2 Nov 2008

Loeb makes it five straight

6:17 pm on 2 November 2008

The Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb has rewritten the record books, winning an unprecedented fifth successive World Rally Drivers' title by finishing third in the Rally of Japan.

Two other drivers - Juha Kankunnen and Tommi Makinen - have won four titles each, but no-one has ever won five on the trot.

Mikko Hirvonen won the Japan Rally, the latest round of the World Rally Championship.

The Finn finished 31.1 seconds ahead of his Ford team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala.

Loeb's third place, two-and-a-half minutes off the lead, was all he needed to score the points needed to secure a unique position in world motorsport, as the only driver ever in World Rally - or Formula One - to secure five consecutive World Drivers' titles.

There is one rally left this year, in Wales at the start of December.