Following the disappointment of Ott Tänak’s pre-event engine change, Loubet gave the British squad plenty to smile about with a fine run to edge rival Takamoto Katsuta for sixth place on the Wolf Power Stage.
With local hero and former Estonia winner Tänak for a team-mate, Loubet had the best possible benchmark against which he could measure himself. Looking back on the data, he was pleased with his progress against the #8 Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid.
Loubet said: “I think, in general, we can be happy about our pace, especially when you compare to last year.
“We made some good steps, and some stages we were very close to Ott, and I know Ott is using the full potential of the car. For me it’s a very good comparison, he’s the best kind of driver on these rallies.”
Team principal Richard Millener echoed those thoughts, praising the Frenchman.
“That was exactly the result he needed,” said Millener, “showing his capabilities and speed. Winning the battle for sixth on the final stage was the icing on the cake of his weekend.”
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