strang
12-26-2008, 10:43 AM
WRC champion sebastian loeb moved closer to a record fifth successive World Rally Championship with another dominant victory in Spain. Loeb claimed the rally lead on the very first special stage and held it all the way to the finish, with his Spanish team-mate Dani Sordo helping record Citroen's third 1-2 of the year. Ford's Hirvonen took third place after switching positions with his Belgian team-mate, Francois Duval, who let him pass in the closing stages so that the Finn could take third and keep his title hopes alive. "I owe Francois for that he's a real team player," said Hirvonen. "It's going to be tough for me to win the title now, but for as long as there's a mathematical chance, I'm going to keep pushing as hard as I can."
214
"Everything went well. The car did its job, and we did ours," was how Loeb summed up his ninth win out of the 12 events held so far this year. With just three rallies remaining, Loeb can clinch a record fifth consecutive title in the next event in Corsica if he wins and his only title rival, Mikko Hirvonen, finishes lower than sixth. Loeb's record in Corsica, his home round, is exemplary. In 2005, he pulled off the unique achievement of winning every stage. Citroen moved 27 points clear of Ford in the manufacturers' standings.
214
"Everything went well. The car did its job, and we did ours," was how Loeb summed up his ninth win out of the 12 events held so far this year. With just three rallies remaining, Loeb can clinch a record fifth consecutive title in the next event in Corsica if he wins and his only title rival, Mikko Hirvonen, finishes lower than sixth. Loeb's record in Corsica, his home round, is exemplary. In 2005, he pulled off the unique achievement of winning every stage. Citroen moved 27 points clear of Ford in the manufacturers' standings.