Motorsport: Loeb a three-time winner

Frenchman Sebastien Loeb clinched his third world rally championship yesterday when Marcos Gronholm finished fifth behind Mikko Hirvonen in the rally of Australia.

Loeb was forced to skip the rally after breaking his arm in a cycling accident this month but secured the title with two rounds to go when his last remaining rival bowed out of contention.

Gronholm, world champion in 2000 and 2002, needed to finish in the first four to have any mathematical chance of overtaking Loeb but could only manage fifth place after crashing his Ford while leading the rally on Friday morning.

Mikko Hirvonen capitalised on his teammate's accident and the absence of Loeb to capture his first rally win.

Loeb, 32, joined Tommi Makinen and Juha Kankkunen, both of Finland, as the only drivers to win at least three world titles. Kankkunen won the championship in 1986, 1987, 1991 and 1993 while Makinen won four in a row from 1996-99.