Sébastien Loeb celebrates his 50th birthday: His records that you may not know

Find out about Sébastien’s entire career Loeb in the AUTOhebdo Collector dedicated to Alsatian, on sale on our online kiosk!

Champion with the best win rate in a season

Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena passed Present in several = 73,33% of their 2008 campaign to savor the champagne of winners. Of the 15 rounds that included the WRC that year, the Citroën C4 won the tidy sum of 11 victories. Which takes us to another record…

Champion with the greatest number of victories in a season

The six rallies won on the way to the first coronation in 2004 already constituted a record in this area. But what then of the 11 successes acquired between Monte-Carlo and Wales Rally GB 2008 out of 15 trips in total? No one has done better since! Please note, however, that campaigns now revolve around 13 rounds, which reduces the possibilities for Sébastien Ogier, Thierry Neuville ou Ott Tänak to beat the Alsatian.

Daniel Elena and Sébastien Loeb on the podium of Wales Rally GB 2008. © DPPI / F. Baudin

Average wins won per start (after the Rally of Sweden 2019)

Almost half the time, Sébastien Loeb ends up at the top of the hierarchy. Simple, basic! Be careful, however, the rate of 43,48 % ratio of wins per participation in WRC tends to crumble since the end of its regular commitments. Guess who follows him in second place: Sébastien Ogier with 31,69 %. 

Longest jump ever measured 

Of course, it's an unofficial record, but it's heavy! If the “jumps” of Colin's Crest in Sweden or the roller coasters of Finland provoke beautiful images, they play little arm against the… 85 meters passed in the air by the Citroën C4 of the No. 1 at the 2010 Rally of Turkey! 

“It was an incredible feeling, because we stayed in the air for several seconds”, said Sébastien Loeb upon his return to the audience. “We never thought during the reconnaissance that we would jump so far! » To compare, Mads Ostberg landed after just 50 meters at Ouninpohja (Finland) in 2017…

Consecutive victories on asphalt

We understand better why Marcus Grönholm and the other opponents left with a defeatist spirit during the tarmac events. Between the 2005 Rally of Germany and the 2010 Rally of France held at home in Alsace, Sébastien Loeb didn't miss anything. THE 18 100% asphalt rallies on the WRC calendar organized in this five-year period, he bagged them all! 

Winner of all special stages of the same rally

The Olympic form of the nine-time world champion on the Tour of Corsica 2005 2019 remains an unprecedented event in the history of the WRC. On the Isle of Beauty, the Citroën Xsara racks up special victories, one after the other. Until finally cutting the final finish with 12 best times out of 12 SS !

His closest pursuer, Toni Gardemeister (Ford), was rejected by almost two minutes. “This rally was missing from my list of achievements,” he explained at the time. Winning it so early and in this way is very special! »

ALSO READ > Sébastien Loeb: “All the elements to make something cool” at Dacia