The climax to this year's World Rally Championship didn't do justice to the 2007 season. After a tense, year-long battle between two of the sport's greats, Wales Rally GB was a rather flat affair, but the campaign should not be judged on the final event of the season.
Sebastien Loeb felt that his fourth consecutive title was the hardest one yet, and to put it simply, that is entirely down to the efforts of Marcus Gronholm and Ford, who were able to offer him a challenge worthy of his ability.
In truth, Loeb wasn't in the driving seat in the title race this year, but he was handed a lifeline by Gronholm not once, but twice, in the final three rallies of the year.