Record win for Loeb in Finland

By James Disdale

05th August 2008

Citroen star Sebastien Loeb leapt into the record books with a stunning win in the ultra-fast Rally of Finland. By finishing ahead of Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen and Chris Atkinson’s third-placed Subaru, the Frenchman became only the fourth non-Scandinavian to take victory in the event in 57 years. But the defending champ didn’t have an easy ride to the flag. He was chased all the way by Hirvonen, who completed his home event only 9.9 seconds behind the winner to hold on to a slim one-point lead on the title table.

His team-mate Jarri Matti Latvala had a miserable run, crashing out of a possible podium place on only the third stage. However, Brit ace Matthew Wilson finished eighth, snatching the final championship point. Rally Deutschland in Germany is next up, on 15 August.