Sebastien Loeb added to his remarkable WRC driving record today, securing his fourth consecutive win on Rally de Espana and the 45th win of his WRC career.
The Citroen Total team leader didn't put a foot wrong all weekend and threaded his C4 WRC through the final asphalt stage in Tarragona today to win by 24.9sec.
The result was Loeb's ninth win from the 12 rallies contested so far in the 15-round 2008 World Rally Championship, and extends his lead in the drivers' standings to 12 points over his nearest rival, Mikko Hirvonen. A maximum 18 points for Citroen moves them 27 points clear of Ford in the manufacturers' battle.
Spaniard Dani Sordo drove his C4 World Rally Car to second place, after a similarly trouble free rally.
On the penultimate stage the BP Ford Abu Dhabi squad asked its asphalt specialist Francois Duval to drop back and allow Mikko Hirvonen to take third and a better points haul. At the stage end Hirvonen said he was grateful for Duval's assistance.
Following Urmo Aava's retirement on the rally's penultimate stage, Petter Solberg brought his Subaru World Rally Team Impreza WRC2008 home in fifth. Jari-Matti Latvala was sixth in his Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Focus, and delighted to have made up two places on the final day.
Classification:
1. Loeb-Elena (Citroen C4 Wrc) en 3.21'57"2 2. Sordo-Marti (Citroen C4 Wrc) à 24"9 3. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Ford Focus Wrc 07) à 1'02"5 4. Duval-Pivato (Ford Focus Wrc 07) à 1'10"8 5. Solberg-Mills (Impreza Wrc 08) à 3'27"4 6. Latvala-Anttila (Ford Focus Wrc 07) à 4'03"8 7. Atkinson-Prévot (Subaru Impreza Wrc 08) à 4'04"9 8. Mikkelsen-Floene (Ford Focus Wrc) à 5'19"6
Etc.
Provisional classification of the championship:
1. Loeb 96 points, 2. Hirvonen 84, 3. Sordo 59, 4. Atkinson 42, 5. Latvala 37, 6. P. Solberg 36, 7. H. Solberg 22, 8. Galli 17, 9. Duval 16, 10. Wilson 12, etc.
The Citroen Total team leader didn't put a foot wrong all weekend and threaded his C4 WRC through the final asphalt stage in Tarragona today to win by 24.9sec.
The result was Loeb's ninth win from the 12 rallies contested so far in the 15-round 2008 World Rally Championship, and extends his lead in the drivers' standings to 12 points over his nearest rival, Mikko Hirvonen. A maximum 18 points for Citroen moves them 27 points clear of Ford in the manufacturers' battle.
Spaniard Dani Sordo drove his C4 World Rally Car to second place, after a similarly trouble free rally.
On the penultimate stage the BP Ford Abu Dhabi squad asked its asphalt specialist Francois Duval to drop back and allow Mikko Hirvonen to take third and a better points haul. At the stage end Hirvonen said he was grateful for Duval's assistance.
Following Urmo Aava's retirement on the rally's penultimate stage, Petter Solberg brought his Subaru World Rally Team Impreza WRC2008 home in fifth. Jari-Matti Latvala was sixth in his Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Focus, and delighted to have made up two places on the final day.
Classification:
1. Loeb-Elena (Citroen C4 Wrc) en 3.21'57"2 2. Sordo-Marti (Citroen C4 Wrc) à 24"9 3. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Ford Focus Wrc 07) à 1'02"5 4. Duval-Pivato (Ford Focus Wrc 07) à 1'10"8 5. Solberg-Mills (Impreza Wrc 08) à 3'27"4 6. Latvala-Anttila (Ford Focus Wrc 07) à 4'03"8 7. Atkinson-Prévot (Subaru Impreza Wrc 08) à 4'04"9 8. Mikkelsen-Floene (Ford Focus Wrc) à 5'19"6
Etc.
Provisional classification of the championship:
1. Loeb 96 points, 2. Hirvonen 84, 3. Sordo 59, 4. Atkinson 42, 5. Latvala 37, 6. P. Solberg 36, 7. H. Solberg 22, 8. Galli 17, 9. Duval 16, 10. Wilson 12, etc.