SEBASTIEN Loeb was crowned World Rally champion for a record ninth successive time with two legs of the season still to come. The French rally great clinched his latest title with a victory in Rally France, leaving him with an unassailable lead in the overall standings.

France’s WRC round has been based in Loeb’s home region of Alsace since 2010, and it was the scene of his 75th rally victory, as well as the venue on which he made clear that this will be his last World Rally crown as he switches to a part-time program in 2013, before eventually joining the World Touring Car Championship in 2014.

Loeb has refused to outline his exact plans for next year, confirming only that he will take part in the Monte Carlo season-opener. However, he said he is now tempted to commit to one last home rally to say his final farewell.

“When you see the atmosphere in France, when it’s like this, it’s hard to say ‘we’ll do four rallies and not this one.’ Maybe we’ll do this one. To finish my career here would be great,” Loeb said at the end of the recent Rally France.

Incidentally, there was double joy at the event as his team, French carmaker Citroen, claimed its eighth World Rally constructors’ title.

Loeb’s win in his hometown of Haguenau in Alsace pushed him up to 244 points in the drivers’ title race with his teammate, Mikko Hirvonen, who finished third, on 173 points and out of contention for the title with rallies in Italy and Spain remaining.

French President Francois Hollande congratulated Loeb on his “unprecedented achievement.”

“The Alastian driver had a perfect race in Rally France in front of a public who came out in force to celebrate their native son,” said Hollande, adding that Citroen is a “credit to the French automotive industry.”

Lucky nine
“Nine titles! Yes, we’ve done it. This is huge,” said Loeb. “I am the nonuple champion... nonuple, I don’t even know this word. I’ll have to learn it now!

“I was carried along by the fans over the past four days. I’d really like to say ‘thank you’ to them, there were people lining the route everywhere with flags, my friends were in tears, I was close to cracking myself.”

Loeb’s domination over the sport has been virtually total since winning the first of his 75 rallies in Germany in 2002, four years after his WRC debut in Catalonia, Spain. The 38-year-old’s first world title came in 2004, and he has been crowned drivers’ champion every season since.

Besides his record nine titles, Loeb also holds the record for consecutive wins (six), number of wins in a season (11 in 2008), number of stage wins in a specific rally (nine in Germany), number of times on the podium (111), and number of consecutive podiums finishes (15 between Sardinia in 2008 and Argentina in 2009).

Loeb, reflecting on his drive to victory, said; “The last day was very complicated.”

Well, nine world titles are no small feat either.