Loeb Credits NZ Icon For World Rally Success

Loeb Credits NZ Icon For World Rally Success

Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb, the current runaway World Rally Championship leader, has admitted that his astonishing run of five straight World Rally Championship victories could be down to an iconic New Zealand symbol, the silver fern.

At the conclusion of Propecia Rally New Zealand, which Loeb won in April, a Maori tribe presented Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena with a silver fern, which Elena tucked into his door pocket of their Citroen Xsara WRC.

When they got to the next round in Sardinia, it was still there. They left it there and won. Then it went with them to Cyprus, Turkey and Greece – all of which they won.

Loeb currently has a 23 point lead over Petter Solberg (Subaru) who is 3 points clear of Markko Martin (Peugeot) and Toni Gardemeister (Ford) both tied on 39 points.

The next round of the World Rally Championship is Rally Argentina 15-17 July. It seems highly likely that the two hottest properties in world rallying will again be accompanied by a piece of 'kiwiana' as they go in search of a 6th consecutive victory.

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