Loeb wins rally world title

Sebastien Loeb capped a “perfect season” by clinching the world championship with second place on Rally Japan today.

The Citroen driver only needed to finish in the top three to secure his second world title and end the slim hopes of Marcus Gronholm and Petter Solberg.

He had been on course to do that all weekend but received an unexpected boost today when Solberg crashed his Subaru out of the lead to promote Loeb to second place.

“It is fantastic,” said Loeb, who finished over a minute behind winner Gronholm’s Peugeot. “We have reached the first peak of what has practically been a perfect season by sewing up our second drivers’ title with three rounds still to come.

“Each time out, Citroen has given us a competitive and reliable car. This triumph is also theirs and we now intend to do all we can to make sure the team keeps the manufacturers’ title. They really deserve it.

“I only needed to finish third here, and I came home in second place but that doesn’t change much.”

Citroen lead Peugeot by 22 points in the manufacturers’ standings and Loeb’s boss Guy Frequelin wants to complete a dominant season by adding another championship.

“All season the team has succeeded in giving Seb and [co-driver] Daniel Elena a car that has allowed them to win the world championship again.

“I am pleased and proud to see how motivated the team is. Tactically, Seb was his usual masterful self this weekend.

“Winning the drivers’ title is only half the job. We must now finish it by making sure we keep the manufacturers’ crown.”

Subaru rookie Chris Atkinson showed his best form of the season to creep up to third place for his first world championship podium.

But Subaru were left cursing Solberg’s late retirement, which came when the former world champion crashed less than 20 miles from the end of the rally after damaging his suspension.

“It’s shocking, I almost can’t believe it,” Solberg said. “Things had been perfect for the 24 stages before, and we were so close to the result we wanted, but then it just went in an instant.

“We could do nothing to avoid the rock, it was right in the line, it happened so fast and that was that. I’m absolutely gutted. There’s nothing more to say.”

Solberg’s retirement lifted Francois Duval up to fourth place for Citroen, with Harri Rovanpera taking fifth on Mitsubishi’s home ground. The Ford pair of Toni Gardemeister and Roman Kresta were sixth and seventh respectively while Daniel Carlsson was eighth for Peugeot.