Sunday, October 25, 2009

Sebastien Loeb Lands Record 6th Consecutive WRC Title

Frenchman Sebastien Loeb has claimed a record sixth successive world rally title on Sunday.

The 35-year-old Citroen driver, who surpassed Finnish great Tommi Makinen's four championships in a row last year, made it six titles on the trot by winning the British round in Cardiff.


Factbox on Sebastien Loeb:

* The 35-year-old Frenchman (born February 26, 1974) was already the only rally driver to have won five titles in a row, having surpassed retired Finnish great Tommi Makinen last year. Makinen was champion from 1996 to 1999.

* Loeb, with co-driver Daniel Elena, has won a record 54 rallies (including Sunday's) in a world championship career that started in 1999. All of his wins have been with Citroen.

* A gymnast before taking up rally driving, he is only the second Frenchman to have won the world title after 1994 champion Didier Auriol.

* Loeb broke his arm in a mountain-biking accident with four races left and while 35 points ahead of the field in the 2006 season. He won that title when his nearest rival, Marcus Gronholm, could only finish fifth in Australia.

* The Citroen driver has been dubbed the 'Michael Schumacher of Rallying', his stranglehold on the sport comparable to that exerted by the German seven-times world champion at his peak in Formula One.

* In 2008 he took a record number of wins in a single season (11), beating his previous best of 10 in 2005. He has won at least three races in every year since 2003, when he almost took the title in his first full season.

* Loeb took his first win in Germany in 2002 after joining Citroen as French rally champion in 2001.

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