Sebastien Loeb has won Rally Argentina for a sixth time following a dramatic final morning.
The Citroen DS3 WRC ace, hamstrung by a one-minute penalty handed out on day one for an early check-in, started day three in third overall, 47.7s behind event leader and team-mate Sebastien Ogier.
But after powering ahead of Ford Fiesta RS WRC driver Mikko Hirvonen for second on Sunday’s first test, Loeb began stage 18 21.5s behind Ogier, who had rolled on stage 17, losing the use of his power steering in the process.
With Ogier unable to prevent further time loss through the final two stages and with Hirvonen’s best efforts not enough to defeat Loeb, the Frenchman held on for his 65th WRC triumph, which means he extends his title lead over his Finnish rival, who finished second with Ogier a despondent third.
“I didn’t feel I would be able to fight for the victory at the end of rally but I’m really happy how it has gone,” said Loeb. “It was important to keep the lead of the championship and not lose these points.”
wrc.com
Overall:
| Pos | No | Driver | Time | Diff Prev |
Diff 1st |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1 | S. LOEB | M | 4:03:56.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2. | 3 | M. HIRVONEN | M | 4:03:59.3 | +2.4 | +2.4 |
| 3. | 2 | S. OGIER | M | 4:04:04.2 | +4.9 | +7.3 |
| 4. | 11 | P. SOLBERG | M | 4:04:29.5 | +25.3 | +32.6 |
| 5. | 6 | M. ØSTBERG | M | 4:09:13.7 | +4:44.2 | +5:16.8 |
| 6. | 7 | F. VILLAGRA | M | 4:10:45.4 | +1:31.7 | +6:48.5 |
| 7. | 4 | J. LATVALA | M | 4:15:31.4 | +4:46.0 | +11:34.5 |
| 8. | 5 | M. WILSON | M | 4:17:29.6 | +1:58.2 | +13:32.7 |
| 9. | 38 | H. PADDON | P | 4:29:40.7 | +12:11.1 | +25:43.8 |
| 10. | 21 | P. FLODIN | P | 4:37:31.1 | +7:50.3 | +33:34.1 |
| 11. | 33 | D. TAGIROV | P | 4:43:07.6 | +5:36.5 | +39:10.7 |
| 12. | 35 | N. FUCHS | P | 4:47:53.1 | +4:45.5 | +43:56.2 |
| 13. | 53 | R. ORLANDINI | 4:51:36.1 | +3:43.0 | +47:39.2 | |
| 14. | 26 | M. SEMERAD | P | 4:51:56.5 | +20.4 | +47:59.6 |
| 15. | 39 | B. GUERRA | P | 4:52:57.1 | +1:00.6 | +49:00.2 |
| 16. | 50 | E. CAMPOS | P | 4:54:17.5 | +1:20.4 | +50:20.6 |
| 17. | 23 | G. LINARI | P | 4:56:52.7 | +2:35.2 | +52:55.8 |
| 18. | 43 | K. BLOCK | M | 4:57:16.8 | +24.1 | +53:19.9 |
| 19. | 34 | Y. PROTASOV | P | 4:57:25.5 | +8.7 | +53:28.6 |
| 20. | 22 | M. KOSCIUSZKO | P | 4:58:04.7 | +39.2 | +54:07.8 |
| 21. | 27 | H. HUNT | P | 5:05:14.3 | +7:09.6 | +1:01:17.4 |
| 22. | 65 | G. SUAREZ | 5:33:39.9 | +28:25.6 | +1:29:43.0 | |
| 23. | 75 | P. PELAEZ | 5:47:59.8 | +14:19.9 | +1:44:02.9 | |
| 24. | 72 | C. CUEVAS | 6:19:48.5 | +31:48.7 | +2:15:51.6 | |
| 25. | 78 | M. DURANTE | 6:28:12.9 | +8:24.4 | +2:24:16.0 | |
| 26. | 71 | G. BOTTAZZINI | 6:29:09.6 | +56.7 | +2:25:12.7 | |
| 27. | 76 | F. CLEMENTE | 7:03:00.1 | +33:50.5 | +2:59:03.2 |