# World Rally Championship seasons 2001–2013
The [World Rally Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-rally-championship) (WRC) seasons from 2001 to 2013 include the close-fought 2001 title race and a manufacturers' title for Citroën in 2003 and a championship season for [Sébastien Loeb](https://www.edgepedia.org/sebastien-loeb) and Citroën in 2011.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| 2001 drivers' champion | Richard Burns, with a single win in a season where three rivals each won three rallies [1](https://juwra.com/season_2001.html) |
| 2001 manufacturers' champion | Peugeot, clinched at Rally Great Britain [1](https://juwra.com/season_2001.html) |
| 2003 season | 14 rounds; drivers' champion Petter Solberg, manufacturers' champion Citroën [2](http://www.liquisearch.com/world_rally_championship_results) |
| 2011 season | 13 rounds; Loeb champion ahead of Mikko Hirvonen and Sébastien Ogier; Citroën ahead of Ford [2](http://www.liquisearch.com/world_rally_championship_results) |
| Loeb's debut pathway | Won all five events he started in the inaugural 2001 Super 1600 Cup [1](https://juwra.com/season_2001.html) |
## 2001: the tightest title fight
[Richard Burns](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-burns) won the 2001 drivers' championship with a single rally win all season, while three other drivers scored three wins each [1](https://juwra.com/season_2001.html).
The championship went to the final round. Four drivers arrived at the season-ending Great Britain rally with realistic chances of the title [1](https://juwra.com/season_2001.html). [Colin McRae](https://www.edgepedia.org/colin-mcrae), who had led the championship for much of the season, narrowly lost out at the end [1](https://juwra.com/season_2001.html). Burns's title was clinched in Great Britain when Ford withdrew the Sainz and Higgins crew after an accident involving spectators; Peugeot, despite a difficult early season, took the manufacturers' title [1](https://juwra.com/season_2001.html).
The same season introduced Loeb to the championship's ladder. In the inaugural Super 1600 Cup, Loeb won all five events he started and also made a guest appearance in a Citroën Xsara World Rally Car at San Remo [1](https://juwra.com/season_2001.html). Loeb was later drivers' champion in 2011, ahead of Mikko Hirvonen and [Sébastien Ogier](https://www.edgepedia.org/sebastien-ogier), with Citroën taking the manufacturers' title [2](http://www.liquisearch.com/world_rally_championship_results).
## 2003 and 2011: title table
The evidence confirms the following seasons in full:
- **2003** ran 14 rounds. Petter Solberg was drivers' champion, with Loeb second, and Carlos Sainz third; Citroën took the manufacturers' title ahead of Peugeot, with Subaru third [2](http://www.liquisearch.com/world_rally_championship_results).
- **2011** ran 13 rounds. Loeb was drivers' champion ahead of Mikko Hirvonen and Sébastien Ogier; Citroën won the manufacturers' title ahead of Ford, with Stobart Ford the leading privateer team [2](http://www.liquisearch.com/world_rally_championship_results).
In 2011 the Citroën–Loeb combination finished ahead of its Ford opposition.
## References
Reference note: season detail for 2001 draws on a specialist rally statistics archive; champions and round counts for 2003 and 2011 draw on a compiled results table.
1. JUWRA.com | Season 2001. https://juwra.com/season_2001.html
2. LiquiSearch — World Rally Championship Results. http://www.liquisearch.com/world_rally_championship_results
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Cycling and motor sport › Rallying and rally raid › World Rally Championship seasons and records › WRC seasons 2001–2013*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license