Loeb confident of taking lead

Citroen’s Sebastien Loeb is confident he can leapfrog championship pace-setter Marcus Gronholm in the drivers’ standings by recording his second consecutive victory on gravel at this weekend’s Rally Portugal.

The Frenchman heads into the fifth round of the World Rally Championship buoyed by his win in Mexico last time out that brings him to within four points of the Finn at the summit.

Loeb claimed his 30th career victory and the first on gravel for the new C4 three weeks ago, coming home nearly a minute clear of Ford duo Gronholm and Mikko Hirvonen.

And the triple world champion is confident he can bag maximum points once again at a rally returning to the WRC calendar for the first time in six years.

He said: “It’s nice to see this round back in the championship. Rallying is so popular in Portugal and we know we will be given a warm welcome.”

Despite this weekend’s race marking a return to familiar territory, the Portuguese event will be unrecognisable to older hands in the paddock.

Until 2001, the race was held in the north of the country, but for this year the event moves south, to special stages unfamiliar to most of the leading crews.

Loeb added: “As for many drivers, it will basically be a step into unknown territory for me. I will approach the rally as I do every event, new or otherwise, and I will do my utmost to win it.”

Double world champion Gronholm, meanwhile, is desperate to get back into the winning groove after coming second to team-mate Hirvonen [in Norway] and Loeb at the last two rounds.

The 39-year-old has scored two podium finishes in Portugal but, like most of his rivals, has no experience of the Algarve roads that make up the 2007 event.

“My memories of the rally were always good,” Gronholm said.

“It had a great atmosphere because the crowds were huge and so enthusiastic. This year’s rally will, of course, be very different. I know nothing about the stages. They will be new to most of us but I am looking forward to the rally and I’m sure the crowds will continue to come out to watch in their thousands.”

Britain’s Matthew Wilson will be eager to continue his impressive form after coming away from Mexico with his first point of the 2007 season after a fine drive to eighth place behind M-Sport Ford team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala.

Wilson said: “I’m looking forward to starting in Portugal and I think it will be a benefit coming straight from Mexico, which is of similar surface.

“It’s a good thing that not many other drivers have experience of the roads in Portugal. Some other crews may struggle making new pace notes for stages but for us this is normal – we have had to do it on virtually every rally I have competed in.”