Sébastien Loeb - What remains when you've achieved everything?

Sébastien Loeb (*1974) is the most successful rally driver in motorsport history. The Alsace-born driver became WRC World Champion nine times in a row - a record that remains unbroken to this day.

But Sébastien is far more than a temporary champion: he has tried almost every motorsport discipline - from the Dakar Rally to Pikes Peak and the World Rallycross Championship - and is known for always seeking out new challenges. What sets him apart is not only his driving skills, but also his calmness, precision and modesty. Instead of putting himself in the media limelight, he impresses with his attitude and perseverance. Sébastien is regarded as an exceptional athlete - and as someone who has never stopped going his own way.

But that's not what this interview is about. In our interview series OLLI - ONE LIFE. LIVE IT - STORIES we don't talk about trophies, but about personalities. Not about technology, but about decisions. We want to know what makes people tick who have gone their own way. Even if perhaps nobody believed in them. What drives them? What keeps them going? And what do they pass on? A conversation with Sébastien Loeb about attitude, courage, doubt - and the right moment to set off.

What counts for me is what comes tomorrow - not what I won ten years ago.

Interview with Sébastien Loeb

Sébastien, was there a moment in your life when you knew: This is my path - even if nobody else understands it? And what made you go through with it?

No, it was never that clear. It took a long time for me to believe that I could really find my path in life with motorsport. The path there is full of stages - nothing is certain.

When I took part in the "Rallye Jeune" support program, I had this thought: I dream of driving a rally. But even when I had already arrived in the WRC, it still took a while. It was only when I suddenly found myself driving in a team with Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz - and saw that I was faster than them in the same car - that I realized: maybe I really can do it. Maybe I can become world champion one day. Before that, I had a lot of doubts. I never thought I would really make it to the top.


How do you deal with expectations - from outside, but also from yourself? Have you learned to distance yourself from them?

Yes, over time I've learned to be a bit more relaxed about expectations - both my own and those from outside. Of course you want to deliver well, especially for your own team or the manufacturer. Today, I want things to go well for Dacia when I drive the car. I want it to run smoothly for my co-driver and me. Of course, this creates a certain amount of pressure. But having been in the sport for so many years now, I can also say that it won't change my life if everything doesn't go perfectly - even if you want it to.


What do you do when your passion starts to falter? Is there something that refocuses you?

My passion doesn't waver. I love what I do. I love riding, I love competing - that has never changed. Sure, sometimes you get tired - from the test drives, from the constant traveling, from the repetitive processes. But that's the job. And even then I say to myself: it's better to be testing in Morocco than working in the factory. But as soon as I'm at the start line, as soon as it's time to compete - everything is back. Unchanged.


How do you overcome yourself when you lack courage? What helps you in these moments to set off anyway?

For me, courage comes from desire, joy and passion. When I'm riding, it all comes naturally.


What has shaped you the most: a success, a setback - or something completely different?

Overall, it was definitely the success. The many titles mean a lot to me. But what has stayed with me personally the most was winning the Rally France in Haguenau - my home town. Winning in front of all my friends, together with the manufacturers' title and the drivers' title - that was a special moment. A kind of coronation.

I love riding. I love the competition. That has never changed.

What do you think others can learn from your path - even if they don't race?

I was certainly lucky - a certain talent that enabled me to get started in the first place. But what counts afterwards is motivation. You need ambition, you have to learn to work in a team and get others on board. People have to want to work with you, to set up your car perfectly - you can only do that if you are fair, reliable and committed. And you always have to keep learning, questioning yourself and improving. That doesn't just apply to motorsport. It applies to everything in life.


Is there anything that you deliberately didn't do - even though everyone said: "You have to do it"?

No. I've never actually had a moment like that in my life. I've never experienced anyone telling me what I "have to" do. Neither in life nor in my career.


How do you measure success today - personally?

I am proud of what I have achieved. I've had great experiences - no question. But I don't live in the past. I don't think about my world championship titles every morning. What counts for me is what tomorrow brings, not what happened ten years ago. Sure, what I have achieved has opened many doors for me. But I don't define myself by what was.


If you had to start from scratch today - at 20 - would you choose the same path?

Absolutely. I would do everything exactly the same.


What traces do you want to leave behind - apart from tire tracks in the sand? What do you want to remain when people stop talking about your victories one day?

I believe I have left my mark on motorsport - especially in France, but also internationally. Not only through my successes in the WRC, but also because I tried out a lot of things - and was often successful.
But what is really important to me is that a good image of myself remains.

I have always paid attention to my appearance. But today there is so much fake news about me - on equally "fake" websites - that I can hardly control it. Nevertheless, the people who really know me know who I am. And that's the crucial thing. That is the image that should remain.


What do you wish for the future - for yourself, but also for the world we live in?

For myself: Good health. And a life without major problems. That's why it's important for me to enjoy the moment. Everything can change suddenly - for a thousand reasons. You should appreciate what you have. The people around you. Life. I think we've lost the ability to empathize a bit. Yet it's so important to treat people well - even those you only meet briefly.


What does One Life mean to you? Live it. - in concrete terms?

Seize the moment. You never know how long you'll have it. Live fully, love fully, watch - and don't miss a thing.

If you could only give your daughter one sentence for life - what would it be?

One Life. Live it.

Merci, Sébastien.

Since 2023, Sébastien Loeb has been part of the newly formed Dacia Sandriders team, with which he is preparing for the Dakar Rally and other desert races. In a prototype with synthetic fuel developed by Prodrive, the team wants to show that adventure, innovation and sustainability are not a contradiction in terms. Loeb brings not only experience, but also clarity and focus - as a driver, mentor and silent pace-setter.