However, in a burst of speed, the Frenchman in his Citroen C4 eventually managed to win by 2.7 seconds.
Because of Loeb’s victory in the Wales Rally GB Citroen claimed the constructors title and beat Ford, who had won in 2006 and 2007.
Loeb's chances in the race were made worse when he was given a 10-second penalty for a false start in the penultimate special stage but in the end he still won.
Loeb had already claimed his fifth world championship in Japan on 2 November but the Rally GB was the first time he had driven in an event in Wales and he admitted afterwards that it had been difficult.
