An unsuccessful risk on tyre selection saw Sebastien Loeb fall 16 seconds lost of leader Mikko Hirvonen at the finish of the second day of the Rally of Sweden.
Little divided the Citroen of reigning six-time champion Loeb from the Ford of Hirvonen for much of the second leg but a vital call on when to adjust tyres saw the leader peer out a few more valuable seconds bearing into the final day.
The vital call came previous to stage 14, when Hirvonen chosen to create the switch to fresh front tyres while Loeb chose to hold off until the subsequent stage to re-shod his C4 WRC.
Hirvonen pulled out 6.2 seconds over Loeb on stage 14, but the Frenchman did gather the same payback from his new rubber when he changed ahead of SS15, finishing that stage over seven seconds slower than Hirvonen.
“It didn’t work out,” a downbeat Loeb explained.
“We had good front tyres but the rears were destroyed and the car was undriveable.
“I couldn’t push, I just had to follow the road and couldn’t attack.
“The rear end wouldn’t follow the front of the car – even after I tried to wear the fronts deliberately.
“Having new tyres at the front and destroyed ones at the rear was worse than have four destroyed ones.”
