Sébastien Loeb and Isabelle Galmiche have written a page in the history of WRC and motorsport in general by winning the Rallye Monte-Carlo, the first of 13 events that will define the 2022 World Rally Champions. Loeb has become the oldest driver to have won a rally with worldwide validity, while Isabelle Galmiche entered the Top 10 of the oldest navigators to have done the same.
A historic victory also because it is the first of the hybrid era, which consecrates Loeb – should it still be needed – as one of the strongest drivers of all time. But the presence of Isabelle Galmiche made everything more epic, because it was the first success achieved by “El Maestro” without Daniel Elena next to it. After 79 successes together, here is the first with a new navigator, indeed, a navigator.
Sébastien Loeb, in some way, is known to everyone. Not just by fans of WRC or rally, but motorsport in general as well as those who appreciate sport in general. Everyone, at least once in their life, has heard of Alsatian.
But behind him, behind his victories, there is always someone who plays a fundamental role. Someone unknown to most, but who, in the shadows, helps to make even the most difficult dreams come true. Until this weekend Isabelle Galmiche was one of these people. Decisive, but in the shadows. Now, on the other hand, she has revealed herself to the world, with her clear notes, her discreet caresses to Séb after many specials, in which the two dissolved in laughter or a comment on the test just ended.
Isabelle Galmiche, born in 1971 (born November 19 of that year), has just turned 51 and goes for 52 years. Together with Loeb they have formed a crew of 98 years in 2 (47 Loeb, 51 lei), but together they shared successes in sequence, albeit distant. But let’s start from what Isabelle has been since 1995, that is, a navigator.
“I think it’s fantastic what happened to me today. I won my first rally in the WRC, with Séb, in Monte-Carlo. I’m too happy. I think this could really be the best day of my life,” Isabelle told Motorsport.com.
Putting aside for a moment the amazing victory obtained today, the Frenchwoman made her debut alongside Laurent Viana at the Rallye Regional de la Haute-Saone in the cockpit of a Citroen AX GTI. Since then he has collected 230 rallies between national, continental and international races. Many of these dictated the notes to Viana in the various French championships, but he also recently raced with Quentin Gilbert in the WRC3 class, predicting WRC rallies as well as continuing to race in the France Cup, France gravel national championships and also doing some appearances in the Italian Rally Terrain Championship.
Of 230 rally starts, Isabelle led her driver to victory 11 times. The latest of these just today, in which he wrote a page of WRC history together with Sébastien Loeb. And here, the invisible thread that has often been between the two, finds consistency and color, bringing to light a close bond that has helped Séb win several races and titles in the WRC.
Galmiche has in fact been an important part of Loeb’s Gravel Crew over the years in Citroen, but also in Hyundai Motorsport. He has often given fundamental indications for the choice of tires, in the approach to some sections of the special stages, perhaps made treacherous by the weather conditions or by other variables. She has also often been Loeb’s backup co-driver, but Daniel Elena has always been present alongside Sébastien, at least until the last race with Hyundai Motorsport.
With Elena’s retirement announced by the Monegasque navigator himself in the final part of 2021, Isabelle became the titular navigator alongside Loeb. The rest is history, with a first-time success that clearly defines the sporting understanding between the two and that does nothing but underline another small record signed by the 51-year-old Frenchwoman: Isabelle is the first female navigator to win a WRC rally from afar 1997, when Fabrizia Pons took the triumph alongside Piero Liatti, with an official Subaru Impreza WRC. Also in Monte-Carlo.
Loeb’s future with M-Sport and in the WRC is uncertain and still to be written. The Alsatian’s intention is to keep racing again, find other slots throughout the year to get back behind the wheel of the Puma and try to win again. For now they are only good intentions, but now Séb knows he has another certainty next to him that bears the name of Isabelle.
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