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The Associated Press
Sunday, Oct. 05, 2008
SALOU, Spain - Sebastien Loeb won his fourth straight Catalunya Rally on Sunday to move closer to securing a record fifth world championship.
The Frenchman, who has won nine of the 12 races this season, edged Citroen teammate Dani Sordo by 24.9 seconds to take the 18-stage rally in an overall time of 3 hours, 21 minutes, 17.4 seconds.
"It's been a very good rally for me - almost perfect - but it hasn't been easy," said Loeb, who recorded his 45th career victory. "I had to push hard to try to increase my lead over Dani Sordo on the first and second days."
Loeb extended his overall lead in the drivers' standings to 96 points, 12 better than Ford's Mikko Hirvonen. It was Loeb's 11th consecutive victory on asphalt, a surface on which the Frenchman hasn't lost in three years.
The Citroen double put the French team 27 points clear of Ford with 159 in the manufacturers' championship.
"To get the one-two result with Dani is a great achievement for the whole team," Loeb said.
Ford driver Francois Duval allowed Hirvonen to pass near the end of the six-stage race so that the Finnish driver could collect points for his title bid.
"It's helped me get one extra point and I have to thank Francois for that, he was a real team player," Hirvonen said. "Third was the best we could get here."