Loeb clinches record win
Sebastien Loeb clung on for a record-breaking victory in the Rally of Japan despite a thrilling fightback from Marcus Gronholm this morning.
World champion Loeb led by almost half a minute going into the final six stages but saw his advantage slashed by Gronholm.
The Ford driver won four stages to wipe over 20 seconds off Loeb’s lead but fell just short, finishing 5.6 seconds adrift in second place.
Loeb made history in his Citroen with a record 27th career victory, which extends the 32-year-old Frenchman’s advantage in the title race to 33 points with only 50 left to fight for.
Behind the scrap for victory, Gronholm’s team-mate Mikko Hirvonen was a model of consistency in taking third place, almost three minutes slower than Loeb.
Chris Atkinson was the first Subaru home on the Japanese manufacturer’s home ground, in fourth, while the OMV Peugeot of Manfred Stohl was fifth.
Toshi Arai gave home fans a result to cheer with sixth place in his Subaru, finishing just a second ahead of Citroen rookie Dani Sordo. Petter Solberg suffered more brake problems and slipped to eighth.
Englishman Matthew Wilson completed the rally despite his turbo problems yesterday, which cost him 45 minutes. The Stobart Ford driver was classified 42nd.
