Sébastien Loeb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sébastien Loeb
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Loeb at the 2014 FIA WTCC Race of Japan
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| Born | 26 February 1974 Haguenau, France
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| Nationality |  French |
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Sébastien Loeb (born February 26, 1974) is a French professional race car driver. He competes in rally, car racing, and rallycross. He is the most successful driver in the World Rally Championship (WRC). He won the world championship a record nine times in a row.
Loeb holds many other WRC records. These include most event wins, most podium finishes, and most stage wins. He stopped full-time WRC racing at the end of 2012. Today, he races part-time in the WRC for M-Sport Ford World Rally Team. He also races full-time in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) for Bahrain Raid Xtreme.
Before racing, Loeb was a gymnast. He was a four-time champion in Alsace, France. He also won one French Grand East championship. He started rallying in 1995. In 2001, he won the Junior World Rally Championship. The Citroën World Rally Team signed him for the 2002 season. That year, he and his co-driver Daniel Elena won their first WRC race in Germany.
In 2003, Loeb finished second in the championship by just one point. He then won his first WRC title in 2004. He continued with Citroën and won a record ninth title in a row in 2012. Loeb is very good at racing on paved roads. He won almost all WRC rallies on paved surfaces between 2005 and 2013. In 2018, he won the Spanish round of the championship. This was a special entry, six years after he stopped full-time WRC racing.
Loeb first raced in the Dakar Rally in 2016. He has raced in it every year since, except 2020. His best finish there is second place, which he achieved in 2017, 2022, and 2023. Besides rallying, Loeb has won the Race of Champions four times. He won in 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2022. In 2004, he won the Nations' Cup for France with Jean Alesi. In 2006, he finished second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.
Loeb was named the French Sportsman of the Year in 2007 and 2009. He was also made a knight of the Legion of Honour in 2009. In 2012, he won the rallycross final at X Games XVIII. That same year, Loeb started his own racing team, Sébastien Loeb Racing. This team competes in different racing series.
In 2013, he raced in the FIA GT Series for his team. He won four races and finished fourth overall. In 2014 and 2015, he raced successfully in the World Touring Car Championship. He won six races and finished third overall in both seasons. From 2016 to 2018, he also raced in the FIA World Rallycross Championship. He won two races and finished fourth overall as his best result.
In 2021, Loeb tested the Ford Puma Rally1 car. He then joined the M-Sport Ford WRT for part-time racing in the 2022 WRC season. He won his 80th WRC race at the 2022 Monte Carlo Rally. This was just a week after finishing second in the 2022 Dakar Rally. Loeb also won the 2022 Extreme E Championship with Cristina Gutiérrez. They raced for Lewis Hamilton's Team X44. Loeb has also competed in other types of motorsports. These include the GT World Challenge Europe, Porsche Supercup, and the Andros Trophy. He is the only driver to win an event in four different world championships run by the FIA.
Contents
Rallying Adventures
Early Career & First Wins
Sébastien Loeb first competed as a gymnast. He became a four-time champion in Alsace. He was also a French Grand East champion once. He finished fifth in the French championship. In 1995, at age 21, he decided to focus on racing.
In 1998, he started racing in the French Citroën Saxo Trophy series. He won the title in 1999. Guy Fréquelin, the boss of Citroën Sport, became Loeb's mentor. In 2001, Loeb joined the Junior World Rally Championship. He became the first champion of this series. He won five out of six races. His only non-win was at Rallye Sanremo. For this race, he drove a Citroën Xsara WRC in the main WRC championship. In only his third race with a powerful World Rally Car, he finished an amazing second place.
Becoming a World Champion
The 2002 season was Loeb's first as a WRC driver for the Citroën Total World Rally Team. Citroën only raced in seven events that year. Loeb almost won the Monte Carlo Rally. But he got a penalty for an illegal tire change. So, Tommi Mäkinen won instead. Loeb then got his first WRC win at the Rallye Deutschland in Germany. He beat Richard Burns by a small margin.
In 2003, Loeb's first full season, he won three WRC events. These were Monte Carlo, Germany, and Sanremo. He lost the championship to Petter Solberg by just one point. Loeb's skills became well-known. He beat his famous teammates, Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae.
In the 2004 season, Loeb was very dominant. He won six events and finished second in six others. This gave him the drivers' title easily. He was 36 points ahead of Solberg. His six wins tied the record for most wins in one season. This record was held by Didier Auriol. Loeb also helped Citroën win their second team title in a row.
Loeb was known for being great on paved roads. But in 2004, he showed he could win on other surfaces too. He won the snow-covered Swedish Rally. He was the first non-Nordic driver to win this event. On gravel, he won in Cyprus, Turkey, and Australia. He continued his success on paved roads in Monte Carlo and Germany.
In 2005, Loeb made history. He won six rallies in a row, a new record. He also became the first to win seven rallies in one season. This broke his own record of six wins. He was about to win the title at the Wales Rally Great Britain. But the last two stages were canceled because of a sad accident. A co-driver, Michael Park, died. Loeb purposely took a penalty to drop to third place. He did not want to win the title in such a sad way. He secured the title later by finishing second in Japan.
Loeb ended up with ten wins that season. He won the title by a huge 56 points. He also set other records. He won all twelve stages in the 2005 Tour de Corse in France. This was the first time a driver won every stage of a WRC rally. He also had twelve podium finishes and thirteen points-scoring finishes in a row.
At the end of 2005, Citroën's main company left the WRC. But Citroën planned to return in 2007 with a new car. Loeb helped develop this new car in 2006. During this time, he raced for a private team called Kronos Racing.
In Monte Carlo, Loeb finished second. It was the first time he was beaten there. He also finished second in the Swedish Rally. But then, he started winning. He won five races in a row, starting with Rally Mexico. He tied Carlos Sainz's record of 26 rally wins in August. With his next win in Japan, he broke the world record with 27 wins. His win in Cyprus put him close to his third world title.
Soon after, Loeb broke his arm in a mountain-biking accident. He missed the last four rallies of the season. But he had so many points that he still won the 2006 championship. He won by just one point. He heard the news at home through a video call. He called it "strange" to win without racing.
More Championships & New Challenges
In 2007, Loeb returned to Citroën with the new Citroën C4 WRC. He won the first race, the 75ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo. He then finished second in Sweden. In Norway, he made mistakes and finished 14th. But he quickly bounced back. He won the next three rallies in Mexico, Portugal, and Argentina.
In Sardinia, he crashed and broke his car's suspension. This cost him a win. He finished second in Greece. He then won in Germany, Spain, and France. In Japan, he and his co-driver made a mistake and had to retire. In Ireland, his rival Marcus Grönholm crashed. Loeb took the lead in the championship. In the final race in Wales, he finished third to secure his fourth world title in a row.
Loeb started the 2008 season with a record fifth win in Monte Carlo. He crashed in Sweden but won in Mexico and Argentina. In Jordan, he had a crash with another driver. He finished tenth. He then won two more events. He finished third in Turkey.
Loeb then won the Rally Finland. This was only the fourth time a non-Nordic driver won this rally. This started a streak of five wins for Loeb. In Germany, New Zealand, and Spain, Citroën also had double wins. His teammate Dani Sordo finished second three times.
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Before the last two races, Loeb was 14 points ahead. He needed a third-place finish to win the title. He finished third in Japan. This broke the record for most titles and made him the first five-time world champion. After winning the title, Loeb won the Wales Rally GB. This also helped Citroën win their team title.
In 2009, Loeb won the first five races. He won in Ireland, Norway, Cyprus, Portugal, and Argentina. His win in Cyprus was his 50th career victory. In Sardinia, he had a flat tire and dropped to fourth. He then crashed in Greece and Poland. This made him lose the championship lead to Mikko Hirvonen.
Loeb won the Rally Catalunya. This brought him closer to Hirvonen by one point. He then won the final race, the Rally GB. This secured his sixth world championship.
The 2010 WRC season started with Loeb finishing second in Sweden. He then won the next three gravel races: Mexico, Jordan, and Turkey. In New Zealand, he finished third in a very close race. In Portugal, he lost to Sébastien Ogier. In Bulgaria, Loeb won, and Citroën cars finished first, second, third, and fourth.
At the 60th Rally Finland, Loeb finished third. He then won the Rallye Deutschland for the eighth time in a row. This was a new record for consecutive wins in one WRC event. After finishing fifth in Japan, Loeb won his home race in France. This secured his seventh world title in a row. He won the title in his hometown of Haguenau.
Loeb finished on the podium in all but one event that season. He ended the season with a record 105 points more than the second-place driver.
The 2011 season brought new cars. Loeb drove a Citroën DS3 WRC. He finished sixth in Sweden. He then won in Mexico for the fifth time in a row. In Portugal, he finished second and won his first Power Stage. In Jordan, he finished third in a very close race. He then won in Italy.
In Argentina, Loeb won after a close three-way battle. He took the lead on the final stage. In Greece, he finished second. In Finland, he won for the second time. This made him the first non-Nordic driver to win twice there. In August, Loeb signed a new contract with Citroën. In Germany, he had a flat tire and finished behind his teammate. This ended his winning streak in Germany. It was his first loss on a paved road since 2006. There was some tension between Loeb and his teammate Ogier.
Before Australia, Loeb was 25 points ahead of Ogier. Both crashed out on the first day. Loeb later gained a point. In his home race in France, Loeb had an engine problem and had to retire. Ogier won, and Loeb was tied for the lead with Hirvonen. Ogier was only three points behind. In Spain, Loeb won his fifth race of the season. He also broke the record for most stage wins. He had an eight-point lead going into the final race in Wales. Loeb took the lead early. But Hirvonen crashed and had engine problems. Loeb secured his eighth world championship. This title put him ahead of Michael Schumacher in terms of major motorsport championships. Loeb retired from the rally after hitting a spectator's car.
Loeb started the 2012 season with a record sixth win in Monte Carlo. He also won the power stage for extra points. In Sweden, he hit a snowbank and finished sixth. He won his second race of the season in Mexico.
In Portugal, he crashed out on the first day. The Rally Argentina was dominated by Citroën. Loeb won his 70th WRC race. In Greece, he won easily because other drivers had problems.
He continued his winning streak in New Zealand and Finland. He won his third race in Finland. This was the fourth double win in a row for Citroën. After winning in Germany, Loeb finished second in Wales.
In September, Loeb announced he would stop full-time rallying. He said he would only race in a few events next season. He was interested in new challenges like the World Touring Car Championship. In his home race in France, Loeb built a lead. He held off his rivals on wet roads. He secured a record ninth world title. He also helped Citroën win their eighth team title. People called him "the best rally driver of all time." Former world champion Ari Vatanen said Loeb's records would be hard to break.
Part-Time Racing & New Co-driver
Loeb raced in five rallies in 2013. He won in Monte Carlo and Argentina. He finished second in Sweden. His home rally in France was thought to be his last WRC race. But it was confirmed he would race for Citroën in the World Touring Car Championship. He crashed out of the French rally.
Loeb returned to the WRC in 2015 for the Monte Carlo Rally. He finished eighth after a crash. He did not race in any WRC events in 2016 and 2017.
He raced in three events in 2018. He won his last rally with Citroën, the Rally Catalunya.
He signed to race part-time with the Hyundai World Rally Team for the 2019 season. He got one podium finish in Chile. He raced in six events. He ended 2019 with a win at a non-championship rally with his partner Laurène Godey as co-driver.
In 2020, he continued with Hyundai. He finished sixth in Monte Carlo and got a podium in Turkey. These were his only two races that season.
On October 1, 2020, he announced he was leaving Hyundai World Rally Team. He did not race in the WRC in 2021.
On November 29, 2021, Loeb's long-time co-driver Daniel Elena announced his retirement.
Loeb then tested the Ford Puma Rally1 for M Sport. He later announced he would race part-time for them with a new co-driver, Isabelle Galmiche.
Recent Successes
At the Monte Carlo Rally, Loeb raced with Isabelle Galmiche. He had little time to prepare. He battled his old rival Sébastien Ogier throughout the rally. Ogier got a flat tire near the end. Loeb won his 80th WRC rally by a small margin. This was his first win for a team other than Citroën. It was also his first win with a co-driver other than Daniel Elena. He became the oldest driver to lead and win a WRC Rally. Galmiche became the first woman co-driver to win a WRC event since 1997.
At the Rally de Portugal, Loeb and Galmiche were fast. They took the overall lead. But Loeb slid wide into a barrier and damaged his car. He had to retire. On Saturday, he had another mechanical problem and retired again.
They then raced in the Safari Rally. Loeb had not raced there since 2002. They were fast and won a stage. But Loeb's engine caught fire and would not start. They retired for the day. They still won two more stages on Sunday and finished eighth.
Loeb and Galmiche also raced in the Acropolis Rally. They were leading the race. But Loeb had more issues and had to retire again.
In 2023, Loeb and his partner Laurène Godey won the Azores Rallye. This was their first time racing there together.
Dakar Rally and Rally Raid Adventures
Loeb first raced in the 2016 Dakar Rally. He drove a Peugeot 2008 DKR. He led the rally early on. But he lost the lead to his teammate Stéphane Peterhansel. Peterhansel won the event. Loeb won four stages and finished ninth overall.
In 2017, Loeb had to stop racing in the Silk Way Rally because of a finger injury. He had been leading that race.
Loeb achieved his best finish of second place at the 2017 Dakar Rally. He won five stages and finished just five minutes behind the winner, Stéphane Peterhansel.
In 2018, Loeb retired on day five of the 2018 Dakar Rally. His co-driver Daniel Elena had a tailbone injury. He had won one stage before retiring.
Peugeot stopped racing in rally-raid events. So, in the 2019 Dakar Rally, Loeb and Elena raced with a private Peugeot car. They finished third and won four stages.
Loeb did not race in the 2020 Dakar Rally. He announced he would return in 2021 with the Prodrive team.
At the 2021 Dakar Rally, Loeb raced for the Bahrain Raid Xtreme team. He got a penalty for speeding. He retired after getting two flat tires and being stuck for five hours. He also had many navigation problems with Daniel Elena. Elena and Loeb later announced they would no longer race together.
In 2022, Loeb raced in the first World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). His new co-driver was Fabian Lurquin. They drove the BRX Hunter car.
They started the year at the Dakar Rally. They finished second to Nasser Al-Attiyah. They had many mechanical problems and flat tires.
At the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, they finished sixth. They had a broken part on day one and two flat tires on the last day. But they kept going to score points. They won their first rally-raid event at the Andalucia Rally. They finished second in the overall championship.
Loeb entered the 2023 World Rally-Raid Championship. He drove an improved BRX Hunter.
He finished second again at the Dakar Rally. He won seven stages, including six in a row. This was a Dakar Rally record. He overcame many flat tires and mechanical issues.
Overheating problems in Abu Dhabi and a crash in Mexico hurt his chances for the title.
Other Racing Adventures
Le Mans and Sports Cars
As Loeb became more famous in WRC, he started racing in road racing events. He first raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2005. He drove for the Pescarolo Sport team. Loeb prepared for the race by playing a video game. In the race, his car had problems. But Loeb showed he could drive fast on a closed track. He finished second overall in the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Loeb also raced in the French GT Championship and French Carrera Cup. In 2012, Loeb started his own team, Sébastien Loeb Racing. His team races in different series. Loeb himself won a race for his team at the Circuit de Pau.
Formula One Dreams
Loeb has tested Formula One cars several times. He first tested for Renault F1 in 2007. Red Bull sponsored Citroën. They rewarded Loeb with a Formula One test in 2008. He was eighth fastest out of 17 drivers.
Loeb wanted to switch to Formula One in 2009. He was interested in racing for the Toro Rosso team. He planned to race in the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But he was not given a special license to race in F1. This stopped his plans. He also talked to the US F1 Team about racing in 2010.
Loeb also took part in a GP2 Series test. He finished last out of 25 drivers.
FIA GT Series and Porsche Supercup
Loeb raced in the 2013 FIA GT Series season. He drove for his team, Sébastien Loeb Racing. He and his teammate won three qualifying races and one main race. They finished fourth overall.
Loeb also raced in two Porsche Supercup races. He finished 11th in Spain and 16th in Monaco.
World Touring Car Championship
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In 2013, it was confirmed that Citroën would join the World Touring Car Championship in 2014. Loeb would drive one of their cars. His teammates included Yvan Muller and José María López. In his first full season of circuit racing, Loeb won two races. He got six podiums and finished third in the championship. In the next season, he won four races and got twelve podiums. He finished third overall again. He was surprised when Citroën did not keep him for 2016. He had hoped to win the WTCC title that season.
FIA World Rallycross Championship
In 2016, Loeb joined Team Peugeot-Hansen to race in the FIA World Rallycross Championship. On October 2, he won his first race in Latvia. He finished fifth in the standings with four podiums. In the next season, he got six podiums but no wins. He finished fourth overall. In his final season, he won his last race in Belgium. He got seven podiums and finished fourth overall again. He returned to rallycross in 2023. But his car caught fire before a race, ending his season.
Extreme E Racing
In 2020, Loeb signed with Lewis Hamilton's Team X44 to race in the Extreme E Championship. His teammate was Cristina Gutiérrez. They finished second in 2021. They were tied on points with the winners, but had fewer wins.
In 2022, Team X44 kept Loeb and Gutiérrez. They won the Copper X Prix. This put them in the title fight again.
At the Energy X-Prix, Gutiérrez crashed. They got a penalty. But X44 still won a special race to reach the final. Their rivals did not make the final. X44 scored important points and finished third in the race. They won the championship by two points.
Loeb and Gutiérrez finished the 2022 season with one win, four podiums, and one pole position.
DTM Racing
Loeb made a one-time appearance in the DTM Series in 2022. He raced for AlphaTauri AF Corse. He finished 16th in Race 1 and 18th in Race 2.
Other Cool Achievements
Pikes Peak Hill Climb
In 2013, Loeb tested a special Peugeot 208 T16 car. This car was built for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It was very light and had a powerful engine. Loeb won the event with an amazing time of 8 minutes and 13.878 seconds. He broke the old record by a minute and a half!
His record was later broken in 2018 by Romain Dumas.
Race of Champions
Loeb has won the "Champion of Champions" title at the Race of Champions four times. He won in 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2022. In 2004, he won the Nations Cup for France with Jean Alesi. In 2022, he beat four-time Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel in the final. He tied Didier Auriol's record of four wins.
X Games
In July 2012, Loeb raced in the X Games in Los Angeles. He faced his old rival Marcus Grönholm. Grönholm had an accident and went to the hospital. Loeb won the rallycross gold medal easily.
Life Outside Racing
Sébastien Loeb was born in Haguenau, France. He grew up in Oberhoffen-sur-Moder.
Loeb was married to Séverine Meny. She often helped with his racing events. They have a daughter. In 2019, Loeb and Meny reportedly separated.
Currently, Loeb's partner is Laurène Godey. She sometimes races as his co-driver. They won the 2019 Rallye du Var. Godey often joins Loeb at his events.
Loeb lives near Lausanne, Switzerland with Godey and his daughter.
Loeb was made a knight of the Légion d'honneur in 2009. This is a very important award in France. He is also part of the "Champions for Peace" club. This group of athletes works to promote peace through sports.
WRC Victories (Highlights)
Loeb has won 80 World Rally Championship events. Here are some of his notable wins:
- 2002 Rallye Deutschland: His first WRC victory.
- 2004 Swedish Rally: First non-Nordic driver to win this snow rally.
- 2005 Tour de Corse: Won all 12 stages, a WRC first.
- 2006 Rallye Deutschland: His fifth consecutive win there.
- 2008 Rally Finland: One of the few non-Nordic drivers to win this fast rally.
- 2010 Rallye de France: Won his seventh world title in his hometown.
- 2012 Rallye de France: Won his record ninth world title.
- 2022 Monte Carlo Rally: His 80th WRC win, and first with a new co-driver and team.
WRC Career Summary
| Season | Team | Starts | Victories | Podiums | Stage wins | DNF | Points | Final result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Private | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | NC |
| 2000 | Private | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | NC |
| 2001 | Private | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14th |
| Automobiles Citroën | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2002 | Automobiles Citroën | 8 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 2 | 18 | 14th |
| Piedrafita Sport | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2003 | Citroën Total | 14 | 3 | 7 | 38 | 3 | 71 | 2nd |
| 2004 | Citroën Total | 16 | 6 | 12 | 70 | 2 | 118 | 1st |
| 2005 | Citroën Total | 16 | 10 | 13 | 131 | 2 | 127 | 1st |
| 2006 | Kronos Citroën World Rally Team | 12 | 8 | 12 | 87 | 0 | 112 | 1st |
| 2007 | Citroën Total WRT | 16 | 8 | 13 | 102 | 2 | 116 | 1st |
| 2008 | Citroën Total WRT | 15 | 11 | 13 | 118 | 1 | 122 | 1st |
| 2009 | Citroën Total WRT | 12 | 7 | 9 | 88 | 1 | 93 | 1st |
| 2010 | Citroën Total WRT | 13 | 8 | 12 | 96 | 0 | 276 | 1st |
| 2011 | Citroën Total WRT | 13 | 5 | 9 | 65 | 2 | 222 | 1st |
| 2012 | Citroën Total WRT | 13 | 9 | 10 | 72 | 2 | 270 | 1st |
| 2013 | Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT | 4 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 1 | 68 | 8th |
| 2015 | Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 18th |
| 2018 | Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 43 | 13th |
| 2019 | Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT | 6 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 51 | 11th |
| 2020 | Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 10th |
| 2022 | M-Sport Ford WRT | 4 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 35 | 11th |
| Total | 184 | 80 | 120 | 939 | 24 | 1778 | ||
See also
In Spanish: Sébastien Loeb para niños
