Sébastien Loeb
Sébastien Loeb ( born February 26, 1974 in Haguenau, Alsace ) is a French rally driver.
Loeb made his debut in 1999 in the World Rally Championship since 2001 and is factory driver at Citroën. He previously scored nine world titles (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 ), 78 WRC victories and more than 1,600 championship points. He holds in the World Rally Championship, among others, the record for points awarded, special stages, rallies, certain rallies in a row, each rally run - consecutive victories and world championships. He is not only the most successful rally driver, but also one of the most successful racers ever, and one of the most successful French sportsmen in history.
A native of Alsace, the media nicknamed " Super Seb " gave, scored all his success in the World Championship with the Monegasque co-driver Daniel Elena. In some smaller rally events, his wife Séverine was co-driver.
Sporadic Loeb takes part in circuit racing. His biggest success here is the second place in the 24 - hour race at Le Mans in 2006. He also won in 2003, 2005 and 2008, the Race of Champions.
- 4.1 Title
- 4.2 WRC victories
- 4.3 WRC results
- 4.4 Le Mans results
Career
Childhood and youth
Sébastien Loeb was on 26 February 1974 as the only child of Guy and Ingrid Loeb (who died in 2005 and 2012) was born in Haguenau and grew up in Oberhoffen -sur -Moder in Alsace. He ran into his childhood gymnastics and was four times Alsatian champion, once champion of Eastern France and fifth in the French championship. In his youth, he drove moped races and also participated in several official competitions. After two years previously dropped out of school, he began in September 1994 at Socalec in Haguenau trained as an electrical engineer. In August 1995, he received his degree and was employed by the company.
Rallying
1995-1997: introduction to rallying
With the money earned Loeb bought a Renault 5 GT Turbo. He began in 1995 to drive some local rally events. In the same year he took part in the Peugeot 106 in the Rally Jeunes, when the Fédération Française du sport automobile sighted young rally driver. Although he reached the final, but another driver was preferred. On his part again in 1996 he also failed in the final. At the start of his career, he still lacked the money. He got help when the team Ambition Sport Auto by Dominique Heintz and Rémi Mammosser became aware of Loeb. They made him In 1997, the financial resources and a Peugeot 106. He took first at a regional rally with Heintz part in the passenger seat. Then he played with a new co-driver to make cup Volant 106, where he won all four driven rallies for 1300 cc cars. Then he took two rallies for vehicles up to 1600 cc in part and cut there too well. In the overall classification, he finished at the end of the eighth. Already in the course of 1997, Loeb began his collaboration with the Monegasque Daniel Elena as a passenger.
1998-2000: From Amateur to Professional
1998 Loeb switched to the Citroën Saxo Kit Car and launched the Citroën Saxo Kit Car Cup. All rallies in which he reached the destination, he finished as the winner. He finished the season off in sixth place overall. However, he destroyed in accidents, two vehicles and took his team Ambition Sport Auto in financial difficulties. In March 1999, Loeb left his previous employer Socalec by mutual consent in order to fully concentrate on rallying can. In 1999, he won the Citroën Saxo Kit Car Cup and achieved his first title in rallying. In the same year he also joined the team de France FFSA, which enabled him to take his first steps in the World Rally Championship. After he was turned out in his debut, the Rally Catalunya, he finished the Tour de Corse and San Remo Rally as the best-placed driver with a vehicle of the class A6. He also got the Rally Catalunya out of competition the opportunity to turn his first laps in a World Rally Car, a Seat Cordoba WRC.
Ambition sports car prepared Loeb Citroën Saxo Kit Car ago for a run of the French Gravel Rally Championship for the season 2000. He scored a class win in the 2WD vehicles. Then Citroën and the two sponsors Jean -Pierre Champeau and Frédéric Schmitt became aware of Loeb and supported him in the rest of the season. Loeb still drove a class victories and won the championship for 2WD vehicles. In the overall standings the gravel championship he finished in third place. He also drove in 2000 for the first time in the World Rally Championship, a World Rally Car, a Toyota Corolla WRC Equipe de France FFSA. This he placed in his missions Corsica and San Remo in the top ten, even if outside the points. For the season finale of the French Rally Championship on asphalt, the Rallye du Var, presented Citroën Sport Director Guy Fréquelin him a Citroën Xsara Kit Car available. Loeb took his chance and scored in the Rally overall victory. Then Fréquelin offered him his first professional contract as a works driver for Citroën. The French Asphalt Championship Loeb graduated from eighth.
2001-2003: First WRC successes as Citroën works driver
As a driver in the Citroën factory team played Loeb 2001 most of the season in the World Rally Championship for Super 1600 cars in the WRC. The Citroën Saxo S1600 he won his class in all five driven rallies, including the Rally of Catalonia, the Rally Greece, the Rally Finland, the Tour de Corse and the Rally of Great Britain. At the San Remo Rally, however, he did not go in the Super 1600 class at the start. His team boss and mentor Guy Fréquelin enabled him in San Remo instead his first appearance in the Citroën Xsara WRC. Loeb immediately secured four special stage best times and was beaten at the end of the rally only a few seconds Gilles Panizzi. Nevertheless, he achieved the second place his best result in the World Championship as well as his first WRC points. At the end of the season was marked with points clear of title in the Super 1600 World Cup and the 14th in the overall standings to book. Besides, he was still active in 2001 in the Citroën Xsara Kit Car in the French Rally Championship on asphalt. He won all six rallies in which he reached the goal, and was with great points ahead of French champion.
2002 Loeb was awarded a place in the Citroën Xsara WRC. However, the season was more of a " learning year " as a serious attack on the World Cup, because he 14 WRC rallies attended only 9. The season opener, the Monte Carlo Rally, Loeb graduated Although the fastest pilot, but he was subsequently banned for a tire change, a time penalty and thus fell back to second place behind Tommi Mäkinen. After he had in the meantime been run only average results, he celebrated in August in the Rally of Germany its first WRC victory. The season he finished in tenth place in the drivers' standings.
2003 denied Loeb and Citroën Total World Rally Team first complete season in the World Rally Championship. He won the rallies in Monte Carlo, Germany and Sanremo. His reputation grew during this season to continue, because Loeb was able to beat his highly assessed teammate Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae, who delivered both weaker results. Prior to the final Rally GB Loeb was a point ahead of Petter Solberg in the lead. However, he received from his team the express instruction, defensive driving in order not to jeopardize the championship in the Manufacturers' Championship for Citroën. Loeb obeyed and ended the rally thus place behind Solberg and missed the world title by just one point.
2004-2006: WRC title in the Citroën Xsara WRC
In 2004 began Loeb's dominance in the World Rally Championship, similar to that of Michael Schumacher at this time in Formula 1 Loeb, who was previously considered asphalt specialist, was now increasingly successful on gravel. He won this year is not only the rallies in Monte Carlo and Germany, but also the discharged on gravel Cyprus Rally, Rally of Turkey and Rally Australia. He also won the first non- originating from Scandinavia driver in the Rally of Sweden on snow. By the end of the season he had retracted a total of six wins and six second places. He equaled the record set by the Frenchman Didier Auriol, who in 1992 was also able to win six WRC rallies within one season. The drivers' championship Loeb led with 36 points ahead of his closest pursuer, Petter Solberg, of. Thus in 2004 he won his first world title.
2005 Loeb extended his dominance in the WRC continues. This year, he set several records. In the ninth round of the season, the Rally Argentina, he won his sixth WRC win in a row, what no other driver managed before. Already at the fourth last race of the season, the Rally Japan, he secured an early title. Loeb won a total of 10 of 16 driven rallies, including the Monte Carlo Rally, Rally New Zealand, Rally Sardinia, the Cyprus Rally, the Rally of Turkey, Greece, the rally, the Rally Argentina, Rally Germany, the Corsica Rally and the Rally of Catalonia. With ten wins in 2005, he was now the sole record holder for the largest number of WRC wins per season. In the Tour de Corse, he managed to decide the first driver to all stages of a WRC rally for itself. His point lead in the drivers' standings over second-placed Petter Solberg, was 56 meters at the end of the season. Never before had won a driver with such a big lead the World Rally Championship. In addition, Loeb managed 12 consecutive times on the podium 13 times and to drive behind each other in the points, which he also set new records.
After the 2005 season, the Citroën factory team withdrew from the World Rally Championship, in order to focus entirely on the development of a new rally car. Therefore, Loeb switched to private Belgian Kronos Racing team, which with factory support from Citroën further led in 2006 the stakes of the Citroën Xsara WRC in the World Rally Championship. To the beginning of the season it initially looked as if Loeb would get this year a serious competitor in the battle for the world championship. Loeb had each beaten the Finns Marcus Grönholm at the first two rallies in Monte Carlo and Sweden. While Grönholm's services but then subsided, proved Loeb Constance. In the rest of the season he won the Rally Mexico, Rally Catalunya, the Tour de Corse, the Rally Argentina, Rally Sardinia, Rally Germany, the Rally Japan and the Cyprus Rally. It is also noteworthy that he always reached the goal in all twelve driven rallies and placed no lower than second place. In September, however, he withdrew in a crash on a mountain bike an upper arm fracture to and therefore could no longer compete for the last four World Cup races of the season. His point lead was at this time but already so great that his fiercest competitor Grönholm three rallies would win and at least one third should have been to bring the world title. Although Gronholm won actually three rallies, was in Australia but only fifth. This Loeb had the end of the season one -point lead and became the third consecutive World Cup.
2007-2010: WRC title in the Citroën C4 WRC
Citroën returned in 2007 with the new Citroën C4 WRC in the World Cup back. Loeb left Kronos Racing and went back for the Citroën factory team. Already the first rally with the new vehicle, the Rally Monte Carlo, he could decide for themselves. Then he went further victories in the WRC rallies in Mexico, Portugal, Argentina, Germany, Catalonia, Corsica and Ireland. To prepare for the Rally Ireland, which was new this season in the calendar of the WRC, Loeb had also participated in two smaller rallies in Ireland and both ended as the winner. At the Rally New Zealand, he had to give only 0.3 seconds his strongest opponent, Markus Gronholm, beaten. Until that time, this was the closest decision in the history of the WRC. Despite everything Loeb in 2007 was not as superior as in previous years. After the duel remained open for the title for a long time, he secured only at the final Rally of Great Britain his fourth world title in a row. His margin over Gronholm was four points in the final bill.
Loeb started 2008 in his second season with the Citroën C4 WRC. Following the resignation Grönholm he had lost his biggest competitors. Loeb certain what happens in the World Cup alone again and was able to celebrate a total of eleven victories, outperforming its record from 2005. He won the rallies in Monte Carlo, Mexico, Argentina, Sardinia, Greece, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, Catalonia, Corsica and the UK. His only loss in that year he had at the Rally Sweden. At the penultimate race of the season, the Rally Japan, he decided to leave for the fifth time the world championship. He took over from Juha Kankkunen and Tommi Mäkinen and was now the sole record holder of the number of WRC titles. At the end of the season was Loeb 19 points ahead of the Finn Mikko Hirvonen. With its high score Loeb also contributed significantly to Citroën's first constructors' title since 2005.
Loeb started the 2009 season with five consecutive victories in the first five events of the WRC, including rallies in Ireland, Norway, Cyprus, Portugal and Argentina. However, some driving errors prevented good results in the following three rallies. So he lost the championship lead to Hirvonen. Also at the Rally Finland and Rally Australia was beaten Hirvonen Loeb. While he was in Australia the fastest rider, but threw it at a later time penalty for illegal stabilizers to second place back. In the last two rallies of the season in Catalonia and the UK, however, Loeb won again. Thus he regained the lead in the championship back and had at the end of the season back one point more than Hirvonen on his points account. So he scored just his sixth world title. At the end he also had a guest appearance in the French Rally Championship at the Rallye du Var, from which he emerged as the winner.
At the start of the season Rally Sweden 2010 Loeb first reached the second place. This was followed by victories in the gravel rallies in Mexico, Jordan and Turkey. This Loeb had clearly separated from its competitors back in the driver standings. In the rest of the season no one could seriously put Loeb pressured. After Loeb had meanwhile won the Rally Bulgaria, he won again in the Rally of Germany. Now he had since it was first held in 2002 not only won the German WRC- run eight times in a row without interruption, but was also the first driver ever to eight times could decide a particular WRC Rally for themselves. In October, he won at his home event, the Rallye de France in Alsace, and secured there prematurely his seventh world title. The last two rallies in Catalonia and the UK, he ended victorious. Overall saw Loeb 2010 for all 13 WRC rallies the goal and placed himself on the podium 12 times.
Since 2011: Citroën DS3 WRC in WRC
Before the 2011 season, Loeb was initially announced its intention to terminate the end of 2011 his career. He only signed recently with Citroën -year contracts in order to keep open all options and not have to plan long-term too. Since 2011, Loeb Citroën DS3 WRC comes with a new generation of World Rally Cars in the World Rally Championship at the start. The vehicle is no longer as its predecessors equipped with a 2- liter turbo engine, but with a 1.6 - liter turbo engine. Loeb won the Rally Mexico, Rally Sardinia Rally Argentina and the Rally Finland. Thus he is the only non- Finnish driver, who won last-mentioned event twice. A few days before the rally Germany Loeb extended his contract with his regular employer for a further two years. He let himself open to the option of being able to get out after the 2012 season. At the Rally Germany he reached after 75 seconds in loss due to a puncture only the second overall behind Sébastien Ogier. Thus two of his winning streaks were interrupted by his own team-mate Loeb was in Germany and since 2004 in asphalt rallies unbeaten duration winners since 2002. After nine driven rallies he led the Drivers' Championship with 25 points ahead of his teammate Sébastien Ogier. At the next discharged Rally Australia, the Loeb lying in leadership overturned on the fourth special stage five times. The first vehicle on the track, with two seconds ahead of his teammate, Loeb comparing himself and the intermediate times of his following, the display and slowed down before a bend too little. The guide went over to his team mate Ogier. Ogier crashed on the sixth special stage on a tree. Driver and passenger were unhurt. The overall lead went over to the Ford factory drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari -Matti Latvala. Overnight, could the two DS3 WRCs repaired and made ready to start. Under SupeRally Regulations Loeb started with 30 penalty minutes and Ogier 20 minute penalty in the next day. Latvala took over on the first special stage of the day the lead from his team-mates. Due to their time penalties, Ogier launched on 16 and Loeb space of 21 to catch up to world championship points. It seemed as if Loeb 2009 would reach the first time since the rally Greece no championship points placement. Until the penultimate special stage of the next day, the positions of the first three riders did not change. Ogier had meanwhile been working until the ninth place overall and the chance to take over the eighth place from the slower PWRC vehicle in front of him was great. Loeb was now driven up to the twelfth grade. In this special stage team order was both Ford and Citroën one allowed in rallying issued. Latvala stopped short of the goal to give the win to 28 seconds and Hirvonen. Ogier conceded aware of a 50 -second time penalty when he started 5 minutes late at this special stage, and then parked next to the track. He lost deliberately additionally over nine minutes to allow Loeb one championship point. After this double win for Ford Ford, reducing the deficit in the manufacturers' world championship on 62 points. Mikko Hirvonen was now 15 points behind Loeb in the drivers' championship in second place. To his home rally in France Loeb traveled as a top favorite. He resigned, however, in the lead, on the third special stage from. The reason for Loeb's first failure due to technical defect since the Rally Sweden 2008 was a conditional by an assembly error engine problem. In Catalonia Rally, which he won for the seventh time in a row, he broke Markku ALENs record to WP- best times and secured his team the premature Manufacturers' World Championship titles. After Mikko Hirvonen still his only remaining competitor was excreted to the world title at the season finale in the UK, Loeb won his eighth drivers' world championship titles before the end of the event. Loeb was involved on the link 18 to 19 special from a Spanish wrong-way driver in a traffic accident. There were all involved unharmed, but the cooler of the DS3 WRC was damaged and Loeb had to retire. The road to victory was now set for Jari -Matti Latvala at the front World Cup places changed by but nothing more.
From 2012: Title rivals are teammates
Mid-2011 announced the abolition of the FIA - the championship leader discriminatory - Starting order regulations. Thereupon, Loeb decided to stay in the World Rally Championship and extended his contract with the Citroën Total World Rally Team. Until then, as Loeb 's successor funded and partially preferred Ogier felt at a disadvantage and wanted in a team, in which he could go against Loeb to the World Cup. In November 2011 it was announced that Ogier's contract was terminated. For the 2012 season the Citroën Total World Rally Team undertook the long-standing Ford works driver Mikko Hirvonen as the new No. 2 driver alongside Loeb.
In its seventh participation in the Rallye Monte Carlo - that did not belong in the past three years to WRC - Loeb won the sixth time. He won superior and additionally secured the three points bonus of Power days. In Swedish Snow Loeb scored only the sixth place. The Rally Mexico, he won, but he resigned in the subsequent rally from Portugal. The closest discharged five WRC rounds in Argentina, Greece, New Zealand, Finland and Germany, he won in series. In the UK, he took second place overall. In his, discharged the eleventh of thirteen World Championship races 2012, home rally in Alsace, he scored the eighth win of the season and thus won his ninth world title prematurely. Together with his new - constantly collecting points - teammates succeeded in France rally to win also the Constructors' Championship title.
Race of Champions
Sébastien Loeb is also a regular guest at the Race of Champions, which brings together at the end of the top drivers from different racing series and go in KO mode against each other. For its first participation in 2002, he took second place behind Marcus Grönholm. In 2003 he achieved his first victory after he was able to prevail in the final against Grönholm. In 2004, he was beaten while in the final Heikki Kovalainen, but he won with Jean Alesi the Nations Cup for France. 2005 Loeb won in the finals over Tom Kristensen and overtook his second individual victory in the ROC. In 2006 he was defeated Mattias Ekström in the final, although both pilots a Citroën Xsara WRC drove, with the Loeb previously won the World Rally Championship. After he had suspended in 2007, Loeb took 2008 back to the ROC at Wembley on. In the final he beat out David Coulthard and won his third individual victory. His next participation in the ROC followed in 2010, when he joined the young Portuguese Filipe Albuquerque was defeated in the finals.
Sports car racing
Between his assignments in the World Rally Championship Sebastien Loeb also took part in occasional sports car race in part on the track.
2005 Loeb first appeared at the 24-hour race at Le Mans. Prepared he had on the simulator with Gran Turismo 4 In the race he shared with his teammates Éric Hélary Soheil Ayari and the cockpit of a Pescarolo Pescarolo C60 Hybrid of sport. The Pescarolo with 5- liter V10 naturally aspirated Judd had started as one of the toughest competitors of the Audi R8 in racing. However, Loeb's vehicle initially fell back due to a puncture and was thrown after an accident four and a half hours before the race finally out of the race. 2006 Loeb started again in the Pescarolo C60 Hybrid at Le Mans, now on the side of Eric and Franck Montagny Hélary. He scored with his colleagues in second place and had four laps behind the winning Audi R10 TDI. The second factory Audi he even behind. Then Loeb returned the long distance classic back to back, because he saw no chance of winning against the superior diesel Audi and again wanted to concentrate on the World Rally Championship. At year-end 2008 and 2009 he graduated Although tests with the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, a race entry to the vehicle but did not materialize.
In September 2008, Loeb launched to the two rounds of the Porsche Carrera Cup France at the Circuit d' Albi. The Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Porsche France he drove in the first run in seventh place, in the second race he fell after a collision. In the same race weekend, he played in the Porsche 997 GT3 RSR of Pro GT by Almeras with teammate Jean -Pierre Champeau the two rounds of the French GT Championship. He finished the first race in 15th place, the second race he was forced to retire prematurely.
In April 2009, Loeb participated in the FFSA Super Series in part at the Circuit de Nogaro. During the race weekend, he played both the two races of the French Porsche Carrera Cup and the two races of the French GT Championship. The Ferrari 550 GTS Maranello of Solution F he was with teammate Ange Barde in the first round of the French GT Championship Fifth, in the second run, however, only twelfth. With the set of Pro GT by Almeras vehicle in the Porsche Carrera Cup he finished the race in ninth and eighth place.
His next start in the French GT Championship had Loeb in June 2010 at the Circuit du Val de Vienne, where he drove a Ferrari F430 GT3 Jean -Pierre Champeau. He finished the first race in 14th place and the second race in ninth. In October, he started with Daniel Sordo in a Porsche 997 GT3 R of Pro GT by Almeras to the race of the International GT Open at the Circuit de Catalunya. After he had finished the first race in 14th place, he fell out of the second race.
End of October 2011 was Loeb at the Circuit Paul Ricard again a guest appearance in circuit racing. In the French Porsche Carrera Cup he scored with a car from the team Pulsat - Racing Technology in the first race in second place behind the champions Kévin Estre, in the second race he finished third. In the French GT Championship, he was with team mate Bruno Hernandez at the wheel of a Ferrari 458 Italia by AF Corse tenth in the first race and fifth in race two.
On the same weekend Loeb announced his plans for the future after rallying. He wants to start with his friend Dominique Heintz own team under the name Sebastien Loeb Racing. The team will use two cars in the Porsche Carrera Cup France, as well as a Formula Le Mans car in the Le Mans Series in 2012. 2014 Loeb would take with a LMP2 car again the 24 Hours of Le Mans in attack.
In 2013 he won the Hill Climb Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in a specially prepared Peugeot 208 T16 and thereby improved the record of Rhys Millen from the previous year by more than one and a half minutes.
Formula 1 plans
Sebastien Loeb completed some tests with Formula 1 vehicles. In December 2007, he tested the Renault R26 at the Circuit Paul Ricard. After his fifth WRC title, he was invited in November 2008 by Red Bull Racing to the official Formula 1 winter testing at the Circuit de Catalunya, after he had previously driven 100 km at Silverstone with the vehicle. With the Red Bull RB4 he scored in Barcelona, the eighth fastest time of 17 participants and was 1.8 seconds behind the fastest time.
As for the season in mid-2009 the apparent sacking of Sebastien Bourdais in the Toro Rosso, Loeb reported interest in the vacant cockpit. Citroën Sport Director Olivier Quesnel wanted Loeb initially moves the WRC season to end, but then it would have exempted for a Formula 1 race. For the Formula 1 season finale, the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi in 2009, Red Bull Loeb offered to let him start in the Toro Rosso STR4. However, the FIA Super Licence Loeb refused because he had collected enough experience in circuit racing. Thus, the formula 1 was no longer an issue for him. Previously, he was also considered a candidate for a cockpit at the U.S. F1 team for the 2010 season.
A few weeks before the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2009 Loeb took part in winter testing the GP2 series at the Circuito de Jerez. In GP2 car of David Price Racing, he scored on the third day of testing at the rainy morning session, the 18th time from 25 participants with about 2.6 seconds behind the fastest time. In the drier afternoon session, he reduced the gap to the top though to around 2.1 seconds, but ranked only be so far back at No. 25 a. Loeb declared afterwards that the GP2 test came through a private connection with a DPR engineer about and was not intended as a preparation for the Formula 1 race.
X-Games
In his first appearance at the X-Games Sébastien Loeb won the gold medal in the Rally Cross in Los Angeles. The gig came about through a collaboration of sponsor Red Bull, Citroën Racing and Hansen Motorsport. He drove the 545 bhp Rallycross Citroën DS3 in the Tatarstan - Russian Timur Timerzyanov. The Frenchman came so after a challenge that spoke of also sponsored by Red Bull American Travis Pastrana some time ago.
WTCC
2014 Loeb for the French car brand Citroen with a Citroën Elysée in the WTCC World Touring Car Championship ( WTCC) is to be launched.
Personal
Sébastien Loeb is married to Séverine, has a daughter and lives in the Swiss community Bougy -Villars on Lake Geneva.
Honors
Sébastien Loeb in 2007 and 2009, together with Daniel Elena to France's Sportsman of the Year The sports newspaper L' Équipe chose ( " champion of champions" ). On 27 May 2009 the French President Nicolas Sarkozy Loeb appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour.