Japan 2008

SEBASTIEN LOEB HAS NOW BECOME THE MOST SUCCESSFUL RALLY DRIVER EVER, AIDED IN NO SMALL PART BY HIS CO-DRIVER, DANIEL ELENA, AND HIS TEAM, CITROËN, WHO HAVE PROVIDED HIM WITH ALMOST BULLET-PROOF CARS. HE WON THE 2008 DRIVERS TITLE HERE IN JAPAN, BY COMING THIRD BEHIND MIKKO HIRVONEN AND JARRI-MATTI LATVALA, TO BECOME THE ONLY DRIVER IN HISTORY TO WIN 5 CONSECUTIVE TITLES.

BY A COINCIDENCE, LATER IN THE DAY AND ON OTHER CONTINENT, LEWIS HAMILTON WOULD BECOME F1 WORLD CHAMPION DESPITE NOT WINNING THE ACTUAL EVENT. LEWIS IS AT THE START OF HIS CAREER, SEBASTIEN IS AT HIS PEAK AND YOU WONDER JUST HOW FAR HE COULD STRETCH HIS PRESENT RECORDS. HE HAS ALSO WON 46 INDIVIDUAL EVENTS, ALMOST DOUBLE THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 26 HELD BY CARLOS SAINZ, IN ADDITION TO HIS 5 WORLD TITLES.

MIKKO HIRVONEN DID ALL HE HAD TO DO TO TRY TO TAKE THE FIGHT TO WALES NEXT MONTH BUT, LIKE FELIPE MASSA IN BRAZIL, IT WAS NOT ENOUGH. FORD NARROWED THE GAP IN THE CONSTRUCTORS RACE BY TAKING MAXIMUM POINTS WITH LATVALA TAKING 2ND PLACE; HELPED BY DANIEL SORDO HAVING TO RETIRE WITH TURBO TROUBLE.

NOW TO WALES FOR THE FINAL EVENT WHERE THE CONSTRUCTORS TITLE WILL BE DECIDED.

Rally Results posted by
David Little
3rd November 2008

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