Sébastien Loeb
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Sébastien Loeb, Légion d'honneur (born 26 February 1974) is a French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship. He is a six-time world champion and holds the record for most wins in the series and most - and tied second most - consecutive wins in a rally season with 6 & 5 (multiple times) respectively.
Originally a gymnast, Loeb switched to rallying in 1995 and won the Junior World Rally Championship in 2001. Signed by the Citroën factory team for the 2002 season, he and co-driver Daniel Elena took their debut WRC win that same year at the Rallye Deutschland. After finishing runner-up to Petter Solberg by one point in 2003, Loeb took his first drivers' title in 2004. Continuing with Citroën, he went on to take a record sixth consecutive world title in 2009.
Besides his success in rallying, Loeb is a three-time winner at the Race of Champions, after taking home the Henri Toivonen Memorial Trophy and the title "Champion of Champions" in 2003, 2005 and 2008. In 2004, he won the Nations' Cup for France with Jean Alesi. In 2006, he finished second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Contents |
Career
Rallying
Early career
Loeb was born in Haguenau, Alsace, and grew up in Oberhoffen-sur-Moder. He competed as gymnast and became a four-time Alsatian champion, once champion of the French Grand East, and fifth in the French championship.[1] He broke off school in 1992 but resumed taking classes in 1994, aiming at a professional formation in electrical engineering. On 12 September 1994, in parallel to his classes, he started working as an electrician at the Socalec company near Haguenau Airport, where he was the oldest apprentice and already noted for his daring/reckless driving style and his tendency to not being punctual. He could count, though, on the understanding of his boss, who was himself fascinated by speed and owned a Ferrari Testarossa 512 TR.[2]
In 1995, at age 21, he quit his job and classes and definitely turned his interests to racing. In 1998, he started entering events in the French Citroën Saxo Trophy series, winning the title in 1999. Guy Fréquelin, Citroën Sport's team principal, would serve as Loeb's mentor as he entered the Junior World Rally Championship in 2001, becoming the series' first champion by winning five of the six events. During this year, he was also released for participation in the Rallye Sanremo in the Citroën Xsara WRC. In only his third world rally with a World Rally Car, he surprisingly hounded Peugeot tarmac specialist and eventual victor Gilles Panizzi to the finish.
2002–03
The 2002 season was Loeb's first as a WRC driver with the Citroën Total World Rally Team, although the team only participated in 7 rounds in the build-up to their full entry the following year. Loeb started the season by provisionally winning the Monte Carlo Rally, after racing under appeal due to a two-minute time penalty incurred by an illegal tyre change during the second day. Citroën considered the penalty too severe but later withdrew the appeal, and Subaru's Tommi Mäkinen then took a record fourth consecutive Monte Carlo win. Loeb later took his debut victory at the Rallye Deutschland in Germany, edging out Peugeot's Richard Burns.
In 2003, his first full season in the championship, Loeb won three WRC events, Monte Carlo, Germany and Sanremo, before losing to Petter Solberg in the Wales Rally Great Britain, also losing the championship to him by just one point. Loeb's reputation grew as he defeated his more illustrious team mates – Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae – over the course of the season. At the end of the year, he earned the title "Champion of Champions" by beating Marcus Grönholm in the final of the Race of Champions.
2004
In the 2004 season, Loeb dominated the WRC scene in a similar way to the Michael Schumacher domination of Formula One the same year, by winning six events and taking six runner-up spots to securely give him the drivers' title, 36 points clear of second-placed Solberg. His six WRC victories tied the record for victories in one season with fellow Frenchman Didier Auriol, who won six events in 1992. He was also responsible for Citroën's second manufacturers' title in a row.
Originally known as a tarmac specialist, 2004 was the year Loeb proved himself capable of winning on other surfaces as well. He won the snow-based Swedish Rally, becoming the first non-Nordic to win the event. On gravel, he triumphed in the Cyprus Rally, Rally of Turkey and the Rally Australia. On tarmac, he continued his success in Monte Carlo and Germany.
2005
In 2005, with victory in the ninth round in Argentina, Loeb became the first to win six consecutive rallies, beating Timo Salonen's record of four from 1985. Having already won the season-opening Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo, he also became the first to win seven in a season, beating his (and Didier Auriol's) own record of six wins in a season. Loeb was in a position to clinch the title while leading the Wales Rally Great Britain, but after it was announced that the last two stages of the rally would be abandoned due to the death of Markko Märtin's co-driver Michael Park in an accident on stage 15, Loeb deliberately incurred a two-minute penalty to drop him to third place and avoid retaining his title in such circumstances. He went on to secure the title by finishing second to Peugeot's Marcus Gronholm at the next rally in Japan.
Loeb eventually extended his win record to ten and won the title with a 56-point margin, breaking a 25-year-old record; Walter Röhrl's margin over Hannu Mikkola in 1980 was 54. Loeb set several other records during the season as well. He won all twelve stages in the 2005 Tour de Corse in France, which marked the first time a driver had won every stage of a WRC rally. Loeb's twelve podium and thirteen points-scoring finishes in a row were also new records in the series.
In the Race of Champions, after being surprised by the young event rookie Heikki Kovalainen last year, he beat Tom Kristensen in the final to claim his second title.
2006
Citroën's parent company, PSA Peugeot Citroën, pulled both companies out of the WRC at the end of 2005, but Citroën planned to come back in 2007 with the Citroën C4 WRC, and developed the car during 2006. Loeb was closely involved with this as he was guaranteed the leading role in the team at the comeback. In the meantime, a 'gap year' beckoned in the privateer ranks, namely with Citroën-sponsored Kronos Racing entered as the Kronos Total Citroën World Rally Team.
In order to score on the first round in Monte Carlo, Loeb was initially forced to activate the SupeRally rules for retiring competitors, having spun off the road on day one. Although he did manage to claw back to second place, it was the first time he had ever been beaten to the finish (namely by fellow double world champion Marcus Grönholm) on these roads in the Xsara WRC. This outcome was mirrored on the following month's Swedish Rally, with Grönholm again the man to whom Loeb was forced to give best, placing the duo in an early runaway 1–2 position in the points standings.
But the Frenchman's bridesmaid status was not to last, and racking up a triumph on the ensuing Rally Mexico – the first of five on the trot that season – propelled him into a championship lead he was never to lose. He tied Carlos Sainz's record number of 26 individual rally victories in August with a fifth consecutive victory in Germany. With his subsequent victory in Japan, the world record of 27 victories and counting eventually became his. His victory in Cyprus put him on the verge of a third consecutive World Rally Championship title.
Shortly after Loeb broke his right humerus in a mountain-biking accident near his home in Switzerland and missed the rallies in Turkey and Australia. In spite of this, Loeb had accumulated such a huge point lead before Turkey that Marcus Grönholm's failure to finish third or better in Australia handed Loeb the 2006 championship crown. He received the news at home via an Internet video link to the race grounds. Due to the time difference, he made do with early morning coffee instead of the customary champagne, calling the whole experience "strange".
2007
For 2007, Sébastien Loeb returned as an official Citroën driver, with the new Citroën C4 WRC. He won the 75ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo, the first race for the new C4, following that up with a solid second place after Grönholm, in Sweden, to set up a two-point lead over the Finn after two of 16 rounds. At the first Rally Norway, Loeb went off and lost eight minutes during SS12 while chasing Grönholm and the leader, Mikko Hirvonen. On the next stage, he made another mistake and lost nine minutes. He eventually finished 14th in the rally and dropped to third in the championship standings. He won 8 of the 18 stages in this rally. Loeb won the next rally, the 21º Corona Rally México, 55.8 seconds clear of Grönholm.
He then followed this success up with his third and fourth season victories on the Portuguese and Argentinian rallies. Characteristically, he was once more to be found in the lead on the seventh round, the Rally d' Italia in Sardinia. On new stages on the final leg to those of the previous year, however, Loeb was once more to lament error and the surrender of probable victory, this time after crashing and breaking his suspension in a ditch. He left the lead in the hands of Grönholm, who won to propel himself seven points ahead of Loeb at the top of the championship standings. A second loss to the Finn in as many years on the Acropolis Rally then extended the deficit to nine points over the championship's summer break.
Loeb occupied his recess by, amongst other engagements, competing in the Shell Donegal International Rally on the 15th, 16th and 17 June, partially as preparation for the coming Rally Ireland world championship round that November. He scored a comprehensive victory, albeit only after being given a scare by the pace of tenacious private Subaru-mounted Mark Higgins. Punctures afflicted upon his rival eventually settled the contest.
Ambitions of finally scoring victory on Rally Finland proved once more unrealized, with Loeb relegated to third place behind the pacy natives Grönholm and Hirvonen. Rallye Deutschland, as was traditional, differed somewhat. Although, at the scene of his first victory and on a rally where he had never subsequently lost, Loeb was left unexpectedly to fend off the challenge not of the Finn, but of a privateer, his one-time team-mate and championship returnee François Duval, he came to eventually triumph, reducing some of his championship points deficit.
A very close battle on the gravel stages of Rally New Zealand ended with the closest second place in the whole of World Rally history – Loeb finished only 0.3 s behind his main rival. The next two rounds, however, allowed the French driver to regain some points, as he won both tarmac events – Rallye Espana, where his teammate Danni Sordo additionally took second place and two points from Grönholm, and Rally France.
Rally Japan was another dramatic event – Loeb got the chance to take the lead in Championship after Grönholm's early mistake,[3] but he was unable to, as his co-driver mistake caused the C4 to go off road on one of the stages of second leg. Both drivers ended with no points after finally retiring from the event.[4] In Ireland, during 1st Rally Ireland almost the same story happened – Marcus Grönholm overcooked a slippery right corner on one of the early stages, trying to keep a fast pace, and had to retire from the rally. Loeb made use of his rival's mistake and, by making no major mistakes, although having some suspension-related problems with keeping pace at the beginning,[5] he added 10 points to his account, moving ahead of Finnish driver just one round before the season's end. In Wales he was not fighting for the win, focusing mostly on securing his advantage, finishing the event third – on 2 December 2007 Loeb became World Rally Champion for the fourth time in a row.[6]
2008
Loeb started the 2008 season with a record fifth win in Monte Carlo.[7] On the second rally of the year, 2008 Swedish Rally, he crashed out during day one. Although he re-joined the rally to collect manufacturers' points, the team later decided to retire him due to a damaged engine. After winning in Mexico and Argentina, Loeb had a crash with Conrad Rautenbach in Jordan, from which he could only recover to take tenth place in the rally. He went on to win two events, and then finish close third to the Ford factory team duo Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala at the Rally of Turkey.
Loeb later notably won the Rally Finland ahead of Hirvonen. This was the fourth time in the event's 58-year history that a non-Nordic driver won the rally, after Carlos Sainz in 1990, Didier Auriol in 1992 and Markko Märtin in 2003. This started a string of five victories for Loeb. In Germany, New Zealand and Spain, Citroën also took double wins as his team-mate Dani Sordo took three runner-up spots in a row.
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Going into the penultimate round of the season, the 2008 Rally Japan, Loeb led Hirvonen by 14 points and needed a third place to secure the world drivers' title. Finishing behind Ford's Hirvonen and Latvala, Loeb broke Juha Kankkunen's, Tommi Mäkinen's and his own record of four titles and became the first five-time world champion in rallying.[8]
After clinching the World Rally Championship, Loeb edged out Latvala to take his first Wales Rally GB win, a feat which also helped secure his team their first manufacturers' title since 2005, from 2006 and 2007 victors Ford. In December, Loeb won the individual 2008 Race of Champions, becoming the second driver after compatriot Auriol to win the event more than twice.
2009
Loeb started the year by winning Rally Ireland for the second time since 2007. He then won his first Rally Norway ever, after a fierce battle with Mikko Hirvonen, lasting throughout the very final stage. Being first on the road through all three days, Loeb kept his lead, in the end winning with 9.8 seconds over Hirvonen. Loeb continued his good form by winning over Hirvonen in Cyprus, marking his career 50th victory, and in Portugal. His victory in Argentina, the fifth in a row in this country, was also his fifth victory in a row since the start of the season.
At the Rally d'Italia Sardegna, Loeb had a puncture after going off the road and dropped from third to fourth.[9] Although he passed Petter Solberg for the final podium spot, he still finished fourth due to a time penalty for a safety rule violation; co-driver Daniel Elena had unfastened his safety belts before the crew stopped the car for a tyre change.[10] At the Acropolis Rally, Loeb crashed out from third place.[11] On Rally Poland's return to the WRC, Loeb had another crash but he continued in the event under superally rules. After team orders issued for the Citroën Junior Team drivers and a late mistake by Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala, Loeb found himself seventh but had lost the championship lead to Hirvonen by one point.[12]
By winning the Rally Catalunya, Loeb reduced the deficit to Hirvonen in the title race before the final event of the year; once again trailing by a single point.[13] The Frenchman gained the championship by winning the final event of the year, the Rally GB. Victory was secured partly due to an incredible performance over SS8 and SS9, where in the course of only two stages Loeb extended his lead in the rally over Hirvonen from 2.4s to 25s.[14][15]
Racing
Le Mans
As his WRC stature grew, Loeb began to participate in road racing events and tests. He first competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car race in 2005, where he drove for the Pescarolo Sport team's #17 entry. Reportedly Loeb did much of his preparation for the race by running practice laps around the circuit in the Sony PlayStation 2 video game Gran Turismo 4 aboard a private jet. In the race the car was plagued by incidents, but Loeb proved to be able to drive fast for his first race on a closed track. Loeb finished second overall in the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Pescarolo-Judd, between the two Diesel-powered Audi R10.
Formula One
Loeb has had a number of Formula One tests. He first tested for Renault F1 at Paul Ricard in December 2007, in a switch that saw Heikki Kovalainen test Loeb's WRC car.[16] Red Bull, which became a major sponsor of the Citroën factory team during the 2008 season, rewarded Loeb for winning the WRC with a Formula One test in Red Bull Racing's 2008-spec Red Bull RB4. He first drove the car at Silverstone, and then took part in the first official Formula One winter test in Barcelona.[17] Loeb was eighth quickest of 17 drivers.[18]
Loeb continued to set his sights on a switch to Formula One in 2009. Following stories that fellow Frenchman Sébastien Bourdais was under threat at Toro Rosso,[19] Loeb told French newspaper L'Equipe that he was interested in replacing Bourdais at the Red Bull-backed team.[20] He intended to make his F1 debut at the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which took place in November, after the WRC season finished, with a view to making the switch full-time for 2010.[21] However, this plan was scuppered when he was not granted an FIA Super Licence, rendering him ineligible to race in F1 for the foreseeable future as he had not done enough circuit racing at lower levels.[22] He has also been in contact with Team US F1 about a possible drive for 2010.[23]
Loeb has also taken part in an official GP2 Series testing session after the 2009 season, where he drove for the David Price Racing team.
Personal life
Loeb has a wife, Séverine, and a daughter Valentine. They reside near Lausanne, Switzerland.[24] He was made knight of the Légion d'honneur on May 27, 2009 by French president Nicolas Sarkozy.[25]
Victories
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World Rally Championship victories (59) # Event Season Co-driver Car 1 
21. ADAC Rallye Deutschland2002 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 2 
71ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo2003 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 3 22. ADAC Rallye Deutschland2003 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 4 
45º Rallye Sanremo - Rallye d'Italia2003 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 5 72ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo2004 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 6 
53rd Uddeholm Swedish Rally2004 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 7 
32nd Cyprus Rally2004 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 8 
5th Rally of Turkey2004 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 9 23. OMV ADAC Rallye Deutschland2004 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 10 
17th Telstra Rally Australia2004 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 11 73ème Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo2005 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 12 
35th Propecia Rally New Zealand2005 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 13 2º Supermag Rally Italia Sardinia2005 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 14 33rd Cyprus Rally2005 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 15 6th Rally of Turkey2005 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 16 
52nd Acropolis Rally2005 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 17 
25º Rally Argentina2005 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 18 24. OMV ADAC Rallye Deutschland2005 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 19 
49ème Tour de Corse - Rallye de France2005 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 20 
41º Rally RACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada2005 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 21 
20º Corona Rally México2006 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 22 42º Rally RACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada2006 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 23 50ème Tour de Corse - Rallye de France2006 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 24 26º Rally Argentina2006 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 25 3º Supermag Rally Italia Sardinia2006 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 26 25. OMV ADAC Rallye Deutschland2006 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 27 
3rd Rally Japan2006 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 28 34th Cyprus Rally2006 Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 29 75ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo2007 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 30 21º Corona Rally México2007 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 31 
41º Vodafone Rally de Portugal2007 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 32 27º Rally Argentina2007 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 33 26. ADAC Rallye Deutschland2007 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 34 43º Rally RACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada2007 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 35 51ème Tour de Corse - Rallye de France2007 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 36 
1st Rally Ireland2007 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 37 76ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo2008 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 38 22º Corona Rally México2008 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 39 28º Rally Argentina2008 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 40 5º Supermag Rally Italia Sardinia2008 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 41 55th BP Ultimate Acropolis Rally2008 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 42 
58th Neste Oil Rally Finland2008 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 43 27. ADAC Rallye Deutschland2008 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 44 38th Repco Rally New Zealand2008 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 45 44º Rally RACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada2008 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 46 52ème Tour de Corse - Rallye de France2008 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 47 
64th Wales Rally of Great Britain2008 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 48 2nd Rally Ireland2009 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 49 
3rd Rally Norway2009 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 50 37th Cyprus Rally2009 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 51 43º Vodafone Rally de Portugal2009 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 52 29º Rally Argentina2009 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 53 44º Rally RACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada2009 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 54 65th Wales Rally of Great Britain2009 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 55 24º Corona Rally México2010 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 56 
28th Jordan Rally2010 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 57 2010 Rally of Turkey2010 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 58 
2010 Rally Bulgaria2010 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC 59 28. ADAC Rallye Deutschland2010 Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC
- Loeb provisionally won the Monte Carlo event in 2002 but was later docked two minutes for an illegal tyre change and demoted to second place.
- Loeb also provisionally won the 2009 Rally Australia, but was penalized one minute to second place as his car was fitted with a non-regulation part.[26]
- Loeb's win at Rally Deutschland 2010 was his eighth consecutive victory there, which is a record in itself as Loeb is the only rally driver in history to win a rally eight consecutive times, the previous record which he in 2006 tied with Tommi Makinen who had five consecutive wins at Rally Finland. He is the only driver to win the rally since its inauguration in 2002.
Complete WRC results
| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Equipe de France FFSA | Citroën Saxo Kit Car | MON | SWE | KEN | POR | ESP Ret |
FRA 19 |
ARG | GRE | NZL | FIN | CHN | ITA 21 |
AUS | GBR | - | 0 | ||
| 2000 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën Saxo Kit Car | MON | SWE | KEN | POR | ESP | ARG | GRE | NZL | FIN Ret |
CYP | GBR 38 |
- | 0 | |||||
| Equipe de France FFSA | Toyota Corolla WRC | FRA 9 |
ITA 10 |
AUS | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën Saxo Kit Car | MON 15 |
SWE Ret |
POR | 14th | 6 | |||||||||||||
| Citroën Saxo S1600 | ESP 15 |
ARG | CYP | GRE 19 |
KEN | FIN 28 |
NZL | FRA 13 |
AUS | GBR 15 |
||||||||||
| Automobiles Citroën | Citroën Xsara WRC | ITA 2 |
||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Automobiles Citroën | Citroën Xsara WRC | MON 2 |
SWE 17 |
FRA | ESP Ret |
CYP | ARG | GRE 7 |
KEN 5 |
FIN 10 |
GER 1 |
ITA | NZL | GBR Ret |
10th | 18 | |||
| Piedrafita Sport | AUS 7 |
|||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Citroën Total | Citroën Xsara WRC | MON 1 |
SWE 7 |
TUR Ret |
NZL 4 |
ARG Ret |
GRE Ret |
CYP 3 |
GER 1 |
FIN 5 |
AUS 2 |
ITA 1 |
FRA 13 |
ESP 2 |
GBR 2 |
2nd | 71 | ||
| 2004 | Citroën Total | Citroën Xsara WRC | MON 1 |
SWE 1 |
MEX Ret |
NZL 4 |
CYP 1 |
GRE 2 |
TUR 1 |
ARG 2 |
FIN 4 |
GER 1 |
JPN 2 |
GBR 2 |
ITA 2 |
FRA 2 |
ESP Ret |
AUS 1 |
1st | 118 |
| 2005 | Citroën Total | Citroën Xsara WRC | MON 1 |
SWE Ret |
MEX 4 |
NZL 1 |
ITA 1 |
CYP 1 |
TUR 1 |
GRE 1 |
ARG 1 |
FIN 2 |
GER 1 |
GBR 3 |
JPN 2 |
FRA 1 |
ESP 1 |
AUS Ret |
1st | 127 |
| 2006 | Kronos Total Citroën WRT | Citroën Xsara WRC | MON 2 |
SWE 2 |
MEX 1 |
ESP 1 |
FRA 1 |
ARG 1 |
ITA 1 |
GRE 2 |
GER 1 |
FIN 2 |
JPN 1 |
CYP 1 |
TUR Inj |
AUS Inj |
NZL Inj |
GBR Inj |
1st | 112 |
| 2007 | Citroën Total WRT | Citroën C4 WRC | MON 1 |
SWE 2 |
NOR 14 |
MEX 1 |
POR 1 |
ARG 1 |
ITA Ret |
GRE 2 |
FIN 3 |
GER 1 |
NZL 2 |
ESP 1 |
FRA 1 |
JPN Ret |
IRE 1 |
GBR 3 |
1st | 116 |
| 2008 | Citroën Total WRT | Citroën C4 WRC | MON 1 |
SWE Ret |
MEX 1 |
ARG 1 |
JOR 10 |
ITA 1 |
GRE 1 |
TUR 3 |
FIN 1 |
GER 1 |
NZL 1 |
ESP 1 |
FRA 1 |
JPN 3 |
GBR 1 |
1st | 122 | |
| 2009 | Citroën Total WRT | Citroën C4 WRC | IRE 1 |
NOR 1 |
CYP 1 |
POR 1 |
ARG 1 |
ITA 4 |
GRE Ret |
POL 7 |
FIN 2 |
AUS 2 |
ESP 1 |
GBR 1 |
1st | 93 | ||||
| 2010 | Citroën Total WRT | Citroën C4 WRC | SWE 2 |
MEX 1 |
JOR 1 |
TUR 1 |
NZL 3 |
POR 2 |
BUL 1 |
FIN 3 |
GER 1 |
JPN | FRA | ESP | GBR | 1st* | 191* |
References
- ↑ "Sébastien Loeb's Official Website – biography". http://www.sebastienloeb.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=20&idcontent=21&Itemid=35. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
- ↑ Celui qui tirait des câbles , Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace, 7 september 2010 (French)
- ↑ "NEWS FLASH: Gronholm goes off road.". 2007-10-26. http://www.crash.net/motorsport/wrc/news/156435-0/news_flash_gronholm_goes_off_road.html. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ↑ "NEWS FLASH: Loeb out again [updated"]. 2007-10-28. http://www.crash.net/motorsport/wrc/news/156538-0/news_flash_loeb_out_again_updated.html. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ↑ "Sordo top.". 2007-11-16. http://www.crash.net/motorsport/wrc/news/157230-0/sordo_top.html. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ↑ "Loeb lands fourth straight title.". BBC News. 2007-12-02. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/world_rally/7123638.stm. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
- ↑ "Loeb clinches record Monte win". Autosport. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64866. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
- ↑ "Loeb clinches record fifth WRC title". Autosport. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71928. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
- ↑ Beer, Matt (24 May 2009). "Latvala ends Loeb's winning streak". Autosport. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75574. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
- ↑ Beer, Matt (24 May 2009). "Penalty drops Loeb to fourth". Autosport. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75578. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
- ↑ Beer, Matt (13 June 2009). "Loeb crashes out of Acropolis". Autosport. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76106. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
- ↑ Beer, Matt (28 June 2009). "Hirvonen takes win and points lead". Autosport. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76606. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
- ↑ "Loeb wins Rally Catalunya". Autocar. 5 October. http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.ASpx?AR=243797. Retrieved 15 October 2009.
- ↑ Beer, Matt (15 October 2009). "Loeb wins Rally GB and sixth title". Autosport. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79758. Retrieved 15 October 2009.
- ↑ "Loeb secures sixth title in a row". BBC Sport. 2009-10-25. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/world_rally/8324857.stm. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ↑ "Loeb thrilled by Renault F1 test". ITV. http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=41398&PO=41398. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ↑ "Loeb to join F1 test with Red Bull". Autosport. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71994. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ↑ "Loeb fast enough for F1, say Red Bull". Autosport. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72194. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
- ↑ http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76847
- ↑ http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76853
- ↑ Autosport, p10 (2009-07-16)
- ↑ Noble, Jonathan (2009-10-22). "Loeb gives up on Formula 1 dream". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79658. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
- ↑ http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/08/25/rally-champion-loeb-contacts-usf1/
- ↑ "Site officiel de Sébastien Loeb - Biography". Sebastienloeb.com. http://www.sebastienloeb.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=20&Itemid=43&lang=en. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ↑ Evans, David (2009-05-28). "Loeb receives French knighthood". autosport.com. Haymarket. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75659. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
- ↑ "Hirvonen named Rally Australia winner after Citroen penalties". wrc.com. http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=101&id=6001&desc=Hirvonen. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
External links
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by None |
Junior World Rally Champion 2001 |
Succeeded by Daniel Solà |
| Preceded by Marcus Grönholm |
Race of Champions Champion of Champions 2003 |
Succeeded by Heikki Kovalainen |
| Preceded by Petter Solberg |
World Rally Champion 2004-2009 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by Cristiano da Matta Fonsi Nieto Gilles Panizzi |
Race of Champions Nations' Cup 2004 with: Jean Alesi |
Succeeded by Mattias Ekström Tom Kristensen |
| Preceded by Heikki Kovalainen |
Race of Champions Champion of Champions 2005 |
Succeeded by Mattias Ekström |
| Preceded by Mattias Ekström |
Race of Champions Champion of Champions 2008 |
Succeeded by Mattias Ekström |
| Awards and achievements | ||
| Preceded by Petter Solberg |
Autosport International Rally Driver Award 2004-2006 |
Succeeded by Marcus Grönholm |
| Preceded by Marcus Grönholm |
Autosport International Rally Driver Award 2008 |
Succeeded by Mikko Hirvonen |
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