Bitter Swede exit for Loeb

REIGNING World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb’s hopes of extending his early-season advantage at the top of the standings were ended after he crashed out of the Swedish Rally.

The Frenchman, whose hopes of claiming a fifth world title began with victory in the season-opener in Monte Carlo two weeks ago, rolled his Citroen three kilometres before the end of the 22km special stage four and was eventually forced to retire with a clutch problem.

“I was on a left-hand corner and tucked the front wheel too much into the snow bank,” said Loeb who was competing in his 100th WRC.

“That pulled the car sideways and we rolled over.”

Although the external damage to his car consisted of a missing rear spoiler and a dented roof, a broken clutch meant he had to be pushed into the Citroen service area where mechanics spent their allotted 15 minutes trying and repair the damage.

However, their efforts proved in vain as Loeb was forced to park his car on the roadside soon after leaving the service area.

Loeb’s misfortune has opened the way for Jari-Matti Latvala to claim his first-ever WRC victory after he opened a commanding 48-second lead over fellow Finn and Ford team-mate, Mikko Hirvonen.

Latvala claimed all six of the stages on the first full day to undermine Ford lead driver Hirvonen’s pre-rally favouritism.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s, Khalid Al Qassimi and his Irish co-driver, Michael Orr finished 12th on the opening day.

In their officially entered Ford Focus WRC, they took a cautious approach in what is Al Qassimi’s first winter rally.

He said, “Ironically for a snow event, my biggest problem has been mud coming onto my windscreen and obscuring the view.

“For some, driving in these conditions is like driving in the desert, they say, but it’s all new to me here,” he added.

Elsewhere, another Northern Ireland co-driver, Chris Patterson and his driver, Nasser Al-Attiyah, in their Group N Subaru, finished the day in 26th place.