How good is Sebastien Loeb?

[tommeke_B]

And during this period Citroen was like what Ferrari was in F1 in the early 2000s.

Citroën was were they were thanks to Loeb, I think... In 2003 Citroën attracted both Sainz and McRae, some of the greatest drivers of that era, and both couldn't do what Loeb did, while he was doing his very first full season in a WRCar. So to answer the question in the title, Loeb was the greatest rally driver of all time (for me), and the current top drivers wouldn't be at the level they're at now, if Loeb hadn't been there those years. What he has done in other disciplines is irrelevant, Raikkonen and Kubica tried rallying, failed to achieve what they wanted, but that doesn't make them any worse in F1.

[L555MAT]

Citroën was were they were thanks to Loeb, I think... In 2003 Citroën attracted both Sainz and McRae, some of the greatest drivers of that era, and both couldn't do what Loeb did, while he was doing his very first full season in a WRCar. So to answer the question in the title, Loeb was the greatest rally driver of all time (for me), and the current top drivers wouldn't be at the level they're at now, if Loeb hadn't been there those years. What he has done in other disciplines is irrelevant, Raikkonen and Kubica tried rallying, failed to achieve what they wanted, but that doesn't make them any worse in F1.

Lets be fair Mcrae and Sainz were both well past their primes at this point. Mcrae in his prime was arguable the fastest driver ever in the WRC (not nessecarily the best). Sainz is definately a contender for the GOAT imho.

[seb_sh]

Lets be fair Mcrae and Sainz were both well past their primes at this point. Mcrae in his prime was arguable the fastest driver ever in the WRC (not nessecarily the best). Sainz is definately a contender for the GOAT imho.

they weren't that "vintage" and Loeb was in his first full season, I doubt anyone expected him to beat them at the time.

[N.O.T]

Lets be fair Mcrae and Sainz were both well past their primes at this point. Mcrae in his prime was arguable the fastest driver ever in the WRC (not nessecarily the best). Sainz is definately a contender for the GOAT imho.

Mcrae was 35, so not beyond his prime, at 35 loeb was winning titles with ease...

Sainz is certainly one of the sports greats but far away from even remotely to be considered as the best ever, lets not forget than during his last years
telefonica was the only reason he had a seat and not his skills.

[AL14]

Lets be fair Mcrae and Sainz were both well past their primes at this point. Mcrae in his prime was arguable the fastest driver ever in the WRC (not nessecarily the best). Sainz is definately a contender for the GOAT imho.

The fact is that while at the end of their career those guys were clearly beaten by Loeb, no one did the same with Loeb himself, not even Ogier who is the only one capable to keep the comparison in my opinion.