Loeb targets maiden 1000 Lakes win

The Citroen driver is just three points behind Mikko Hirvonen in the championship going into the 1000 Lakes, the Ford driver's home event.

"We have never won this event and that is one of the targets I set myself for 2008," said Loeb. "But however dearly I would love to win it, and despite the ground that would enable us to make up in the standings, I have no intention of taking any more risks than usual just to add a fresh line to my personal record.

"This time last year we were nine points down. This year, the gap is just three, therefore we can't afford to make any mistakes. It's so easy to put a foot wrong in these forests when you're constantly driving on a knife edge with all the concealed bends the trees so close.

"This event will also allow us to see how the Pirelli soft tyre performs. We won't be allowed to re-cut its pattern if there's mud about, so that could cause a few surprises."

Citroen Sport's technical manager Xavier Mestelan-Pinon added: "Citroen has yet to win here and it would be nice if we could succeed at last this year. But we are taking things one step at a time, our past experience of Rally Finland tends to make us particularly wary of this event."