Sebastien Loeb Bows Out As Sebastien Ogier Rules

Just when neutral rally fans longing for a proper rivalry in the World Rally Championship were relieved to see Sebastien Loeb bow out of the sport in Rallye France, his one-time rival and new dominant force Sebastien Ogier claimed his first drivers’ title with a win at his home event.

Given that this India, a cricket comparison came to mind at the news of Loeb crashing out of the French round of the WRC, which he had declared would be the last of his career. Donald Bradman’s infamous dismissal for a duck in his final innings quickly came to mind as the nine-time WRC champ brought his career to a close in less than stellar circumstances.

However, given that Loeb had long decided to participate in just four rounds this year, the retirement wasn’t much of a blot against the Frenchman’s remarkable career.

Instead it allowed one to appreciate the growing stature of the man who looks set to be his spiritual successor. Ogier’s points tally of 238 nearly matches that of second and third placed Thierry Neuville and Jari-Matti Latvala.

Hardly surprising given the lengths to which German car giant Volkswagen went to in order to give Ogier the best car possible to dominate the WRC.

Of course, given that Loeb had decided to take it easy this year, 2014 may just be a truer test of Ogier and the Polo R WRC.

Hyundai’s WRC-spec i20 has been doing the testing rounds with Juho Hanninen and Chris Atkinson and VW has rather sportingly agreed to freeze development of the Polo R WRC for that year.

No such luck for ‘traditional’ rallying fans who associate the sport with the deeds of Scandinavian heroes like Tommi Makkinen, Juha Kankkunen, Petter Solberg and Marcus Gronholm, however.

Ogier’s triumph means that no Scandinavian has won the WRC crown since Solberg in 2003. And there’s no sign of the Frenchman agreeing to ‘freeze’ his own driving prowess!