WRC
Sébastien Loeb congratulates Sébastien Ogier after his 9th title: "He shows that he is still on top"
© Bastien Roux / DPPI
"I've said it many times, it's never been an obsession," explained Sébastien Ogier speaking to Canal+ last Saturday, just after the podium ceremony Rally from Saudi Arabia. But honestly, of course we're happy to join such a legend (Sébastien) Loeb(Editor's note)! Seb, I hope you welcome me to the club of nine! I'll give you your number 9 for the race, no problem (laughs). Of course, it's great to join Seb and Daniel, to be at the very top of the leaderboard. WRC and the FIA in general.
In the wake of Sébastien Ogier's ninth world title, France can indeed boast an impressive total of 19 combined championships. With one held by Didier Auriol, nine by Sébastien Loeb, and now nine by Sébastien Ogier, the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, has certainly had a place in the rally sky for many years to come.
Ogier and Loeb at the top… Without playing their best!
When asked about it, Sébastien Loeb was visibly proud of his counterpart's achievement, far from being focused on the uniqueness of his now equaled record. "He didn't compete in all the rallies and he still won the championship, so a big congratulations to him. He joins me with nine titles, it's also great to have two French drivers at this level." he rejoiced to Canal+. We'll see what happens next! It's a French rally that wins, that's great. As he says, he shows he's still a cut above the rest.
ALSO READ > Ogier proud to equal Loeb's record in the WRC: "We are happy to join such a legend!"
While not forgetting to mention that such a feat had already been achieved by Sébastien Loeb himself in the past, the Alsatian reiterated his encouragement to Sébastien Ogier. "I did it in 2006 as well," he recalled. I'd missed four races and I'd won. But all the better, he's found a rhythm that suits him well without pushing himself too hard, but he still wins, that's perfect!
Having won eight of the first twelve rallies of the 2006 season, Sébastien Loeb skipped the last four events of that memorable year. This still allowed him to finish one point ahead of Finland's Marcus Grönholm… 112 to 111.
Mathieu Chambenoit
Responsible for the single-seater categories (F2, F3, FRECA, Eurocup-3, F4...), I enjoy discussing F1, Endurance, or MotoGP.
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Yves-Henri RANDIER
01/12/2025 at 06:14 a.m.
"Always on top"... absolutely, despite being a "part-time performer" for the third consecutive season in the WRC. Congratulations to Sébastien O., but it does raise some questions about the overall level of the other drivers on the grid, who must be, to some extent, bitter about this latest success for the driver from Gap!
Carrera46
01/12/2025 at 10:59 a.m.
We can be proud of our French crews (including the co-drivers) who are WRC legends. Not just in terms of the number of championships, but also in the number of special stages won and victories. Here's hoping for the next "Sébastien"!