Loeb's 7th WRC title

Rally : Loeb's Seventh Wonder !

By Matthieu Boisseau
02/10/2010

They did it ! The most successful rally driver of all time Sébastien Loeb and his co-driver Daniel Elena won a sensational straight 7^th World Rally title on Sunday after their victory in the Rally of France. Loeb dominated from beginning to end, starting with an amazing winning streak : 7 of the opening 11 special stages. Then he controlled the situation and finished 36 sec ahead of the man in second place, his Citroen Total team-mate Dani Sordo. Fellow Citroen driver Petter Solberg's third place completed a clean sweep of the podium for the French manufacturer.

Loeb guaranteed overall victory with two legs of the season remaining after winning six of the 11 rallies to date. He also managed at least a top three finish in ten of those events. Moreover, the team's result gives Citroen an unassailable lead in the manufacturers’ championship, meaning the FIA crown is theirs for the sixth time. Fantastic !

Loeb on cloud nine

Loeb's 60th triumph was made all the more emotional by the fact that it took place in Alsace, the place in which he grew up. He even won a stage in Haguenau – the town in eastern France just outside Strasbourg in which he was born 36 years ago. Hi fans were so numerous along the Alsace roads to support their idol that the rally organisers had to cancel the penultimate stage over fears for spectator safety.

In the same way the seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher reigned over Formula One, Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena have been dominating rally for 7 years. Having won more crowns than the driver Alain Prost (3 F1 world champion titles) and the cyclist Bernard Hinault (five victories in the Tour de France), Sebastien Loeb has definitely entered in the French sport hall of fame. Only the waterskier Patrice Martin (12 World Champion titles) and the legendary Jeannie Longo (13-times Cycling Word Champion) have won more titles, but in several types of events. Therefore, Loeb's achievement is unique...and to be continued ? Well, there is some uncertainty, since the French maestro often claims he feels like trying other sports, like LeMans series car races or even.....Formula One. However, he will still race next season, and the battle with his talented French young team-mate Sebastien Ogier is expected to be thrilling. I can't wait...