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WRC title rivals plan different tactics

World Rally Championship rivals Sebastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen will take completely different tactical approaches to the opening day of Rally GB tomorrow

The first day of the Cardiff-based event takes the crews north mid-Wales, where the team can only provide a fresh set of tyres and the only work permitted to the cars must be carried out using parts which have been carried with the crew in the car.

Loeb is throwing caution to the wind and taking no spares with him, while Ford team director Malcolm Wilson admitted Hirvonen's approach would be more cautious.

Asked what he was taking in the car with him on Friday, Loeb replied: "Daniel [Elena, co-driver], just him. We're here to fight and every spare part we take is going to add weight and take away performance."

Wilson would not be drawn on the nature of the spares to be carried in the Hirvonen Focus, but he confirmed they would come from the suspension and steering area of the car.

"On this kind of rally it's very easy to bend something on the suspension," said Wilson, "so we're looking at what will go in the car, but Mikko will have some parts. It's difficult, because if either of them have a problem then it could make the championship academic."

The crews will face 130 competitive kilometres before arriving back in Cardiff for service on Friday evening.

While Wilson agreed that Friday would be a tough day, the Cumbrian maintains Sunday's four stages and 80km on a single set of tyres would be the rally's pivotal day.

"If they go into Sunday with 10 seconds between them, that's going to be the big day," he said. "If it's dry weather, it's going to be about managing the tyre through Sunday - and I've got full confidence in Mikko to do that.

"We've seen how his experience has improved with managing the tyres. We have nothing to worry about."

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