Loeb predicts tougher 2007 season

The Citroen driver, who has won a record 28 career victories, was crowned champion after Finnish rival Marcus Gronholm failed to make it on the podium at the Rally of Australia at the weekend. It was Loeb's third consecutive crown.

Loeb, who missed the race due to a broken arm, said things could easily have gone Gronholm's way this year.

"After the Rally of Cyprus, everybody, including me, was thinking I would win the championship easily," Loeb told French sports daily L'Equipe.

"I was not comfortable at all with the way things were turning out. If he was going to win so easily in my absence I would not have wanted the title to be decided in the last race in Great Britain. All this shows nothing is done until it's really over."

Citroen will make their official return to the WRC next season, competing with the new C4, and Loeb believes having a new car will complicate things.

"We will have a lot of challenges to cope with," Loeb said. "Marcus will have a more reliable and more successful car. Ours will be new and it will not be easy to do better than with the current one.

"The last tests I could do were very good, but my accident prevented me from continuing with the work."

The 32-year-old Frenchman is hoping to at least complete the recce in the New Zealand rally, before returning to proper action in the final event of the year in the UK.

"I will continue my rehabilitation, at a rate of eight hours per day and I will follow the recommendations of the doctors. What is sure it is that I would like to make a last rally with Xsara, before switching to the C4 the next year," he said.