Sebastian Loeb Shatters Pikes Peak Record, Gives PSA Something To Celebrate
It’s been a bad week for PSA, but at least they’ve got something to celebrate about. French driver Sebastian Loeb, behind the wheel of a Peugeot 208 T16, broke the record for the fastest time up Pikes Peak, at 8 minutes, 13.878 seconds, beating the old record by 92.286 seconds.
The 208 T16, which bears no mechanical resemblance to the 208 road car, pushes 875 horsepower through all four wheels. Peugeot is no stranger to Pikes Peak – nearly a quarter century ago, a Ari Vatanen attacked the mountain in a 405 T16. Loeb, who has traditionally driven Citroen cars in WRC, has leapfrogged over Vatanen to cement himself as one of the legends of the course. Dare I say he may even be the most complete driver of all time? Somewhere, Ken Block is plotting a way to steal the limelight back from Loeb.
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Ken Block would require a helicopter to beat Loeb to the top of Pike's Peak. There simply isn't anyone faster on a pavement rally stage than Loeb.
Ken Block is a talented driver and did well in the US circuit, but on the international level he is outgunned. He is popular though, and that sells sponsorships which is almost as important, if not more than, winning given that you win to promote sponsorship.
I know there is very little similarity from the 208 t16 to the humble 208 hatchback but I still think it fun to quote "Pikes Peak record decimated by a Frenchman in a French sub compact hatchback"... Mostly just to annoy people. Well done to the whole team! I believe they have changed the game.
Loeb is a great driver but he gives Kimi Raikkonen a run for the least charismatic race car driver in a major series.