Double podium for Team Peugeot Total in WRX

MOTORING NEWS - Team Peugeot Total driver Sébastien Loeb went flat out in the recent PEUGEOT 208 WRX to take victory in Belgium. The nine-time World Rally Champion demonstrated his skill and talent by racing to victory in both his semi-final and final. Loeb was joined on the podium by his team-mate Timmy Hansen, who was third overall. The strong result helps Team PEUGEOT Total move up to second place in the World RX Teams' standings, with Loeb closing in on the drivers' championship.

Loeb secured good finishes in both qualifiers on Saturday 13 May. He got into trouble in the challenging conditions of the third qualifier on the Sunday morning, as he had limited overtaking opportunities. However, he was able to bounce back and eventually ended up fourth overall in the qualifiers. The Frenchman delivered an impressive performance to win in the semi-final and claim pole position for the final. There he continued his momentum, making the most of his Peugeot 208 in a hard-fought battle to take his first World RX final victory of 2018. This great result promotes him to second in the drivers' championship.

Timmy Hansen made a flying start at Mettet, with third and second positions in the first and second qualifiers respectively. On a roll, he scored the top spot in the third, seventh in the fourth and ended up second overall in the qualifiers.

On pole position in semi-final two, he got violently pushed at the start by Bakkerud and dropped to sixth in the first lap. This kick-started a heroic fightback, with the Peugeot 208 WRX ace storming through the field.

His third position finish was enough to put him into the final, where he carved his way from sixth at the start to third at the finish line - his first podium this season.

Sébastien Loeb and Timmy Hansen celebrate their victory.

Kevin Hansen put on a great display of talent throughout the weekend, delivering some promising performances and great times. He started qualifier three in strong form and led all through the race. However, a costly mistake in the final lap - he stalled the engine - meant he ended 15th. In 10th position in Q4, and overall ninth of the qualifiers, he got his ticket for his first semi-final of the 2018 season. He started this from behind and, even if he did not manage to get his seat to the final, he once again proved that he has what it takes to race with the best.

After second places in Barcelona and Montalegre, this double Peugeot podium and Sébastien Loeb's win is a great reward for the Team Peugeot Total crew. Behind the scenes, mechanics and engineers have been working hard to launch this new competition programme in World RX, right after a stunning third victory in a row at the Dakar Rally in January.

"It's the second win ever in my World RX career and the first one this season!" said Loeb. "We already had two podiums so far, so it's really great to keep up the momentum and now win here. It's a nice achievement and I'm really happy for all the team. They deserved it! To be able to bring them the first victory is a real pleasure."

He said the track in Belgium is really challenging. "You need to be very precise and even a little mistake is difficult to control. It's just so demanding on every lap, every corner. To be honest, we didn't really know what to expect at the beginning of the season; what the level of all of the teams would be. We have had some small developments and finally here we are in the game."

Drivers' championship standings