Record fifth WRC title for Leob
Sebastien Loeb captured a record-breaking fifth straight World Rally Championship drivers' title today by finishing third at the Rally of Japan.
Mikko Hirvonen won the race in Sapporo by 31.1 seconds but that was not enough to deny Loeb the 2008 WRC title.
"It's incredible," said Loeb on the WRC's official website. "But that was a terrible rally - it couldn't have been trickier.
"It's a great moment. It's perfect. I'm so relieved this weekend is over now. Last year Daniel (Elena) and I equalled the record with four wins, so being the only ones to do five we are very happy."
Hirvonen secured his third win of the year in three hours 25 minutes and three seconds after the 29 stages but the Finn conceded that Citroen driver Loeb was a worthy winner of the Championship.
"That's it, it's over," he said. "He won 10 events before coming here so he deserves it. I did all I could. Now we need to try again next year."
Loeb, who suffered a nerve-wracking spin on the penultimate stage before recovering, completed the rally in an overall time of 3hrs 27mins 33.6secs.
Hirvonen's fellow Ford Focus driver Jari-Matti Latvala finished second in 3hrs 25mins 34.1secs, a result that means that the battle for the manufacturers' championship will go to the final round in Wales.
Ford took a maximum 18-point haul and have closed the gap on Citroen to 11 points.
"It's very good for the team and very good for me," said Latvala.
"After such a bad time in August I can be happy. There was a time when our good result in Turkey seemed a long way away, but now I can be happy again."
Chris Atkinson finished fourth in his Subaru World Rally Team Impreza WRC2008 while Suzuki World Rally Team duo P-G Anderson and Toni Gardemeister took fifth and sixth place successively.
Matthew Wilson finished seventh in his Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Focus while Subaru driver Petter Solberg was in the last of the points-winning places after claiming eighth.
