Sebastien Loeb Wins 7th Consecutive World Rally Championship Title

[Kitdy]

Not like it's big news or anything though.

For those that say it's just the car (I don't know - I don't really follow the WRC), it should be noted that the 2nd placed finisher in every one of Loeb's championship seasons has driven a different manufacturer's car from Loeb - except for maybe this season, where there are 2 races left (Loeb's teammate Ogier is 2nd in the standings).

I think it's fair to say the Loeb is one of the greatest drivers in rallying history, and probably motorsports history.

Loeb's 7 titles is the record for championships. The next closest championships are shared with Juha Kankkunen, and Tommi Mäkinen (who is 2nd in consecutive titles behind Loeb, with 4).

If you look at driver's relative talent in their field (and absolute talent if you give credence to the Race of Champions), then Loeb is probably the best driver in major competition - and surely in terms of success.

The only driver on a hot streak comparable to his is Jimmie Johnson in NASCAR who also has done some incredible things - 4 titles in a row form 2006-2009, and currently sitting 2nd in the standings in the Chase for he Cup.

On top of it all, Loeb sealed his 7th title during his home rally.

[henk4]

he is planning to stop after 2011.

[TVR IS KING]

Unfortunately I missed most of Rally France due to life getting in the way...He is phenomenal though. He seems to have an unbreakable run of good luck, unlike someone like Solberg, but he's an exceptional driver.

[henk4]

Unfortunately I missed most of Rally France due to life getting in the way...He is phenomenal though. He seems to have an unbreakable run of good luck, unlike someone like Solberg, but he's an exceptional driver.

his ability lies in his capacity to maintain speed/momentum, without too much use of the brake, or sometimes any use at all. His teammates often complained about weak breaks, but they were good enough for Loeb.
Being a trained athelete, before his rallye career, he also has an exceptional sense of balance and equilibrium, which is very useful when driving rallies.

[Wouter Melissen]

It's obviously the car and/or the lack of competition.

[Kitdy]

he is planning to stop after 2011.

Let's hope he goes out winning again.

It's obviously the car and/or the lack of competition.

1000% correct.

I can kinda understand why people say that though, though I don't agree.

About JJ in NASCAR - he is actually in 1st, not 2nd place. NASCAR hadn't updated their points standings for this weekend's race when I checked.

[Farnsworth]

Loeb's 7 titles is the record for championships. The next closest championships are shared with Juha Kankkunen, and Tommi Mäkinen (who is 2nd in consecutive titles behind Loeb, with 4).

I have much respect for Loeb and the newly acquired seventh title, but I dare say that the likes of Tommi and Juha produced much more interesting and fun title fights.

For me, WRC started losing its flare with the withdrawal of the major factory teams, the implementation of Super Rally Rules, the retirement of the big and interesting players of the sport (I really miss Delecour, Tommi, Juha, Colin, Burns, Carlos, Auriol, Gronholm and Co.), and the FIA pulling classic events and endurance stages from the calendar... To add one more, the abysmal coverage post 2004-ish. The camera work got extremely cheap and diluted around that time, and I am certain the newer commentators are not too engrossed in the sport.

That being said, I would have to say WRC's "last hurrah" was around 03/04. You could say 06 and 09 were interesting for the close battles, but the presentation and excitement was just not executed well. It's as if the FIA over the past few year hasn't ever bothered to pull or retain a fan base.

However, it was interesting to listen to the press conferences in France and hear how the event was like no other in recent years in the amount of fan following and support. Although, I wonder if that only had to do with the fact that Loeb was pretty well guaranteed to clinch the championship in his home nation in a French car.

[henk4]

For me, WRC started losing its flare with the withdrawal of the major factory teams

The major factory teams?

Ford is a major factory, and Citroen took over the honours from Peugeot as a major factory team.
Skoda was never really in contention, and the Subarus and Mitsubishis were not up with the competition, so they retired as "also rans".

Did I forget a factory team?

The flare you may hint at has more to do with the fact that Citroen and to a lesser extent Ford, are not the type of pukka brands that fanboys can relate to, so when their favourites pull out, they are no longer interested.

Of course rallying in the past used to be much wilder and less bound by regulations, but that does not belittle Loeb's talent, one only has to look at Raikonnen hapless efforts to even get close to the top....

Finally we will never know how well Loeb would have done ten years ago, but these sort of academic discussions are of the same nature whether like whether Jimmy Clark was the better driver than Nuvolari or Schumacher and will only lead to more debate, rather than to a definitive conclusion.

[Farnsworth]

and the Subarus and Mitsubishis were not up with the competition, so they retired as "also rans".

This is more or less of what I was getting at. I am sure you could throw Hyundai and Toyota in the mix too for the later 90's and early millennium; and then the whole Group B days being a whole different kettle of fish as far as a diverse field goes.

All I meant was that the diversification of the field gave it some added interest and sense of size and grandeur to the sport. While the WRC has been somewhat restricted to Ford vs Citroen for some time, other rally series like the IRC seems to grow a decent following of manufactures this year (no matter if Škoda and Peugeot are still the dominant forces). To me, I find that kind of diversification to be interesting in the way that I get to see the newer players try and develop a car over time in order to be competitive. The IRC may be WRC lights but there is something to be said about the competition of the diverse field.

Don't get me wrong though, the Citroen and Ford battle is fine in its own right, and I may have not stressed that in my original post. But when I view the entertainment value of now compared to the days when there were 5 or 6 different manufacturers doing battle in the Safari Rally with 3 and 4 former World Champions in the mix it just doesn't compare.

Perhaps, my nostalgia clouds my better judgment... of course we would all like to see the days when some Group B car blasts over the Fafe jump but that is just not going to happen.

The flare you may hint at has more to do with the fact that Citroen and to a lesser extent Ford, are not the type of pukka brands that fanboys can relate to, so when their favourites pull out, they are no longer interested.

I didn't know fanboys even closely followed rally racing in the first place. I was always under the impression that the trend had more to do with HP figures of the street cars and the Fast and the Furious type movies than the competitive nature of Prodrive or Ralliart.

Of course rallying in the past used to be much wilder and less bound by regulations, but that does not belittle Loeb's talent

I may have not stressed Loeb's importance or achievements enough in my first post, but I'd be the first to emphasize the huge amount of talent he has.

Finally we will never know how well Loeb would have done ten years ago, but these sort of academic discussions are of the same nature whether like whether Jimmy Clark was the better driver than Nuvolari or Schumacher and will only lead to more debate, rather than to a definitive conclusion.

A fair point to bring up, but I hope you weren't thinking my statement of Loeb's title fights not being as interesting or fun compared to Tommi's or Juha's as being a direct comparison of how well Loeb would stack up against rally masters of years past. I was only pointing to the entertainment value of the close title fights of 10+/- years ago.