It’s been over one hundred years since rally driving became an officially recognized sport throughout the world. During this time there have been hundreds of outstanding drivers stepping behind the wheel to participate in such an internationally revered motorsport. But with so many talented drivers having driven in the name of rally car racing, who can claim the title of being the undisputed best? This is surely a debate that will rage forever, but nevertheless here is a guide to several of the most successful rally drivers of history.
Sebastian Loeb
For years the young Frenchman Sebastian Loeb was actually a gymnast, but his sporting career to Rally car driving in 1995 he has never looked back. After signing as a driver with the Citroen factory Team in 2002, Loeb has become the undisputed rally driver of his generation, winning eight consecutive world titles in as many years. Still driving today and one of the sport’s leading figures, Loeb easily holds the title of being the best driver in rallying history.
Colin McRae
As Britain’s most successful rally driver, the Scottish driver Colin McRae was the undisputed rally superstar of the 1990s, becoming the youngest and first British winner of the World Rally Driving championship in 1995. Rally driving was part of McRae’s life before he even first got behind the wheel, as his father Jimmy McRae was a rally champion in the 1960s.
McCrae’s performance with the Subaru World Rally Team helped them win three consecutive World Rally Championship Constructors' titles and his later successes with the Ford Motor Co, and the Citroen World Rally Team confirmed him as the decade’s leading Rally talent. Sadly, McRae died in a helicopter crash in 2007. He was posthumously inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.
Tommi Mäkinen
A four time world Rally Champion, Mäkinen has one of the most envious rallying CVs in history, having won all Driver Title’s between 1996 and 1999 while racing for the Mitsubishi team. One of the ‘flying Fins’, a name given to a handful of highly talented Finnish drivers that came to prominence during the 1990s, Mäkinen kept winning titles and endorsing merchandise such as video games until his retirement while driving for Subaru in 2003.
Juha Kankkunen
In a career spanning three decades, Juha Kankkunen became one of rally driving’s greatest athletes, with four championship wins to his name. One of the many successful Finnish drivers to have become dominant in rally driving, Kankkunen became world champion on four occasions, and gained 23 world rally wins. Although his once record breaking feats have since been beaten, his achievement of becoming world champion with three different manufacturers (Toyota, Lancia, and Peugeot) is still a record unsurpassed. This incredible offer is not to be missed by anyone with an interest in Rally Car driving. It can also act as a starting point for a career in rally racing if you are seriously interested in entering the industry.
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