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When 2009 season began, everyone expected Loeb to win the championship once again. Five events on and everything seemed to be right on track for him - five wins on a trot and 20 points ahead of Mikko Hirvonen. But just three rallies later Hirvonen led championship by one point as Loeb's magnificient run had come to a virtual standstill - following an off in Acropolis and another shunt in Poland, though not a terminal one this time.
Combined with Mikko's first win at home in Finland, Loeb's problems in Sardinia and time penalty in Australia handed championship lead to Hirvonen. Loeb responded like multiple champion and won both of the remaining events and along with those, the sixth consecutive drivers' title with one point advantage over Hirvonen. The championship title was not decided until the final event of the season and afterwards Loeb admitted that this was his hardest fought title.
Behind the top, competition was thin. After 2008 season World Rally Championship was left with just two works teams - Citroen and Ford. Both fielded a satellite team to spice up the competition but to a little effect. Even if one bears in mind that both Subaru and Suzuki had mostly been also-rans in 2008, in competition side of the sport the change was to a worse.
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The biggest change of the season was calendar. Number of events was cut down from 15 to 12 and many classics were out. Number one casualty was Monte Carlo, though it is understood that this was more due to organisers own wish. Sweden's place was taken by Norway, New Zealand was replaced by Rally Australia in new location and also Corsica was out. Besides new version of the Rally Australia, another old friend made comeback. This was Rally Poland, which previously had been part of the WRC in 1973!
In terms of rule changes, longer events were permitted but in average, organisers did not take advantage of this change. Also, mixed surface events were again permitted and Rally Cyprus ran first day in tarmac and two last days on gravel. Citroen cleverly took advantage of this by running worn tyres on tarmac sections and gained a lot of time.
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With just two works teams and impending ban on current formula of World Rally Cars it was again very quiet on the technical front. Ford admittedly did debut 2009 version of the Focus but as usually, this was in name only.
During the season, a lot was expected from the FIA technical groups to see what direction the new rally cars would go to. Initially the route seemed to be the existing Super 2000 formula but further the year progressed, the more focus changed towards 1.6 liter turbo charged version.
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2009 FIA World Rally Champions, Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena
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Drivers scoring their
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first win
no new winners
first drivers' point
K. al-Qassimi (Ireland)
N. al-Attiyah (Argentina)
E. Novikov (Sardinia)
L. Athanassoulas (Acropolis)
K. Holowczyc (Poland)
J. Ketomaa (Finland)
first stage win
P. Andersson (Norway)
E. Novikov (Acropolis)
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