Six-time title winner and defending champion Sebastien Loeb took his eighth consecutive Rally Deutschland win this weekend – leading teammate Dani Sordo and Citroen Junior Team driver Sebastien Ogier to a Citroën C4 clean sweep of the German podium.
Loeb didn’t leave his reputation as a tarmac specialist and famous German WRC record to chance though – charging hard on the first two days and even earning stage wins on the Sunday.
“It’s always a great pleasure to win here. I love driving the C4 WRC on asphalt and it’s all the more motivating when you’re in front of such a large, enthusiastic crowd. Once again I was able to count on a perfect, quick and reliable car that really got the best out of the tyres, This is my fifth win in 2010 and brings me one step closer to my ultimate aim – my seventh world title on the trot,” said Loeb.
Spaniard Dani Sordo and co-driver Diego Vallejo put in a good effort to keep up with Loeb, but the Frenchman proved too quick, losing the rest of the field on the season’s longest stage on Saturday. Sebastien Ogier battled with electronic gremlins to fight his way to the front of the field, where he and Ford’s Jari-Matti Latvala tussled for third on Saturday, until Latvala’s Focus spun – granting Ogier a nine-second lead. The gap between the two opened thereafter.
“I enjoyed the weekend and I’m really pleased with my performance. I was happy to fight for the podium. This is the hardest asphalt rally of the year and I was afraid of it, but now I’m not. After my victory in Finland in the last round earlier in the month and a good test here last week, everything fell into place this weekend,” Latvala said.
The next event on the WRC calendar is Rally Japan, and sees Ogier and Sordo trade places once again as Ogier is believed to be the quicker of the two on gravel, which should therefore ensure maximum pace for the works team alongside Loeb – who looks toward a record 60th rally championship win (double that of retired Finnish maestro Marcus Grönholm, who is currently ranked number 2 for all-time wins).