SEBASTIEN LOEB
(fra) 1.71m / 68kgHobbies
Sport automobile, hélicoptère
Sponsors
Red Bull, BRX, Sébastien Loeb Racing
2022 : 2e (2 victoires d’étapes)
2021 : Abandon étape 8
2019 : 3e (4 victoires d’étapes)
2018 : Abandon (1 victoire d’étapes)
2017 : 2e (5 victoires d’étapes)
2016 : 9e (4 victoires d’étapes)
2022 : Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (8e) / Rallye du Maroc (56e) / Andalucia Rally (1er) / 2e du W2RC
2021 : Baja Aragon (7e) / Championnat Extreme-E
Neuf fois champion du monde WRC (en 2001 et de 2004 à 2012)
3e du championnat du monde WTCC (en 2014 et 2015)
2e des 24 Heures du Mans (2006)
4e du championnat du monde de Rallycross (en 2017)
Vainqueur de Pikes Peak en 2013
“Everything is heading in the right direction”
The greatest rally driver of all time assumed a low-key profile in 2016, in keeping with his quiet and reserved temperament, to tackle the challenge of the Dakar. But once he got his first taste of the Peugeot 2008 DKR his driving skills took full effect. The question quickly arose as to whether he would win in his first participation, as Ari Vatanen had done in 1987. But the Alsace native crashed out, and then in the following years, he experienced critical navigation errors, the injury of his co-driver and mechanical failures that shattered his victory plans... in short, a complete panoply of problems that can disrupt the race contenders on the Dakar. However, the nine-time world champion has never given up and returned after the end of the Peugeot adventure. First, in 2019 behind the wheel of a 3008 entered by PH Sport, with which he scored a second podium result on the Dakar (3rd). Then in 2021, he was attracted by the ambitious project of the Bahrain Raid Xtreme team, which relies on the ProDrive structure that has won several WRC titles. But last year, Loeb got the most out of the Hunter, even managing to enter the chase behind Nasser Al Attiyah, whose ultimate rival he was until the finish, once again on the podium (2nd). After the Dakar, the duel continued throughout the W2RC season, with a much closer contest, as he led the general classification by one point after the Abu Dhabi round. In the end, the 'zero' score on the Rallye du Maroc after two technical problems (12 points scored on the legs) deprived him of a final battle for the title. But Loeb and co-driver Fabian Lurquin still won the Andalucia Rally and thus are on a winning streak. When they start the Dakar, not only will they have to battle the Qatari world champion but also resist the rise of the Audis, which already showed promise last year in the hands of Stéphane Peterhansel, Carlos Sainz and Mathias Ekström. The Dakar victory is the one title that is missing from Loeb's record.
S.L.: “On the Dakar, like for the rest of the season, we were in the running. In terms of pure performance, we rivalled Nasser Al Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel. That's a good thing. To beat them, you have to have a perfect race. They make very few mistakes. They can sense the problem areas. I can be faster than him on certain surfaces but not everywhere. His ability to read the terrain on the vast undulating plateaus and dunes when visibility is lacking is the driving quality, I would like to borrow from him. It's his experience of the desert that gives him that.
We also had some reliability issues, but they have begun to be sorted out, with the experience of the season. It shouldn't happen again in the Dakar. We are prepared better than last year, as Fabian and I have improved our collaboration in the car. Everything is heading in the right direction. We know that the Audis will be very strong as well, but in any case, we have prepared ourselves well. To drive consistently is crucial as we are quite a young team in the discipline.
I have finished on the podium three times. And I've always won stages, but I have never won overall. We have to avoid all the problems and mistakes that can happen, and on top of that, this year's Dakar will be demanding. It is my main objective. I have been fighting at the front for several years”.
Vehicle
BAHRAIN RAID XTREME
PRODRIVE HUNTER
BAHRAIN RAID XTREME
- Mark PRODRIVE
- Model HUNTER
- Performance tuner Prodrive
- Assistance BRX
- Class T1+: Prototype Cross-Country Cars 4x4
Ranking 2023
All news of S. Loeb
W2RC: Al Attiyah and Loeb deadlocked as Kevin Benavides gains an edge
CARS: Al Attiyah wins, but Loeb comes out ahead Sébastien Loeb is not the type who needs to be told twice. Last year, after his hopes of Dakar victory went up in smoke, the Frenchman went on the hunt for high finishes in specials, which awarded from 5 to 1 points to the top 5 of each stage. His aim was to make up the 10 points separating the winner of the Dakar,...
Dakar 2023: A bumper crop of records
Cars: Quiet aplomb carries the day for Al Attiyah
Scoring 5/20 is usually very bad news, but in the case of Nasser Al Attiyah, who claimed his fifth Bedouin trophy in his twentieth Dakar start (including the 2008 edition, as the bivouac is wont to do), his track record shows that he is one of the most keen-sighted and visionary competitors in the world of rally raids....
Sébastien Loeb: "We have to be happy with what we got"
An eight stage win evaded Sébastien Loeb on the road to Dammam. The Frenchman had to settle for seventh place in the last special after missing a waypoint... It won't spoil his mood as he climbs onto the second step of the podium, just like last year, after a comeback that went down in Dakar history.
""It's good... After the first week we had,...
Dakar 2023 — Stage 13 | One for the history books
FOCUS
To pay tribute to the Empty Quarter and bid it a dignified farewell, the penultimate special was held to the south of Shaybah, in a vast and beautiful expanse of sand with chains of dunes as far as the eye can see. Kevin Benavides leveraged his flair and adaptability to drag himself back into contention for the title in this final dune-surfing test, mixed with a return...
Sébastien Loeb: "I feel good on sand"
The BRX driver took his sixth consecutive stage, more than any other Dakar driver before him, but he remains second overall, 1 h 21 down on Nasser Al Attiyah.
"It's great, even though the record was not necessarily my goal. I especially wanted to cement my second place. The gap was small and I eased into my pace from the start of the dunes, so I wasn't...
Six and counting for Loeb!
He did it! Sébastien Loeb has picked up his sixth stage win in a row, an unprecedented feat in the Dakar, bringing his tally in this edition to seven. Carlos Sainz was the last competitor to land such a massive haul back in 2011. The Frenchman and his co-driver, Fabian Lurquin, stamped their authority on the special.
Loeb widens the gap
Sébastien Loeb is setting a blistering pace at the halfway point. The Frenchman has posted the fastest time so far, extending his lead over his closest rival, Nasser Al Attiyah, to nearly 2 minutes. Mattias Ekström is about 4 minutes adrift. It is hard to see who could deny Loeb his sixth stage win in a row.
Loeb and Al Attiyah at km 34
Sébastien Loeb has posted the fastest time so far at km 34, a full 22 seconds ahead of Nasser Al Attiyah. The two lead Guerlain Chicherit and Mattias Ekström. Only five drivers have gone through the first checkpoint at the moment.
Follow us
Get exclusive information