"You know what you have, but you don't know what you'll get"

At the rally in Sardinia Sébastien Loeb achieved his 40th WRC win. In the second part of our interview he talks about his first runs in the WRC, his trusty Citroen – and why rally driving has forced him to become a vegetarian.

Congratulations on your jubilee victory, Sébastien. How easy was the triumph at the Sardinia Rally for you and your team?

Our 40th WRC win was certainly hard work. The weekend was very frustrating at times, but we managed to hold on to a big enough lead to finish on top. There was little more we could have done. We didn't make any mistakes and our C4 performed absolutely perfectly. To be honest, not to have won would have been a huge disappointment.

How do you practice for an event like the Sardinia Rally?

Practicing is called testing and we’re only allowed a certain number of days per year in five countries. There’s no testing overseas for example. Then you have the ‘recce’ – reconnaissance – that we complete on Tuesday/Wednesday before the event. We drive through each special stage of the event twice at a maximum speed of 80 km/h, sometimes 90. At the first pass, I dictate the pacenotes, which is the description of the road as I see it, to Daniel. At the second pass, he calls out the pacenotes to check if they’re correct. So what’s hard then is to evaluate what speed you’ll take a corner at during competition. For example, some places you stay flat out on, but you’re only driving at 80 at that time. Then you drive as many times as the rally program requires you to. You don't choose it yourself!

Sounds enlightening. But what percentage of your performance is still intuition and improvisation and therefore sheer genius?

I try to improvise as little as I can. But there’s still room for it sometimes! I always say I’m not crazy, and I don't have the feeling I take big risks. If I do something it’s because I have the feeling it’s okay to do it.

Do you do a special workout regime for your body, especially for the back?

Not really. I run sometimes, do some climbing, and then train on my bike. No diet really but no red meat during the rallies or I get cramps. For my back, I trust our physio to fix it when needed!

What many people are amazed by is that you also take part in motorcycle races, but started a bit late with real motor sports. Was it 1995?

Actually I started in 1997 when I competed in my first rally. In 1995 it was the Rallye Jeunes selection, a selection for young drivers that I did to try to get into motor sports. It’s an event supported by the French Federation. I did this because I didn’t have any money to commence a racing career, and it was an option for me to try to get into the business.

But you’re a quick learner. After your first race with a big car in the WRC, 2001 in San Remo, only 11.4 seconds behind Gilles Panizzi, you nearly won the Monte 2002. Then you came second after a curious time penalty, and your first real victory was at the rally in Germany. What is it that makes you so fast?

San Remo was good for sure, I was happy that I could match the best competitors’ level. That year I was taking part in the French Tarmac Championship and in the Junior World Rally Championship with Citroën. Guy Fréquelin gave me a chance to show what I could do with a bigger car and I tried my best. At Monte 2002 we were the fastest in the stages but a penalty cost us the win. I didn’t mind, really, as I proved to be fast. Anyway, when I began my career I was aware of the fact that I didn’t have much time to climb all the steps, as I wasn’t that young any more.

You’ve been with Citroen for almost your entire career. Why?

I know how they work, how they think, and we grew up together. We have a saying in France, ‘You know what you have, but you never know what you’ll get.’ I’m satisfied with the team and the car. We’re French; it’s easy to communicate! And they also gave me my chance at the start.

Was Guy Fréquelin, who led the rally team until last December, a big help in your becoming a rally driver?

Of course he was a big help and support. I trust him and his judgment. I’ve always been very close to him and he’s given me good advice throughout my career.

Guy is a driver from the great era of rallying. Are you a fan of the glorious past with all the Waldegaards, Röhrls and Kankunnens?

No, not really. I have never been a real fan of anyone ... I admire the results they achieved, for sure, but as no one in my family was into rallying, I didn't know all those guys.

Are you sad that you have had no chance of driving one of he big Group B monsters? Or is the new generation of rally cars more sophisticated than Group B?

I’m not sad really. I’m driving in my time and that was another era. It was just different, that’s all.

What’s your goal for the future? To stay in the rally business? To do something completely, new like breeding horses? Or just to try to be a good father to your daughter and maybe to one, two, three more children?

I don’t know how long I’ll still stay in the rally business, but what I am sure of is that I would like to keep a foot in motor sports, maybe race in other disciplines or support youngsters, I don’t know. Also, I’d love to live somewhere nice and sunny and enjoy life!