A Super-big Happy B-day to Super Seb!
February 26 marks the birth of Sebastien Loeb. So who’s ready for the love fest?
The man’s a genius. He went for so long without any mistakes, even Marcus Gronholm wondered if he was a man or a machine. Super Seb… The Master… Mr. Perfect…ain’t it the truth?
Look at the facts: an unmatched 29 victories (34% of all rallies he’s started); 49 podiums (58% of rallies he’s entered); world champion in 2004, 2005, and 2006; his first championship points finish was in 2nd place; a record 6 consecutive wins in 2005; a win at every Rallye Deutschland ever run; the first non-Scandinavian to win the Swedish Rally; and 12 out of 12 stage scratch times at the Tour de Corse in 2005. Best. Driver. Ever.
His driving style is impeccable. It’s not all sideways and showy, but it’s fast. It’s the seamless way he slings the car around bends like a gymnast on the pommel horse. It’s how quick he is on the throttle coming out of corners. It’s those unbelievably tight donuts he can do. It all adds up to a charisma and a command of the road that only Seb can possess.
Despite all the accolades, he’s still a humble, friendly guy who’s not afraid to compliment his rivals or admit a mistake (however rare they are).
Speaking of mistakes, look at them closely. Especially the spin in the 2005 Rallye Deutschland and the corner in 2007’s Rallye Monte Carlo. He corrects his error before the error’s even done being an error. He overshot that square right in Germany, but spun the car around so he could just hit the accelerator and continue. He avoided a front impact in Monte by hitting the hand brake and turning it into a sideways bump, facing the right direction. He’s got the reflexes of a cat (if cats drove rally cars).
Despite not finishing his education, his brain is a supercomputer. In a non-rally appearance in the 2006 24 Heures du Le Mans, the Pescarolo Judd pitted and his teammate hopped out of the car. When Seb got in, he managed to drive off one-handed, without stalling and without hitting anyone, all while inputing his driver code with his right hand. That’s what happens when he has one race track and no pacenotes to worry about. He probably could have made pancakes and ironed his laundry with his feet at the same time.
Gotta love his smile. He never gives an interview without a smile. It balances out frowny Marcus.
And where Marcus sometimes drives away from the stage end without a word, Seb is always good for a detailed, honest assessment of his performance.
He’s “glacially cool” and relaxed. Even when he was stuck at home with a broken arm, he took it in stride, even if he hated it.
The French accent doesn’t hurt. Or his boyish good looks. Or his muscular physique. Or the way his blue-grey eyes crinkle when he laughs…but I digress.
So, in case you were wondering what I’ll be doing in 2007, I’ll be rooting for a fourth consecutive world championship for my favorite driver. Who knows what other heights he can climb?
Happy Birthday to Marcus Gronholm!
How could we with words possibly capture Marcus Gronholm: the Big Finn, Bosse, He of Endless Funny Quotes? All I can do is list all the reasons why he is wonderful.
First and foremost, he is fast. He’s 39 years old and shows no signs of slowing down. He’s been unbeatable on gravel in the Focus, pushing Seb to his absolute limit and still beating the Frenchman.
Like I said, Marcus is really funny. What’s even more comical is that he’s usually frowning, and doesn’t even mean to be funny. Enjoy some sound clips.
He even scratches his head funny. Look for it, and you’ll see what I mean.
The Finnish accent. With all the rrrrolling rrrrs.
The way he always says, “but OK” and “yeeeah…” and “heh!”
And “Oy, oy, oy!”
And all the other sound effects and gestures and faces he makes.
I don’t know if it makes him wonderful, but the fact that he doesn’t blink is unique. Weird, even.
His grumpiness. It’s endearing, really. He’s like a Finnish Walter Matthau.
Marcus is a farmer. Absolutely nothing fast about farming, yet somehow he’s the fastest living man on gravel.
He likes Bond. James Bond.
He’s got quite the filthy mouth. This is what it sounds like when harm befalls the car: “Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. Beeeeep.” Petter swears often, but Marcus swears long.
His column for RallyWorld Magazine is always entertaining. And for some occassional gems, (shh) go read the official FIA press conferences.
The way his Focus eats foliage. “Christmas trees,” Marcus calls ’em.
Geez…gotta save some for next year. Marcus is one of a kind. Irreplaceable. We love him, period. So a huge “happy birthday to you” from me (and Timo).
Happy Birthday, Matt Wilson!
Matt Wilson is one lucky guy. First, he has talent behind the wheel. Second, his dad is the head honcho at M-Sport and can give his son the drive he needs to grow that talent. So for his first foray into his twenties, here’s a short list of why he’s cool:
One word: mega. Apparently, it means “brilliant” or “cool.” I don’t know if that’s a new-fangled British word or what, but I like it.
The hair. The crazy, spiky, unmovable hair.
The driving. He’s won rallies in the British and Irish rally scene. Matt is also the youngest driver to ever win a stage and score a driver’s point (both in Rallye Argentina 2006). And watching him on the Eye in the Sky in Rally New Zealand, I gotta say he’s quite good. He doesn’t have the outright speed yet, but with time, he’ll have the experience and confidence needed to push the car to its limit. We’ll see how his five-year plan goes.
What in the World Rally? 