Sébastien Loeb and co-driver, Daniel Elena, took the lead of the 2008 FIA World Rally Championship on Sunday, after scoring their fourth consecutive Rally Argentina victory.
Citroëns quadruple WRC champion had plenty to contend with, as the rally was run in three days of rain, fog and treacherous conditions. But Sébastien showed plenty of grit, determination and immense skill to finish two and a half minutes ahead of his nearest challenger.
Loebs Citroën Sport team-mates, Dani Sordo and his co-driver, Marc Marti, also overcame the low-grip, low visibility conditions to finish third, bringing Citroën to within three points of the lead in the Manufacturers standings.
Meanwhile, Loeb is now the most successful driver ever on the South American event, after an impeccable performance in his Citroën C4 WRC.
Believe me, it wasnt easy, admitted Sébastien. Given the delicate conditions, we had to stay doubly concentrated from start to finish.
Loeb and Elena now top the Drivers championship standings, leading Mikko Hirvonen by five points. The next round is the Jordan Rally on April 24-27.
Final Leaderboard for 28th Rally Argentina*
1. S. Loeb/ D.Elena (Citroën C4) 5h 05min 48.6s
2. C. Atkinson/ S. Prevot (Subaru Impreza) + 2min 33.2s
3. D. Sordo/ M. Marti (Citroën C4) + 4min 04.7s
4. C. Rautenbach/ D. Senior (Citroën C4) + 20min 03.5s
5. M. Hirvonen/ J. Lehtinen (Ford Focus) + 25min 15.3s
6. F. Villagra/ J. Perez-Companc (Ford Focus) + 27min 42s
FIA World Rally Championship standings after round 4 Manufacturers*
1st. Ford 44 points ; 2nd. Citroën Total 41 pts; 3rd. Subaru - 33 pts; 4th Stobart 22 pts; 5th Munchis - 10 pts; 6th Suzuki - 6 pts.
FIA World Rally Championship standings after round 4 Drivers*
1st. S. Loeb, 30 pts; 2nd. M. Hirvonen, 25 pts; 3rd. C. Atkinson, 22 pts; 4th. JM. Latvala, 16 pts; 5th. G. Galli, 11 pts; 6th. D. Sordo, 9 pts.
*All results subject to FIA confirmation.
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