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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Loeb seals his third world title | Loeb seals his third world title |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Sebastien Loeb was crowned World Rally champion for the third straight year as Finn Mikko Hirvonen won in Australia. | Sebastien Loeb was crowned World Rally champion for the third straight year as Finn Mikko Hirvonen won in Australia. |
| Frenchman Loeb, 32, clinched the title in his Citroen despite being sidelined with a broken arm. | Frenchman Loeb, 32, clinched the title in his Citroen despite being sidelined with a broken arm. |
| Marcus Gronholm needed to finish in the top four in Australia to keep the championship race alive but was fifth after crashing his Ford on Friday. | Marcus Gronholm needed to finish in the top four in Australia to keep the championship race alive but was fifth after crashing his Ford on Friday. |
| Loeb said: "Luckily for me, I had a good number of points before I had my accident. It's a very nice feeling." | |
| Loeb, who broke his arm in a cycling accident, is only the third driver to win three world championships. | Loeb, who broke his arm in a cycling accident, is only the third driver to win three world championships. |
| He said: "When you are at home and you know you can't drive and you're watching the rally on the internet, it's very difficult, very frustrating to not be able to fight. | |
| "It's good to know that we won the championship." | "It's good to know that we won the championship." |
| He emulates Finnish duo Juha Kankkunen and Tommi Makinen, who both won four world titles each. | He emulates Finnish duo Juha Kankkunen and Tommi Makinen, who both won four world titles each. |
| Kankkunen was king in 1986, 1987, 1991 and 1993 while Makinen claimed four championships in a row from 1996-99. | Kankkunen was king in 1986, 1987, 1991 and 1993 while Makinen claimed four championships in a row from 1996-99. |
| Loeb, who also missed the Turkish rally, had a 25-point lead over Gronholm going into the Australian event. | Loeb, who also missed the Turkish rally, had a 25-point lead over Gronholm going into the Australian event. |
| He now leads by 21 points with just two races left - in New Zealand and Wales. | He now leads by 21 points with just two races left - in New Zealand and Wales. |
| Loeb, who was a gymnast before taking up rally driving, is only the second Frenchman to have secured the world title after Didier Auriol, who won in 1994. | Loeb, who was a gymnast before taking up rally driving, is only the second Frenchman to have secured the world title after Didier Auriol, who won in 1994. |
| Hirvonen claimed his first rally win Loeb joined Citroen in 2001, winning his first race the following year in Germany. | Hirvonen claimed his first rally win Loeb joined Citroen in 2001, winning his first race the following year in Germany. |
| He wons three races in 2002, eventually finishing runner-up to Gronholm. | He wons three races in 2002, eventually finishing runner-up to Gronholm. |
| Hirvonen, driving a Ford Focus, captured his first rally win by completing the treacherous 26-stage event in Australia in an aggregate time of three hours 15 minutes 11.8 seconds. | Hirvonen, driving a Ford Focus, captured his first rally win by completing the treacherous 26-stage event in Australia in an aggregate time of three hours 15 minutes 11.8 seconds. |
| Norway's Petter Solberg, the 2003 world champion, finished second in a Subaru, 37.1 seconds behind. | Norway's Petter Solberg, the 2003 world champion, finished second in a Subaru, 37.1 seconds behind. |
| Austrian Manfred Stohl was third overall, almost a further four minutes behind Solberg in his Peugeot. | Austrian Manfred Stohl was third overall, almost a further four minutes behind Solberg in his Peugeot. |
| Spain's Xavier Pons, driving a Citroen in the absence of the injured Loeb, finished fourth, more than seven and a half minutes ahead of Gronholm. | Spain's Xavier Pons, driving a Citroen in the absence of the injured Loeb, finished fourth, more than seven and a half minutes ahead of Gronholm. |
| Official result from Australia: | |
| 1. Mikko Hirvonen, Finland, Ford, 3 hours, 15 minutes, 11.8 seconds2. Petter Solberg, Norway, Subaru, 3:15.48.93. Manfred Stohl, Austria, Peugeot, 3:19.10.44. Xavier Pons, Spain, Citroen, 3:19.57.25. Marcus Gronholm, Finland, Ford, 3:27.35.66. Jari-Matti Latvala, Finland, Ford, 3:32.21.07. Mirco Baldacci, San Marino, Mitsubishi, 3:32.54.78. Dean Herridge, Australia, Subaru, 3:33.33.89. Sebastien Beltran, Argentina, Mitsubishi, 3:41.35.310. Chris Atkinson, Australia, Subaru, 3:42.17.3 | |
| Overall standings: | Overall standings: |
| 1. S Loeb (France) 112 pts2. M Grönholm (Finland) 913. M Hirvonen (Finland) 574. D Sordo (Spain) 435. M Stohl (Austria) 406. P Solberg (Norway) 317. H Solberg (Norway) 258. X Pons (Spain) 239. T Gardemeister (Finland) 2010. C Atkinson (Australia) 17 | 1. S Loeb (France) 112 pts2. M Grönholm (Finland) 913. M Hirvonen (Finland) 574. D Sordo (Spain) 435. M Stohl (Austria) 406. P Solberg (Norway) 317. H Solberg (Norway) 258. X Pons (Spain) 239. T Gardemeister (Finland) 2010. C Atkinson (Australia) 17 |