Sebastien Loeb, the nine-time World Rally Champion, reminded the world why he’s a legend this weekend.
Behind the wheel of a rear-wheel-drive Alpine A110 Rallye GT, Loeb clinched victory at the Mont-Blanc Morzine Rally, going head-to-head against seasoned drivers in four-wheel-drive Rally2 cars. His triumph was no small feat, as he outclassed the competition to take the win by 10.7 seconds over Léo Rossel, who was piloting a Citroën Rally2.
Trailing Rossel after Friday’s stages, Loeb turned up the heat on Saturday, taking the lead and ultimately delivering a masterclass. The victory didn’t come without challenges—Rossel pushed hard, but Loeb’s relentless pace sealed the deal.
The young Rossel, who finished second, is the brother of WRC driver Yohan Rossel. Yoann Bonato rounded out the podium, finishing 19.9 seconds behind Loeb in another Citroën Rally2.
At 50 years old, Loeb showed no signs of slowing down, winning six out of 14 stages. This win marked his second in the Mont-Blanc Rally, the first being in 2001 when he drove a Citroën Xsara.
Speaking to L’Équipe, Loeb said, “The competition was fierce. Léo drove brilliantly and set an impressive time on the final stage, which was quite tricky. But in the end, we maintained our ten-second lead. We aimed for the win, and I’m glad it worked out.”
This was Loeb’s second rally victory of the year from just two starts. Earlier in June, he conquered the Guadeloupe Rally in the Caribbean behind the wheel of a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. His last appearance in the WRC was at the Acropolis Rally in 2022, where an alternator failure forced his retirement. However, earlier that year, Loeb became the oldest driver to win a WRC rally, taking top honors in Monte Carlo.
Though Loeb didn’t score points in the French tarmac series, Rossel and Bonato moved up the standings, overtaking Eric Camilli, who faltered after damaging his car in the final loop on Saturday.
Once again, Loeb proves he’s in a class of his own—rear-wheel drive or not.