists he won’t hold back in his Citroen DS3 WRC as he bids for his third-straight victory on British soil.

Team-mate Sebastien Ogier’s title dream ended when his DS3 suffered an engine failure on the previous round in Spain. Although he would have been under orders to support Loeb’s title bid in Wales, the rising star was hugely disappointed after his penultimate-round retirement and will be hoping to hit back with a sixth win of 2011.

Mikko Hirvonen triumphed on Rally GB in 2007 and must beat Loeb to stand any chance of becoming world champion for the first time. The Finn is a big fan off the all-gravel event and will be aiming to build on the confidence gained by winning the loose-surface Rally Australia back in September. Hirvonen lost out to Loeb in a final-round showdown in 2009 and will be determined not to let history repeat itself.

Jari-Matti Latvala joins Hirvonen in the factory Ford team and is long overdue his fist victory of the season after posting a succession of rapid performances in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC. However, with Hirvonen desperate for points, Latvala is once again set to cede position to Hirvonen should he be in front of his fellow Finn.

Petter Solberg has fond memories of competing in Wales after winning the 2003 world crown in the principality. The Norwegian has battled to raise the finance to compete on the season-closer, even dipping into his own savings to take part. Victory would therefore be fitting reward for the privateer and his British co-driver Chris Patterson.

Factory MINI drivers Kris Meeke and Dani Sordo have produced a number of strong results since giving the John Cooper Works WRC its debut on Rally Italia Sardinia in May. Transferring the pace shown on asphalt in recent events to gravel is the next big test for the Prodrive-run squad but there is no reason why it can’t rise to the occasion, particularly with Briton Meeke at the wheel of one of its cars.

Mads Ostberg, currently a fine sixth in the drivers’ table, hadn’t been expected to compete in Wales after seemingly depleting his funds by contesting the previous round in Spain. But an unnamed investor has given the Norwegian the money necessary to take part at the wheel of his M-Sport Stobart Fiesta. British ace Matthew Wilson will partner Ostberg in the M-Sport squad and will be looking to make up for his late retirement in Spain, the result of a rare driving error.

Other World Rally Car drivers in action in Great Britain include Russian Evgeny Novikov, who is replacing Khalid Al Qassimi in Team Abu Dhabi’s Fiesta, 2007 Formula One title winner Kimi Raikkonen, Norwegian veteran Henning Solberg, Dutch promise Peter van Merksteijn Jr, Gymkhana FOUR legend Ken Block, double Production Car world champion Armindo Araujo and Dennis Kuipers, who continues to make progress in his FERM Power Tools-backed Fiesta.

Martin Prokop and Ott Tanak graduate from the Super 2000 World Rally Championship and are likely to impress in their Fiesta RS WRCs. Brazilian Paulo Nobre will also sample a World Rally Car in competition for the first time after landing a deal to drive a MINI, the car of choice for his countryman Daniel Oliveira.

Volkswagen Motorsport will continue its WRC initiation in Wales with a brace of Skoda Fabia S2000s for Kevin Abbring and Sepp Wiegand.