Loeb After Sainz's Record

Loeb, who won the world title for the second successive year on the Rally Japan earlier this month, has currently won 18 rallies but is subject of continued speculation over his immediate future.

His Citroen team are pulling out of the sport this season, but it is thought that Loeb will join a privateer team in 2006 in readiness for the French manufacturer's possible return in 2007.

However, he has turned his attentions to other areas of motorsport this season, notably competing with Pescarolo Sport in this year's Le Mans 24 Hours.

"I'd particularly like to reach and maybe even surpass the limit of 26 victories set by Sainz," Loeb told Autosprint. "I'm 31 and one day, maybe... I hope I'll carry on winning Championships, but I'm not obsessed about it.

"I'm not a records fanatic, but sooner or later I'd really like to win at Tour de Corse and in Catalunya, just to show that I can do well on asphalt too.

"No matter how much I like winning, I never started a rally with the idea to win it at all costs. If I realise I can't do it, I resign myself to go for a points finish. For me it's always been this way, and having won the Championship again won't convince me to change strategy."

He also credits his Le Mans experience this season with improving his ability an asphalt and his win on the Rally Deutschland.

"In the days spent on the La Sarthe circuit, I tried my best at putting into practice the advices I got from Eric Helary and Soheil Ayari, my teammates, and I managed to correct some of my shortcomings," he added.

"That's how in Germany I realised I could get some pretty good times without the impression of going really fast."