Three-time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb moved closer to defending his driver’s title for a third time by winning Rally Catalunya for the third consecutive year on Sunday. The 33-year-old Citroën ace is now just six points behind rival Marcus Gronholm in the drivers’ standings with four rallies left in the season.
Loeb finished the rally 13,8 seconds ahead of team-mate Dani Sordo, while 2000 and 2002 champion Gronholm finished third, 39,8 seconds behind the Frenchman. Gronholm’s Ford team-mate, Mikko Hirvonen, was fourth, followed by Francois Ducal (Citroën) and Petter Solberg (Solberg). With two more asphalt events to come, the Frenchman looks set to chase down Gronholm on the sealed surface by the end of the season. If Loeb can earn victories in both remaining tarmac rallies and also get a win on gravel, which is Gronholm’s forté, Loeb looks likely to deny the veteran Finn a third WRC driver’s title in his swansong year.
Although Gronholm won seven of the 18 stages in Catalunya, Loeb and Sordo drew a big enough advantage on the first leg to maintain a stranglehold on the Spanish event. After rain interrupted the first day of the rally, the second two days were run in dry conditions and the entire top ten held their positions until the end of the event.
By finishing second, Sordo helped the Citroën C4 team gain some much-needed points in the battle for the 2007 WRC manufacturers’ title. He won the final two stages of the rally, while Loeb continued his lead and decided to rather play it safe to be certain that the team got the overall victory.
“I made a point of not taking any risks, not cutting the corners too much and lifting over the dirtier portions,” said Loeb. "The most important thing for me," he added, "was to make up some of the gap that separates us from Gronholm in the championship.”
Loeb’s win in Spain means that he stands in second place on 92 points, behind Gronholm who has 98 points. Hirvonen occupies third spot with 74 points, ahead of fourth placed Sordo who stands on 39 points.
The next round of the championship will be in Loeb’s home country of France. It will take place in Corsica form October 12 to October 14.
Watch highlights of Rally Catalunya on DSTV’s SuperSport 5 channel at 7pm on Monday (October 8) night.