OCTOBER 17, 2004

France gets a new World Champion

France has not had many FIA World Champions over the years but this year Sebastien Loeb has clinched the World Rally Championship at his home event in Corsica. The Citroen driver finished second in Corsica but only needed to be fifth to guarantee the title with two events still to come. Loeb has won five rallies this year and has scored 11 podium finishes. Markko Martin won the rally for Ford while former F1 driver Stephane Sarrazin took World Championship points for the first time with an impressive sixth place in his Subaru.

Loeb becomes only the fourth Frenchman to win an FIA World Championship following in the footsteps of Alain Prost (F1 World Champion 1985-1986-1989-1993), Jean-Louis Schlesser (Sportscar World Champion 1989-1990) and Didier Auriol (World Rally Champion 1994).