Loeb And Citroen Uber Alles In German Rally
Published: 23rd August 2004
Loeb has rapidly become king of the event, having now notched up a hat trick of wins in his Xsara in Germany. This latest success stretches Loeb’s lead in the driver’s championship to 29 points, having won five of the ten events competed this year.
Carlos Sainz drove a solid rally to bring his Xsara WRC home in third place, securing a double podium finish for the Citroen team, sufficient to boost their tally in the manufacturer’s championship to 125 points, 29 ahead of second place Ford. Sainz, the most successful rally driver ever, is now up to third in this year driver’s championship with 46 points, just one behind second place man Marko Martin.
“This win is very important for the title, and having a 29-point lead over Martin is very important at this point in the season,” Loeb said. “Victory here in Germany was especially nice, as it’s my third time winning this event, and it’s very close to my home town, so a lot of friends and family have come here to watch. Because of the adverse conditions on the first two days, it has been a very difficult rally, so I’m very pleased to have finished on top here this weekend.”
Citroen’s weekend was complete when the team were awarded the Inmarsat Star of the Rally for their resounding double podium finish.
Claude Satinet, chief executive of Automobiles Citroen, was delighted to receive the award on behalf of his team. "It is very important to have a good team and although I am sure we do, it is even better when somebody else tells you that you have a great team," he said.
