Loeb claims ninth Rally of Germany title

RALLYING: Sebastian Loeb claimed his ninth Rally of Germany title with victory in Trier yesterday. The Frenchman made it nine wins from ten in the Rallye Deutschland by pipping Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala to second with Mikko Hirvonen finishing third.

Loeb strengthened his lead at the top of drivers’ table by finishing 2mins 0.01 secs ahead of Latvala. The 38-year-old, who first won the German title in 2002, built up a 20-second lead on Friday before extending the gap on Saturday as Petter Solberg damaged his car against a rock.

And after starting yesterday with a lead of one minute and 42 seconds, the Citroen driver successfully negotiated the 4.37km Circus Maximus Trier super special to cruise toward a ninth victory from 15 stages.

Loeb said: “The Rallye Deutschland is a race where it 
is easy to make mistakes. A lot of drivers have made them. This is a tricky rally with narrow roads.

“We managed to not make a mistake from the beginning and I drove very clean. The result is there to see.”

The WRC season continues with the Wales Rally Great Britain, which begins in Cardiff on 13 September.