Author of five best times in six stages, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena have increased their lead throughout the day in Monte Carlo. The eight times World Champions now have more than 1'30''margin on their pursuers. This step was beneficial to both crews in the Citroën Total World Rally Team, as Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen moved from sixth to fourth position.
The second day of Rallye Monte-Carlo continued visiting the mythical special of the event. Winding through the most beautiful roads of the Ardèche and Haute-Loire, the areas of Labatie Andaure - Lalouvesc, St-Bonnet-le-Froid and Lamastre - Alboussière constituted a loop which was repeated during the day. The tyre choice proved less difficult than the day before, since only a few patches of ice were reported. The DS3 WRC Michelin shod four extra-soft and carried two spare wheels.
Once the first stage, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena imposed their blistering pace in setting the fastest time. In the next sector, the DS3 WRC was making their first double of the season in special form, Loeb ahead of Mikko Hirvonen. Once again the fastest in SS7, Loeb concluded his morning with a faultless performance, "It was much easier than yesterday, especially as the ice had almost melted during our visit. I attacked because I love these conditions and I think that what is taken is not to be taken. Yet, I find that I had not made the right choice by keeping all four tires in super-soft Lamastre - Alboussière. "
Mikko Hirvonen had meanwhile decided to combine soft tires and super-soft for the sixth special, but he was no more satisfied: "The road was more humid than I thought and so it was not the best option.Otherwise, the balance is positive since the morning I took 4th place from Ogier and Novikov. I am in position to score important points for Citroën and I am ready to take a place on the podium if the opportunity arises. I am not fully satisfied, I still lack pace when the surface is changing. It also requires that I adapt my driving. The DS3 WRC requires a very smooth driving and I'm too aggressive. "
Apart from SS8, granted for two tenths of a second, Sebastien Loeb continued his drive during the afternoon. He buckled the day with 1'37''2 ahead of Dani Sordo, who was fighting with Petter Solberg for 2nd. "This day was pretty simple to manage, but i was still staying on the road," said Sebastien Loeb on his return to Valencia. "We were able to significantly increase our lead and we will address tomorrows stages more calmly tomorrow. It seems that the snow could be a contributor! "
"It was not a day as easy as one might think," concluded Yves Matton, director of Citroën Racing. "Seb has built a lead that is nothing comfortable considering the differences that could increase further depending on the weather. For Mikko, the Monte Carlo Rally is not ideal to make his debut driving a new car. We are pleased with his performance when the conditions are constant. When he does not feel at ease, he has enough experience to let go a few seconds and does not compromise our main objective, which is to place both cars in a good position at the finish. "
Source - Citroën Total World Rally Team
