Motorsport: Loeb on cusp of eighth WRC

Sebastien Loeb might think he is on the cusp of an eighth world rally title but rivals Ford will be striving to frustrate him this week in his homeland at Strasbourg, host city for the Rally of France.

The French Citroen serial champion leads the standings with 196 points, Finnish star Mikko Hirvonen in second on 181 and Loeb's compatriot and teammate Sebastien Ogier in third on 167.

Loeb will be wanting a big performance starting on Friday, not least because of his disappointing tenth place finish at Rally Australia, where he rolled his car to leave Hirvonen coming in ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala and Petter Solberg.

The impetus is with Hirvonen following his first race success since the season-opening Rally Sweden and closing the gap on Loeb to 15 points.

However, Loeb's massive experience in closing things out at the business end of the season - there are three races left - ought to weigh in the Frenchman's favour.

The race will largely cover the same ground as last year's but will add two Sunday special stages featuring numerous surface changes.

The opening two days, while covering the same route, will be raced in reverse following Thursday's shakedown.

Last year, Citroen dominated with Loeb coming in ahead of Dani Sordo and Solberg, giving the Frenchman his seventh title and Citroen their sixth.

But Loeb says he is not counting his chickens.

"I don't have a subscription to winning," he said.

"A puncture in Germany and you let slip a victory, then a momentary lapse in Australia and you come off the track - things which stopped me going into the final stages of the season completely calm."

Loeb will expect to iron out such creases on home asphalt to make sure he does not need to go closer to the wire either in Catalonia or the Wales Rally GB finale on gravel.

- AAP