Wilson praises incredible Loeb

8th May 2010

By Giles Wade

Malcolm Wilson says he has never seen a performance quite as good as Sebastien Loeb’s on the second day of Rally New Zealand.

Loeb was in seventh overall, 1m19.8s off first place, at the start the second leg but will begin Sunday’s final four stages 5.3s behind leader Sebastien Ogier following a stunning recovery drive.

“It is a privilege to be witnessing what I believe is history being made,” said Wilson. “I’ve seen many great performances over time in this sport but never anything quite like this.”

Wilson said he expected Loeb to snatch second or third place but not to be in contention for victory after he set the fastest time on all of Saturday’s six gravel stages.

“I felt he could get onto the podium but he’s actually managed to be in a position where he could control where he starts the final day. It’s incredible,” added Wilson.