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COFFS HARBOUR, Australia - The relationship between World Rally championship leader Sebastien Loeb and closest challenger and team mate Sebastien Ogier appears strained heading into this week's Rally Australia.
Citroen driver Loeb has won the previous seven WRC titles and is leading fellow Frenchman Ogier by 25 points with four rallies to go. Ogier closed the gap in the previous round in Germany when he held on to first place after apparently ignoring a team order to let Loeb win.
MISSED CONFERENCE
The pair will resume their testy relationship on and off the course when the four-day, 26-stage, 369km Rally Australia starts on Thursday on the roads around Coffs Harbour, a tourism area in northern New South Wales halfway between Sydney and Brisbane.
Ogier didn't attend a media conference in Sydney on Sunday and Loeb said he hadn't seen him since the rally in Germany ended on August.21.
Asked if he was still upset with Ogier's refusal to comply with team orders in Germany, Loeb said: "It was his problem with the team, it was not my problem. I didn't ask for any orders, he was just doing what he wanted."
Ogier's win in Germany ended Loeb's run of eight victories. Loeb had not been beaten there since the country became part of the World championship in 2002.
Loeb said he was considering whether to go flat-out for a win in Australia or make sure he covered Ogier and Finland's Mikko Hirvonen, the only other realistic title contender who is 36 points off the lead.
"It's not a huge lead, it's always more important to score points than to win, but still we have to push," Loeb told Australian Associated Press. "We'll see. I'll drive like I feel and for sure if I can fight for the win I'll try to do it."
GRAVEL TRAP
Ford driver Hirvonen, who won WRC races in Australia in 2006 and 2009, said: "If I want to fight for the title, I would need to win this one."
Ogier should benefit from following Loeb through the gravel stages on Friday as it should leave him a cleaner surface.
"On gravel, it is a bit of a disadvantage to be first on the road - that's the challenge I expect to have," Loeb said. He was hoping for a better outcome than the last WRC event in Australia two years ago, when a time penalty for a technical infringement denied him victory.
"It was a nice rally but for sure I was a bit disappointed at the end because we had a penalty for stupid things," Loeb said.
Citroen driver Loeb has won the previous seven WRC titles and is leading fellow Frenchman Ogier by 25 points with four rallies to go. Ogier closed the gap in the previous round in Germany when he held on to first place after apparently ignoring a team order to let Loeb win.
MISSED CONFERENCE
The pair will resume their testy relationship on and off the course when the four-day, 26-stage, 369km Rally Australia starts on Thursday on the roads around Coffs Harbour, a tourism area in northern New South Wales halfway between Sydney and Brisbane.
Ogier didn't attend a media conference in Sydney on Sunday and Loeb said he hadn't seen him since the rally in Germany ended on August.21.
Asked if he was still upset with Ogier's refusal to comply with team orders in Germany, Loeb said: "It was his problem with the team, it was not my problem. I didn't ask for any orders, he was just doing what he wanted."
Ogier's win in Germany ended Loeb's run of eight victories. Loeb had not been beaten there since the country became part of the World championship in 2002.
Loeb said he was considering whether to go flat-out for a win in Australia or make sure he covered Ogier and Finland's Mikko Hirvonen, the only other realistic title contender who is 36 points off the lead.
"It's not a huge lead, it's always more important to score points than to win, but still we have to push," Loeb told Australian Associated Press. "We'll see. I'll drive like I feel and for sure if I can fight for the win I'll try to do it."
GRAVEL TRAP
Ford driver Hirvonen, who won WRC races in Australia in 2006 and 2009, said: "If I want to fight for the title, I would need to win this one."
Ogier should benefit from following Loeb through the gravel stages on Friday as it should leave him a cleaner surface.
"On gravel, it is a bit of a disadvantage to be first on the road - that's the challenge I expect to have," Loeb said. He was hoping for a better outcome than the last WRC event in Australia two years ago, when a time penalty for a technical infringement denied him victory.
"It was a nice rally but for sure I was a bit disappointed at the end because we had a penalty for stupid things," Loeb said.