Sebastien Loeb claimed an unprecedented eighth successive World Rally Championship (WRC) title in Wales on Friday after a submerged branch stumped closest rival Mikko Hirvonen’s title hopes.
Hirvonen, eight points behind Loeb going into the 13th and final rally of the season, damaged the radiator on his Ford Fiesta after striking the offending object on the Wales Rally GB’s seventh stage.
He tried to return to service in Builth Wells, a journey of more than 100km, but failed to get beyond the town of Newtown and later conceded defeat in his attempt to get his battered car to the next day’s start line.
Photo: EPA
“It’s over for sure,” the Finn said. “I have to thank the team for a really good effort and all the help. Unfortunately we have to look to the future and see what we can do in the future.”
Even more distressing for Hirvonen was that he had just taken the lead of the event having been fastest over both the fifth and sixth stages.
“I felt really good. There were some slippery places, but I was still able to push, although maybe not much more. It’s a hard rally and you can always have moments like that,” he said.
His misfortune handed the title to archrival Loeb.
“It came a bit earlier than planned and in a way it’s a relief because at the pace we were racing there was a strong chance that it would end in a KO for either one of us,” the 37-year-old Frenchman said. “Luckily for me, it was him [Hirovonen]. Staying on the road for four days here in these conditions wouldn’t have been easy.”
“This title has a different taste because it’s a new record, it’s special,” Loeb added.
Citroen DS ace Loeb was quickest in the fourth and seventh stages fon Friday to top the standings by 1.1 seconds from Hirvonen’s Ford Fiesta teammate and fellow Finn, Jari-Matti Latvala, who was quickest in eight, 10th and 11th stages.
Another Ford driver, Norwegian Mads Ostberg, is placed third, 1 minute, 13.5 seconds adrift.
In claiming his eighth title, Loeb has bettered the seven Formula One titles won by Michael Schumacher.
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