Reigning champion, Sebastian Loeb, clinched yet another emphatic win at the Rally of Turkey, and extended his lead to 40 points in the Driver’s Standings. The Citroen C4 driver stamped his supremacy once again to truly demonstrate that he has no equal.

Unlike last year, this years’ rally was shifted from the southern region of Antalya to Istanbul, which meant that the stages were slightly less rough than the typically treacherous Turkish terrain. Nevertheless, the wide and fast gravel tracks, as well as about 50 kilometers of asphalt thrown in, not to mention the element of rain, meant that rally was no less of a challenge for the competitors.

Former WRC champ, Petter Solberg, once again finished second in his non-works Citroen C4. His third consecutive podium means that he now moves into the number two spot in the Drivers Standings – two points ahead of his nearest rival, Mikko Hirvonen.

Rally Turkey was, once again, a rocky ride for BP Ford’s championship contender, Hirvonen, as he slid wide into a rock and ended up with a punctured tire. He was, however, able to finish third and salvage some points for his team – nevertheless leaving them 15 points adrift of the Citroen World Rally Team. Another victim of the conditions was Loeb’s teammate, Dani Sordo, who slid off on a muddy corner and broke his front suspension – leading to a retirement.

Citroen Junior Team driver, Sebastien Ogier, once again demonstrated his potential by coming in fourth overall. He’ll be a little disappointed with that, however, as he led for 12 of Rally Turkey’s 23 special stages, and was only put out of contention for the win by an exploded tire on Day 2 of the rally – at the same corner as teammate Sordo. Just behind Ogier was former Formula One Champion, Kimi Raikkonen, who finished fifth – posting his best performance in the series since the start of the season. Raikkonen was not only able to finish the treacherous rally, but also set some impressive times in the process – proving that he’s getting more comfortable with his rally machinery.