Loeb seeks seventh straight win in Finland

World champion Sebastian Loeb could extend his record to seven successive victories if he wins this weekend's Rally of Finland but he will have to loosen the local stranglehold on the event to do so.

The Citroen driver made history in Argentina last month by winning a sixth straight rally and his seventh this season but victory in the fastest rally in the championship might prove beyond him.

The rally, which starts in earnest tomorrow, is held on wide gravel roads that demand precision and is normally the preserve of Finnish drivers like Loeb's title rival Marcus Gronholm.

The good news for the Frenchman is that whether he wins or not his lead in the championship cannot be overhauled on the tracks around the town of Jyvaskyla.

The 31-year-old is 27 points ahead of Petter Solberg and 30 ahead of Peugeot's Gronholm with seven rounds remaining.

The Finnish rally signifies a return to warmer conditions after the high-altitude winter in the Argentine mountains last month, although the weather forecast is for rain at the weekend.