Abu Dhabi: While there was no fairytale ending for Sébastien Loeb in his final World Rally Championship appearance, Dani Sordo’s battling display in his Abu Dhabi Citroën DS3 showed the promise of more great things to come from the Spaniard.
Taking the place of Shaikh Khalid Al Qasimi in Rallye de France-Alsace as the UAE driver prepared for his next Middle East event, Sordo was always fighting the odds as he looked to follow up his WRC victory in Germany in August with another win.
In the end, he had to be content with second place, finishing 12.2 seconds adrift of newly crowned world champion Sebastien Ogier after a dramatic final leg which broke the hearts of thousands of French fans.
They had been hoping to see Loeb steer his Citroën Total Abu Dhabi DS3 to one more WRC success before leaving rallying behind for a new career in circuit racing.
The top four of Jari-Matti Latvala, Sordo, Ogier and Loeb had set off into Sunday’s six special stages separated by just five seconds. With the final stage of the day, and the last of his WRC career, running through the streets of Haguenau, Loeb’s home town, France had the prospect of one last incredible finish for the retiring nine-time world champion.
But in wet and treacherous conditions, Loeb rolled and went out of the rally on the day’s first stage, his Citroën Total Abu Dhabi DS3 ending up on its roof in a ditch, although he and long-time co-driver, Daniel Elena, were unhurt.
Sordo managed to get ahead of Latvala but was unable to hold off Ogier, although his first thoughts at the finish were for Loeb, not himself.
“I’m above all disappointed for Seb,” he said. “It would have been a fitting end to the party if he had been able to stay in the fight to the end. As far as I’m concerned, I’m pretty pleased with how the rally went, although I can’t be entirely satisfied to finish as runner-up.
“I drove well and didn’t make any mistakes, but sometimes I was just a bit short on confidence depending on the road conditions.”
He will now look to rediscover more confidence, and seek his second WRC victory for the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, in the Rally De Espana, penultimate round of the WRC series, on 25-27 October.
Shaikh Khalid will also be back on duty in Spain in his Abu Dhabi Citroën DS3, while young Emiratis Mohammad Al Mutawa and Mohammad Al Sahlawi contest the event for Abu Dhabi Racing in a pair of identical Citroën DS3 R3 2WDs.
Before Spain, however, Shaikh Khalid tackles the Cyprus Rally, fifth and penultimate round of the FIA Middle East Championship this weekend, when he will be looking to cement his second place in the regional series.
