Citroen's Sebastien Ogier believes that he made the right decision during the tactically critical final stage of the Jordan Rally's opening day.
When team-mate Sebastien Loeb slowed dramatically mid-way through the stage, Ogier decided to push on and build a gap - which he will need, since he will now be running first on the road on all of tomorrow’s stages.
Ford Abu Dhabi driver Mikko Hirvonen was first on the road today and struggled throughout on the loose surfaces, while sweeping them clear for those who followed. When Loeb slowed down in the final stage the other frontrunners, Petter Solberg and Hirvonen’s team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala, also pulled up, wary of the consequences of carrying the overnight lead.
“I think it’s been a good day,” Ogier told WRC.com. “We have a lead of over 30 seconds, which isn’t so bad, although now we’ll have to open the road for everyone else tomorrow and that’s a difficult position. But we will see. I think it’s possible.
“When I heard that Sebastien had slowed down I thought that I had to continue to push, to try to make a deep gap. I’ve won some rallies like this in the past so I think maybe it’s possible here.
“There are still four drivers who still have a chance to win this rally and if I drive well it could be me!”
Credit: World Rally Championship (www.wrc.com)
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