2009 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
RALLY ARGENTINA

Day 2 FIA Press Conference
25 April 2009

Present:
1st Sébastien Loeb, Citroën Total World Rally Team
2nd Dani Sordo, Citroën Total World Rally Team
3rd Jari-Matti Latvala, BP Ford Abu Dhabi

We now would like to welcome our leading crews at the end of day 2. In the lead, Sébastien from Citroen Total WRT, second his team mate Dani Sordo and in the third position Jari-Matti Latvala from the BP Ford Abu Dhabi.

Q:
At the star of the day you were third overall but my godness you blasted your way through the stages. It’s been a fantastic day out there.

SL:
Yes, that’s right. It has been really, really good. I tried really hard from the start to the end of the day, some moments, especially in the first stage, I had a big moment in a big bump which I didn’t see in recce. It was in 6th gear. So it was not so nice but finally we could stay on the road, continue to push in the next stages and no problem at all. But really good fight with Mikko before he retired, that’s bit of a shame because it was really a good, good battle, but it’s like this. It’s motor sport.

Q:
Dani is now 58 secs. behind you Sébastien. So, day 2 five stages to go with Dani so far behind, what’s gonna be your plan tomorrow?

SL:
Our plan is to stay on the road, that’s the most important. So, we don’t have to push on the limit as we have done until now. But the stages are really tricky here and it’s a lot of jumps, bumps and difficult places tomorrow, with big stones on the sides, so we have to be concentrated. It’s not easy to drive like this. I hope we can do it well tomorrow.

Q:
Dani, you were in the lead going into the second day. You lost the lead early this morning. Have you been happy with your performance today?

DS:
I lost a lot of time in Mina Clavero and El Cóndor. It was twisty and narrow, I don’t like it a lot . I’m happy, I’m second now after the problem with Mikko, I’m disappointed for him, but this is motorsport also. I’m happy, of course.

Q:
It has been a fantastic start of the day, taking second position away from this rally and the points you take from this for the drivers championship would be fantastic. Have you been happy with your performance?

DS:
Yes, of course. It’s really good for the manufacturers championship and also for the drivers championship. I will try to finish because Latvala is coming really fast for tomorrow. We will see.

Q:
Let’s turn to you Jari-Matti. You told us before the event it was “caution” for Argentina. The cautious approach has got you third at the end of day 2. How are you feeling about the final day? Can you hold on for that position? Could you catch Dani possibly?

JML:
So, it’s been a very very good day. In the morning, we were having a little bit problem when we lost the bonnet so I had to slow down a little bit because of that but after that, no problems. We agreed at the beginning of the rally that now, we will be steady because it has been a disaster starting position. Of course, today, the confidence has been a little bit improving, we are going a bit quicker and I’m really happy with the performance at the moment but going for tomorrow? The plan is to keep this position, Dani is 41 secs. before me, we have 40 km, it means 1 sec. per km faster. And no chance to do it. So, we’ll just try to keep this position.

Q:
We’ve got 5 stages in the final day Jari-Matti, without a mid point service. So, it’s going to be a difficult day tomorrow. Can serving the car be paramount?

JML:
Yes, it’s quite surprising we don’t have service tomorrow, and we’ll do 4 stages and then we have to do the Super Stage as well, and we don’t have service at all. So, that means normally that you have to take two spare wheels and also some spares box in the car but ok, they are quite short stages so they are fairly ok conditions. I’m not too concerned.

Q:
Final question for you Sébastien. Then, with Mikko’s retirement for the day and the loss of those points from him, he feels it’s all over in the drivers championship for his challenge. What do you think?

SL:
I think if we can finish like this, with a 20 points lead, that is for sure a lot and it’s ok. Now he finish before the end, but it would be in a good way. For me, at the moment, everything is going very well and the car is perfect, so I don’t know, we will see, but it’s like this. It’s what I said, it’s motor sport and it can be sometimes difficult.

Reporter: Luck for the final day gentleman, thank you very much!