Volkswagen's Sebastien Ogier says he deserved victory on last week's Rally Argentina and only missed out because of mechanical issues with his Polo R WRC.Ogier suggested the mechanical issues went beyond the now well documented handbrake and rear differential issues that caused him to go off the road and out of the lead on the second day of the South American event.
His arch-rival Sebastien Loeb went on to win.
"I must confess it was quite frustrating to see victory elude us because of one incident I wasn't really responsible for," he said.
"It's only a bit frustrating since from a pure speed point of view, we could have won the rally. We deserved better, but luck wasn't on our side."
Ogier also revealed that his efforts to attack Loeb through the final day were stymied by suspension issues.
"We drove around every big rock, avoided every impact," he said.
"Despite all that, we had some small issues with the car, which was far from being perfect for the powerstage.
"One
of the suspension arms had become very loose and the car was reacting
strangely, struggling to maintain its trajectory even in straight lines."So I can tell you I was very glad when I scored two bonus points in these conditions."
Despite missing out on the win, Ogier admitted an improved championship lead over his main rivals was a plus point from Argentina.
"In the end," he said, "this is a very satisfying result. We've scored 20 points and increased our lead, which is fabulous.
"If you bear in mind that the car is still very young, this is an excellent season beginning."
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