CARDIFF, 20 September 2004 — Norway’s Petter Solberg won the Rally of Britain for the third year in a row yesterday after seizing the lead from Citroen’s Sebastien Loeb on the penultimate stage. “I’ve never pushed so hard in my whole life, I think, on that last couple of stages,” gasped the jubilant Subaru world champion after beating the Frenchman by a mere 6.3 seconds. Loeb, the overall championship leader, had been in front since Friday morning but Solberg finally reeled him in on the Margam-2 forest stage before the brief concluding super-special in Cardiff docks.
Loeb remained on course to become France’s first champion in a decade. The 30-year-old has 92 points to Solberg’s 64 with four rallies remaining and is on course to wrap up his first title before his home fans in Corsica next month if he does not do it in Italy first. Citroen extended their lead in the manufacturers’ championship, leading Ford by 38 points. Subaru have 92.
Solberg became the first driver to win three times in succession in Britain since home favorite Richard Burns completed his hat trick in 2000.
It was Solberg’s ninth career world championship victory, his fourth of the season and second in a row after his triumph in Japan this month.
