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LONDON - Sebastien Loeb won his fourth world rally championship in a row yesterday when he drove his Citroen to third place in the season-ending event in Britain.
Finland's Mikko Hirvonen, whose Ford team had already clinched their second successive manufacturers' title, was the race winner after three days through the mud and forests of South Wales.
Hirvonen's team mate and compatriot Marcus Gronholm, Frenchman Loeb's only rival for the crown, finished second in his final world championship rally before heading into retirement.
Loeb, who equalled Finn Tommi Makinen's record of four titles in a row, ended the season with 116 points to Gronholm's 112. Hirvonen was third with 99.
"It's incredible," the Frenchman told World Rally Radio.
"It was really a great championship this year," he added, mobbed by reporters and photographers as he finished the final Trawscoed stage one minute and 33 seconds behind Hirvonen.
"We had a big, big fight with Marcus all the time and to finish with only four points' lead is really a great moment.
"It was my best battle, I think the nicest championship... I am really happy, four times now and I equalled the record of Tommi. That is great."
The Frenchman is only the third driver to win four world rally championships, the other being Makinen's compatriot Juha Kankkunen.
The championship was a fitting farewell to Citroen team boss Guy Frequelin, who has led the French car company to three manufacturers' titles since their first full season in 2003.
Gronholm had hoped to crown his retirement with a third drivers' title but a crash in the previous rally in Ireland had all but killed off his hopes.
The Ford driver played safe from the start on Friday, knowing that the championship outcome was out of his hands with Loeb needing only to finish a steady fifth to be sure of the title.
"I am disappointed of course," said the Finn. "But it was a difficult rally, this one, and we lost the title in Ireland."
Gronholm's co-driver and brother-in-law Timo Rautiainen added: "It has been a good battle and we have been fast in many rallies.
"It was interesting down to the final rally. It would have been much more of a brilliant and golden finish for the career to end as champions but what can you do? We are not champions."
Hirvonen, who had set the pace since the opening day, finished the final stage with his front bumper hanging off after what could have been a costly error.
"We went off and I didn't plan it," said the Finn. "This season has been absolutely fantastic and to finish the season like this is the best preparation for next year.
"I'm happy to be on the podium for the last time with Marcus and Sebastien, it's going to be a special moment."
Subaru's Norwegian Petter Solberg finished fourth, with Loeb's Spanish team mate Dani Sordo fifth. Briton Matthew Wilson was sixth in a Stobart Ford and Australian Chris Atkinson seventh for Subaru.
Austrian Manfred Stohl collected the final point in a privately-entered Citroen.
- REUTERS
