Ogier equals Loeb’s record with ninth world championship

Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier secured a record-equalling ninth world rally title in Saudi Arabia on Saturday to equal the tally of fellow Frenchman Sebastien Loeb and become the sport’s oldest champion at 41.

Loeb won his nine titles successively between 2004 and 2012 with Citroen.

Ogier won six titles consecutively from 2013-18 and added two more in 2020 and 2021. He has found success with three different manufacturers – Volkswagen, Ford and Toyota.

He had announced his intention to retire from full-time rallying at the end of 2021 but has continued part-time and won his latest title despite being absent from three of the 14 rounds, winning six.

The Frenchman will be 42 on December 17 and is now the oldest driver to win the world championship. The previous oldest was Finland’s Hannu Mikkola at 41 years and 183 days in 1983.

FIRST TITLE FOR CO-DRIVER LANDAIS

“What a season, that’s for sure,” Ogier said after finishing third in Jeddah with Evans sixth.

“What a fight with Elfyn and (co-driver) Scott (Martin). They have been super strong pushing us to the limit up to the very last stage of the year.”

The title was a first for Ogier’s co-driver Vincent Landais, who teamed up with him in 2022.

Evans, who had hoped to become the first British champion since Richard Burns in 2001 and started the rally three points clear, took five bonus points from the final Power stage but Ogier was second in that to limit the damage.

“It was a tough event obviously,” said the Welshman, championship runner-up for a fifth time in his career.

“I think we did what we could in reason. A puncture on Saturday morning didn’t help but that’s the name of the game, everybody’s had their fair share of issues.”

The rally was won by Hyundai’s outgoing champion Thierry Neuville, with the Belgian finishing 54.7 seconds clear of French teammate Adrien Fourmaux.

Toyota’s double world champion Kalle Rovanpera, who was also mathematically still in title contention at the start of the event, finished seventh.

The Finn is now leaving rallying to start a new career in single-seater circuit racing, with his eyes on a possible future in endurance or even Formula One.

Saudi Arabia was making its debut on the world championship calendar as the first round staged in the Middle East since Jordan in 2011.