MONTE CARLO, Principality of Monaco: Nine-time world champion Sebastien Loeb, 47, made history as the oldest winner of a WRC rally in the season opener in Monte Carlo on Sunday.
Loeb, driving an M-Sport Ford, took the lead on the penultimate stage when French rival Sebastien Ogier, who was over 20 seconds ahead, suffered a puncture and held on to claim his 80th WRC victory at the age of 47 years, 10 months and 28 days.
The previous oldest WRC winner was Swede Bjorn Waldegard, who took the 1990 Safari Rally in Kenya at 46 years and five months old.
Reigning champion Ogier in a Toyota Yaris, recovered to take second, 10.5secs behind Loeb who recorded his eighth win in Monte Carlo and his first since Catalunya in 2018.
"I feel really happy! I didn't expect so much when I came here, but it was a great fight," said Loeb who was partnered by a new co-driver, Isabelle Galmiche.
"Ogier was really fast and I struggled a bit yesterday and even this morning."
Irishman Craig Breen, in another M-Sport Ford, rounded out the podium, finished over a minute and half behind Loeb.
Neither Loeb nor Ogier, who have won 17 of the last 18 titles between them, is competing on a full-time basis in the 2022 championship which has seen the introduction of new hybrid cars.
Ogier, 38, is only due to race in a small number of events while Loeb made a rapid return from finishing second in the Dakar Rally to take part in Monte Carlo.
Heading into the penultimate La Penne-Collongues special, a Loeb victory looked highly unlikely as he was 24.6secs behind Ogier who had blasted through the first two stages to win both.
But the untimely puncture in the second half of the stage cost Ogier valuable time.
He dropped 34.1sec behind to leave the way clear for Loeb's remarkable shot at victory.
With just the final 14.26km special to come, Loeb led by 9.5 secs and just needed a clean run to hit the Monte Carlo jackpot again.
However, when Ogier was hit with a 10-second penalty for a false start as he tried to get away too quickly, it was game over.
"I can hold my head up, I did the job this weekend. Unfortunately these things happen in rally," said Ogier.
Loeb (27pts) and Ogier (19) head the standings but neither will be present for the second round in Sweden at the end of February, allowing the young pretenders to make their way in the championship race.
Kalle Rovanpera collected five bonus points to sit in third place with 17pts, two ahead of Breen with Belgian driver Thierry Neuville on 11.--AFP