KEY POINTS:
World champion Sebastien Loeb has his fingers crossed he will be back behind the wheel at this month's Rally of New Zealand.
The Citroen driver has missed the past two rounds of the world championship - in Turkey and Australia - after breaking his arm in a mountain-biking accident in September.
He still managed to claim his third straight world title last weekend, when closest rival Marcus Gronholm of Finland failed to snare the top-four finish he needed in the Rally of Australia.
Gronholm rolled his car while leading on the first day and ended the event in fifth place.
The penultimate round of the championship will be in the Waikato from November 16 to 19 and Loeb hopes to be fit enough to take part.
Although the Frenchman's driver's crown is secure, his Kronos Citroen team is 16 points behind Gronholm's BP Ford team, for whom Mikko Hirvonen scored his rookie win in Australia.
If Loeb, who has a record 28 career victories, finds he cannot compete in New Zealand, he wants at least to be involved in the preparations.
"I can't give a date for my return yet," he said.
"The minimum I can hope for is to do the recce in New Zealand so that, even if I can't compete this year, I won't have to discover the route next year."
Loeb said it was easier to concentrate on his recovery knowing his title was safe. "I'm relieved that we have won the championship, although it was too early in France to describe my feelings at first."
Although Gronholm's aspirations to add to his two world championships are over for this year, Hirvonen's success has lifted their team.
"I'm pleased that after losing so much time on Friday I was able to score points and help the team move further ahead in the manufacturers' championship," Gronholm said.
"Now we can concentrate on New Zealand, which is an event I have always enjoyed and on perhaps the best roads we have in the championship."
- NZPA
