The World Rally Championship this year fulfilled its issue number 35. If you take a look at the statistics, few would doubt that Sébastien Loeb is the best driver of all time specialty. But beyond the cold numbers there are many other considerations when granting merit to the trajectory of each other. Based on them, this is the current ranking particularly MOTORWAY.

1. Sébastien Loeb

Their nine titles, also made consecutively, They say it all. literally shattered myths statistics to unseat specialty overwhelmingly everyone staying much more than any of them in the elite. As an illustration of his might suffice it to say that at the end of the race he left the bar in 78 race wins World Championship, no fewer than forty more than his closest pursuer in this ranking. I from gymnastics, had an unusually late rally debut (21 years), then reach for someone so successful. But passing through the WRC marked a before and after in the history of the specialty. After winning his first World Cup event in 2002 (Germany), he was a sigh of title the following year, succeeding one later. From there, no one came back to win a crown while Loeb played a full season in the WRC, reaching feats like 2008 season in which he won 11 of the 15 rallies of the calendar that year. He born as a pilot on the asphalt, but the ability to sacrifice and discipline of gymnastics were worth to him to learn and improve in all areas, to be literally unbeatable in the majority and aspiring to victory in all.

2. Carlos Sainz

until Sébastien Loeb Marcus Gronholm and did not reach the zenith of their careers, the Spanish occupied the first place in the ranking of victories in the WRC. Moreover, it could be said without equivocation that they all got them in seasons of greater competitiveness in the contest. Among the many merits of the Spanish pilot are data like that It is the second rider who has achieved more points in the WRC and also the second most times on the podium (in both cases surpassed only by Sébastien Loeb). Among the first victory of Carlos Sainz in rally mudialista (Acropolis 1990) and the last one (Argentina 2004) It took no less than fourteen seasons, which gives an idea of ​​the amount of time the Spanish remained fully competitive. Perfectionist ends difficult to imagine, Sainz is the living example of tenacity, professionalism and the spirit of excellence. He debuted in the WRC with a winning mentality and it is kept competing until the end of his career. Pioneer in demonstrating that the same pilot could win on different surfaces, Sainz was worked one reputation for its ability to help in the evolution of cars, mundialistas eventually winning rally with four different brands, something that very few drivers have achieved.

3. Tommi Makinen

Alone Sébastien Loeb has won more titles than Makinen consecutively (4), which he says a lot about the mark left by the Finnish driver in the WRC. In fact, apart from two, Juha Kankkunen was only able to get four world crowns. Makinen was born into a family of farmers in Puupola (Finland), which led him to unleash his first impulses motor sports specialty ‘tractor pulling ‘, very popular in the Nordic country. I ran his first rally at the age of 18 years and two seasons later was already Champion of Finland. 1000 Lagos in 1994 he got his first victory in a test World championship, a private Ford Escort RS Cosworth. Two seasons later, he won his first title World Champion. Aggressive and brave like few others, Mitsubishi led to his most glorious years in the specialty. One of his most valued traits was that he got, like his compatriot Markku Alen, be fully competitive and win on asphalt rallies, what made him a complete driver.

4. Juha Kankkunen

It was the most successful driver of the previous generation Carlos Sainz and that He dominated the statistics until the arrival of the Spanish to the peak of his career. From Laukaa, in the heart of the lakes region, where the disputed 1000 Lakes Rally, Kankkunen took his father, a former pilot, his first mentor. But it would be a friend of his, Timo Makinen and quintessential patron of rallies in Finland, Timo Jouhki who allowed Kankkunen on the launch pad as a pilot. He looked at World Toyota hand, although hatching occurred in the middle of the 1980s with Peugeot. Just when the FIA ​​decided to abolish the Group B, 1986, Juha Kankkunen gave the firm Lion the title in the final year of competitive life of the 205 Turbo 16, he clinching the first of his four titles in the drivers’ championship. He successfully defended his crown in the following year Lancia in the season premiere of Group A and WRC top flight and there began a series of twists and turns to Toyota and Lancia would give two other titles, with the Italians in 1991 and the Japanese in 1993. After two years at Ford (1997 and 1998), then he ran with Subaru flag with which he scored his last two victories in WRC. He passed by Hyundai in 2001 and 2002, and in the twilight of his career.

5. Marcus Gronholm

One of the four drivers in the World Rally Championship history to have scored two titles, the Finn was surely more substance rival Sébastien Loeb who faced, but when the Frenchman walked steadily towards the peak of his career and Gronholm step he was already in the final phase of his. the 90s were spent competing on WRC rallies loose without a fixed program or official status pilot with some continuity, which undoubtedly conditioned his chances. Toyota was the brand that opened the doors of the globalist elite, although it would be Peugeot, when he decided to return to the championship, the team signed Gronholm for a full program after winning four times the Finnish national title in Group A. In your hands, the 206 WRC became the car to beat was with him and with whom he won his first WRC rally Sweden 2000, his first title that year, and the second, two years later. With 307 firm Lion began its decline, until he retired, Gronholm going to Ford, brand that also got a lot of wins.

6. Sébastien Ogier

Considered by most Sébastien Loeb’s heir, French is, as they say, starting to take off, although I demonstrated to date portends that we could be facing one of the greatest drivers of all time. Proceeds from the quarry of the French Federation and Citroën, Ogier played his first full season in the World Championship hand mark gallons in 2009, after winning the World Junior. But 2010 would be the year of confirmation of its great potential. Portugal won after an impeccable management and continued progress to carrrera end the year with five wins, the same number that could Loeb, who became the title. It proved to be a tough opponent in the sections and also outside of them, but lost the political battle and was pushed out of the French team by the almighty Loeb. Volkswagen, which had tried to sign the Frenchman astro unsuccessfully, was hit with Ogier on the market and did not hesitate to bet on him. He revealed winning bet, since the premiere of the Polo WRC in 2013, Ogier scored no less than 9 races, staying two Loeb’s record, although this occurred in 2008, with a schedule of 15 races (in 2013 there were two less). It can not be said that Ogier waver as a pilot in any field and winning mentality, their psychological strength, their preparation and their arsenal of resources at the wheel are, today, the real nightmare of his opponents.

7. Walter Rohrl

A single type, German, and one of the myths of road racing. Was the scourge of the Nordic pilots in the late 70s and early 80s and the fourth member of the exclusive club of two titles, with Biasion, Sainz and Gronholm. Perfectionist unredeemed, it was never politically correct and criticism of certain positions and rally drivers and made him gain the reputation as arrogant. In fact, he won those two titles despite persistent refusal to compete in certain rallies such as the 1000 Lakes of Finland, who openly detested. Of course, there were races where he was really comfortable and there was little more or less than unbeatable. Was the case, for example, Monte Carlo, where he won four times, something that only then would get Makinen and Loeb on the world history test. The real difference is that Rohrl got it with models of four different brands, unlike its rivals, who only won there with one. In 1982 he managed to beat his veteran Opel Ascola 400 to the all-powerful armed Audi, with its fearsome Quattro all-wheel drive. After a short time in Lancia, would pass in 1984 to the ranks of the team with the four rings, with which would end his career in rallying and continue on the track.

8. Björn Waldegaard

This Swedish inaugurated the history of the World Rally Championship races the first Drivers’ title in its history as an official event. Besides owning a great innate talent and unmatched ability to handle cualquieer type of car rallye on any terrain, Bjorn Waldegaard has other merits that made its category transfixed single pilot status and reached the myth of the specialty. He won 16 of the 95 WRC events he played in his career, making 34 podium finishes. Since its first victory (Sweden 1975) to the last (Safari 1990) were spent 15 seasons, which gives an idea of ​​the number of years that remained capable of fighting for the most against the best.

Markku Alen 9.

Possibly the most talented driver of his generation, Markku Alen in the sixth place in the ranking wins WRC 20, tied with Didier Auriol. However, the biggest paradox in the Finnish race is I never managed to win a title Pilot. True to the Fiat Group since the start of his career, Alen achieved significant feats on the back of very special cars like the Fiat 131 Abarth or Lancia 037. With the latter model would become an uncomfortable rival for official Audi, reference specialty in early 80s. Twice runners-up and third four times, Alen has always been considered the true “uncrowned king” of the contest, mainly for two reasons: first, He won the World Cup in 1978 Drivers, the year before the creation of the World Championship as this year. And second, because In 1986 he came to enjoy the title provisionally for 11 days, until Peugeot’s protest against their exclusion and the results of Rallye San Remo progressed, ending the title held by Kankkunen. He was a pioneer among Finns to be competitive on asphalt, as evidenced by his victories in 1983 and 1984 Corsica.

10. Colin McRae

Undoubtedly, one of the most charismatic drivers in the history of the World Rally Championship. his spectacular style, his rebellious personality and the game that made him protagonist made him very popular. Only a victory separates him in the WRC ranking occupies third place Carlos Sainz, one of his toughest rivals in his Grand Prix career and which it coincided in the Subaru, Ford and Citroen teams. With cars Oval signature began to be known in Scotland and England, which made David Richards fichara to compete with Subaru, first nationally and then internationally at the start of the 90s. At 93 he entered the Subaru WRC factory team, where he lived some of the most tense and intense moments of his career with Sainz. McRae won his only title there in 1995. He left Subaru season in 1999 to enter Ford, meeting with Sainz there a year later. As usual, great performances alternated with many blows, until 2003 made landfall again along with Sainz, Citroën. But that lost the battle with the Spanish, staying with Citroën Sainz when his team fell two cars, with Loeb as the undisputed number one. Just a couple of rallies with Skoda and one replacing Loeb at Kronos-Citroen, when French was injured in 2006, ended his Grand Prix career. Unfortunately, he died in a helicopter crash along with his youngest son and friends on September 15, 2007.