ESTERING RALLYCROSS: END OF THE STREAK FOR SÉBASTIEN LOEB

In 2007, Sébastien Loeb capitulated to Marcus Grönholm, his then-fiercest rival, by the minuscule margin of three-tenths of a second in the New Zealand rally. Ten years later, the same tiny time difference allowed yet another Grönholm — this time Niclas, Marcus’s son — to bar him from the final in Estering, for the eleventh and second-to-last event of the World Rallycross Championship. While this proves the intensity of the fight in this discipline, it also showcases the French champion’s longevity at the highest level! The German track is peculiar in that its first turn, a hairpin dirt bend to the right, conditions the entire race as no overtaking opportunities arise afterwards. The Team Peugeot Hansen driver, stuck in the traffic in each of the qualifying heats, can attest to this rueful experience. Nevertheless, he managed to make it to the semifinals, where, unfortunately, a competitor fishtailed under his wheels, slowing him irredeemably. This ends his streak of five consecutive podiums, in spite of the strong performance promised by his Peugeot 208 WRX.

“Of course, this is not the result I was expecting,” the Alsatian admitted. “I never managed to exit this first turn ahead, and so I was always stifled by slower drivers and could not express myself. This also complicates the situation for the final Championship podium. And, it’s even more vexing since I was amongst the fastest in the semi-final, proof that in terms of sheer performance, we were doing well! We had optimised the differentials, the engine as well, during a test session in Mayenne last week… That’s what I’ll bear in mind after this frustrating weekend: that the team’s continued efforts are definitely going in the right direction.”

The Championship epilogue will take place in South Africa from the 10th to the 12th of November, on a brand-new track. In the meantime, Sébastien will be reunited with his Peugeot 3008 DKR next week in the Morocco rally-raid, part of his preparation for Dakar 2018.