A podium finish on Wales Rally GB secured Seb's 4th consecutive title - firmly establishing the Frenchman as the greatest rally driver of the modern era.
Finishing the 2007 Wales Rally GB in third place sufficed for Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena to secure their fourth straight Drivers' and Co-drivers' titles in the World Rally Championship today in Cardiff. At the wheel of Citroën Total's other Citroën C4 WRC, Dani Sordo/Marc Martí completed the final round of the 2007 championship in fifth place.
Driven by strong winds, the rain fell practically horizontally this morning as crews set off for the third and final leg of the weekend which featured two attempts at the notorious Brechfa and Trawscoed stages. The season's last day of competitive action totalled 114.26km which were by no means a mere formality.
"With the final, decisive round of the championship taking place in Wales, we just knew the weather conditions wouldn't be easy… and they weren't," smiled Guy Fréquelin whose face expressed a blend of relief, joy and pride. "Sébastien and Daniel tackled today's stages in the same way they approached all the others and met their objective to the latter. As a result, they are the World Champions with Citroën for the fourth year in a row! True, the cards were stacked in our favour before the start but it was impossible to feel totally serene. There was so much that could happen. The team found me more anxious than ever, which shows just how much I feared this weekend's event! This title fills me with immense joy. It's a fitting reward not only for the talent of Sébastien and Daniel but also for the amazing motivation that spurred everyone on at Citroën Sport throughout this year's campaign. Returning to the competitive arena after a year's away to win the Drivers' title with the brand new Citroën C4 WRC is extremely satisfying."
"Its just fantastic! Finishing third today after such a frustrating rally means we are the World Champions for the third year running," beamed Sébastien, visibly delighted as he stepped off the podium. "The challenge we faced before the start was not as simple as all that. We have been fighting to make it back to the top of the championship ever since the day we went off in Sardinia but we always believed we would succeed. The combination of the Citroën C4's potential on all the different types of surface that make up the championship and the excellent work put in by everyone at Citroën Sport kept us in the chase and it's really great to have pulled it off today! Of my four titles, this was without doubt the most hotly contested. To have succeeded after such a fierce fight with Marcus Grönholm on stages across the world gives it a very special flavour. I know Marcus would have liked to have ended his retirement year by taking the crown, but I'm only half sorry he didn't! On the other hand, I am glad to have clinched the title on Guy Fréquelin's last rally as the boss of Citroën Sport."
Dani Sordo and Marc Martí completed the punishing event in fifth place but their first thoughts after the finish were to congratulate their team-mates on their title and also everyone in the team for the hard work they have put in since the beginning of the year. "I am so happy for Seb and Daniel," confessed Dani. "I am happy and proud to have been shared this season alongside the new World Champions. I couldn't have wished for better teachers or team-mates!"
Gilles Michel, Executive Vice President of Automobiles Citroën, was in Wales to congratulate the entire team: "By winning the world title, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena mirror what Citroën wishes to say about itself, that is to say a combination of genuine talent, remarkable commitment and simplicity. The team they form and the way they set about securing their fourth title does honour to the Citroën brand."
Final leaderboard on 75th Wales Rally GB1. M. Hirvonen/J. Lehtinen (Ford Focus) 3 h 22 min 50,9 s2. M. Grönholm/T. Rautiainen (Ford Focus) + 15,2 s3. S. Loeb/D. Elena (Citroën C4) + 1 min 33 s4. P. Solberg/P. Mills (Subaru Impreza) + 2 min 57,3 s5. D. Sordo/M. Martí (Citroën C4) + 3 min 14,3 s6. M. Wilson/M. Orr (Ford Focus) + 7 min 32,9 s7. C. Atkinson/S. Prévot (Subaru Impreza) + 8 min 29,5 s8. M. Stohl/I. Minor (Citroën Xsara) + 8 min 54,6 s9. X. Pons/X. Amigo (Subaru Impreza) + 9 min 48,8 s10. JM. Latvala/M. Anttila (Ford Focus) + 10 min 42,4 s
Championnat du Monde FIA "Constructeurs" (manche 16/16)*1. Ford, 212 points – 2. Citroën Total, 183 pts – 3. Subaru, 87 pts – 3. Stobart, 81 pts – 5. OMV Kronos Citroën, 45 pts – 6. Munchis, 14 pts.
FIA World rally Championship’s rankings ‘Manufacturers’ (round 16/16)*1. S. Loeb, 116 points – 2. M. Grönholm, 112 points – 3. M. Hirvonen, 99 pts – 4. D. Sordo, 65 pts – 5. P. Solberg, 47 pts – 6. H. Solberg, 34 pts – 7. C. Atkinson, 31 pts – 8. JM. Latvala, 30 pts – 9. M. Stohl, 13 pts – 10. F. Duval, 12 pts – 11. M. Wilson, 11 pts – 12. T. Gardemeister, 10 pts – 13. J. Kopecky, 10 pts – 14. D. Carlsson, 9 pts – 15. G. Galli, 5 pts… etc.
FIA World rally Championship’s rankings ‘Drivers’ (round 16/16)*1. S. Loeb, 116 points – 2. M. Grönholm, 112 points – 3. M. Hirvonen, 99 pts – 4. D. Sordo, 65 pts – 5. P. Solberg, 47 pts – 6. H. Solberg, 34 pts – 7. C. Atkinson, 31 pts – 8. JM. Latvala, 30 pts – 9. M. Stohl, 13 pts – 10. F. Duval, 12 pts – 11. M. Wilson, 11 pts – 12. T. Gardemeister, 10 pts – 13. J. Kopecky, 10 pts – 14. D. Carlsson, 9 pts – 15. G. Galli, 5 pts… etc.
