Six-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb could be crowned (again) on the forthcoming Rally Japan.
If the Citroen-driving Frenchman wins the Sapporo-based event and his main title challengers all finish seventh or lower then Loeb will take the title - and further stretch an unbeaten run that goes back to 2003, when Petter Solberg beat him by a single point to clinch the drivers’ championship.
Loeb admitted he thinks it’s unlikely that he will win on the island of Hokkaido, saying: “I don’t know exactly what has to happen, but it’s not so likely. Maybe one of the other rallies is more possible.”
Loeb arrives in Japan with 191 points, 58 more than Sebastien Ogier his nearest challenger. There is still 100 points on offer from the final four rounds of the series, meaning Loeb could end the year with an astonishing 291 points.
If Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala, Petter Solberg and Dani Sordo all finish lower than seventh and Loeb wins, he is the champion - the 75 points on offer from the Rally of France, Catalunya Rally and Rally GB will not be enough for anybody to catch him.
While only victory will do for him to take the title, Loeb has admitted he will drive with championship number seven in mind, adding: “It would be stupid to come this far and then throw it away chasing more rally wins. I have to be sensible, try to win [the title] and then see afterwards.”
The main title threat comes from Ogier - who is also Loeb’s team-mate in Rally GB. Latvala is the nearest non-Citroen driver and he’s 74 points behind Loeb after round nine of the series.
Sordo is the driver with the longest odds on winning. The Spaniard is 96 points adrift. He would need to win every round and have Loeb and others fail to score if he were to win. Loeb has scored points on every round of the World Rally Championship since the Acropolis Rally last year.
Celebrating a world title Japanese style is nothing new for Loeb - he did just that in 2006, when he and co-driver Daniel Elena captured their third world crowns.