The big 100 for Citroen’s all-conquering team of Loeb and Elena

Citroen’s quadruple FIA World Rally Champions Sébastien Loeb and co-driver, Daniel Elena, will make their 100th WRC start in Sweden this weekend. Frenchman Loeb and Monegasque, Elena, are the most successful pairing in WRC to date, with 37 wins from their 99 starts. They also hold the records for most wins in one season (10 in 2005) and the longest run of consecutive wins (6 in 2005).

The pair, who contested their first rally together 10 years ago, have notched up a massive 61 WRC podiums on their way to a reliable 85% finishing record. Only Carlos Reutemann has ever set a better starts to podiums ratio, in the 1980s.

Loeb and Elena have won the last four WRC titles, and altogether have triumphed on 17 different events – 12 rallies on the current WRC calendar plus previous rounds in Sanremo, Portugal, Ireland, Cyprus and Australia.

Sébastien is also the only non-Nordic driver to have won the Swedish Rally, in 2004, and he and Daniel will be looking to continue their perfect start to the ’08 season, having set a brand new record two weeks ago, when they clinched their fifth Rallye Monte Carlo victory.

“Sure, it would be nice to celebrate our 100th start with a win,” observed Sébastien. “But scoring points in both championships will also be important, and I will base my pace on the way the rally unfolds.”

The 2008 Swedish Rally starts in Karlstad on Thursday, February 8.