Sébastien Loeb staked his claim to a place in rallying’s record books recently by clinching an unprecedented fifth consecutive FIA World Rally Championship.
Third place for Loeb’s Citroën C4 WRC in Rally Japan, the penultimate round of the 2008 season, was enough to put the title out of reach of his rivals. Loeb and his co-driver, Daniel Elena, now hold a unique record, as their five titles eclipse the previous record of four that they shared with Juha Kankkunen and Tommi Makinen.
A few weeks ago, Loeb had the opportunity to drive the Red Bull Renault F1 car, normally driven by David Coulthard and Mark Webber (who broke his leg in a bike accident). Sébastien was 8th quickest, impressing Red Bull personnel.
The final round of the WRC, the Wales Rally GB takes place this weekend and Loeb will be on duty, aiming, to secure the manufacturer’s title for Citroën.
-Andy Blackmore