Freddy Loix

Freddy Loix (born 10 November 1970) is a Belgian rally driver.

Career

Loix's career in motor sport began in karting at the age of 15. In 1990, he bought his first rally car, a Lancia Delta group N, though he soon progressed to a Mitsubishi Galant Group N.

1993 saw a big step forward in Loix's career as he became part of the Marlboro World Championship Team driving an Opel Astra and he became the Belgian F2-champion.

Nicknamed Fast Freddy by his fans, he made the switch to four wheel drive in 1996 with a Toyota Celica GT-Four and completed 3 World Rally Championship (WRC) events and a further 6 in 1997. This period saw continuing sponsorship with Marlboro and a switch to the new Toyota Corolla WRC. He took the lead in the 1997 Sanremo Rally but mechanical problems brought an end to his charge for victory.

Loix and his co-driver, Sven Smeets, moved to Mitsubishi in 1999 and campaigned a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI (which was badged as a Carisma GT). His first year with Mitsubishi proved to be a difficult one with Loix being injured in a horrific accident during the Safari Rally. Despite the setback, Loix fought back and achieved 4 fourth places (in Spain, Greece, Sanremo and Australia).

In 2001, and after several successful seasons, the Mitsubishi Lancer, being a Group A car, found itself outdated and incapable of competing on the same level as the new WRC cars that the other teams were running.

Loix signed a two-year contract with Hyundai at the start of 2002. This was a difficult season in the Hyundai Accent WRC and his best result was 6th place on the Rally Australia. Due to funding cutbacks in 2003, the team couldn't develop the car further and Hyundai retired from the WRC following 2003's Rally Australia.

A drive for Peugeot in the last rally of the 2003 calendar, the RAC Rally in Great Britain, not only saw him replace the by then ailing 2001 World Rally Champion Richard Burns, it also saw him finish in 6th place overall in that year's rally. In the 2004 season, Loix completed only 5 WRC events, all for the factory Peugeot team again, in a Peugeot 307 WRC before retiring from the WRC later that season after the 2004 Rally Catalunya. Since 2007 Loix has been competing in the FIA Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) with Peugeot Sport Belgium, driving a Peugeot 207 S2000. Loix is currently the most successful driver in IRC with a total of seven wins, including a hat trick in 2010.

Loix has also competed on the Dakar rally. On the 2006 Dakar Rally for Bowler Motors and in 2007 driving a buggy.

Following motorsport, he invested into, and ran, the Aston Martin Brussels car dealership.

Results

WRC results

IRC results Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 WDC Points 2006 Duindisteel Citroen C2 S1600 RSA YPR4 MAD ITA 13th 5 2007 Belgian VW club VW Polo S2000 SAF TUR YPRRet 16th 5 Freddy Loix Fiat Abarth Grande Punto S2000 RUS MADRet ZLIRet SAN11 VAL4 CHN 2008 Peugeot Team Benelux Peugeot 207 S2000 IST8 PORRet YPR1 RUS4 MAD6 ZLI1 AST3 SAN5 VAL1 CHN 2nd 48 2009 Peugeot Team Benelux Peugeot 207 S2000 MON2 CUR4 SAF AZO4 YPR3 RUS MAD6 ZLIRet AST6 ITA4 SCO 3rd 372010 Škoda Motorsport Škoda Fabia S2000 MON CUR ARG CAN SAR YPR1 AZO MAD1 ZLI1 SAN3 SCO CYP 4th 36 2011 Škoda Motorsport Škoda Fabia S2000 MON2 CAN4 COR3 YAL YPR1 AZO ZLI2 MEC3 SANRet SCO CYP5 4th 123 2012 Duindisteel Peugeot 207 S2000 AZO CAN IRL COR ITA YPR2 SMR ROM ZLI YAL SLI SAN CYP 20th 18

ERC results Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 WDC Points 2013 Škoda Motorsport Škoda Fabia S2000 JÄN LIE CAN AZO COR YPR1 ROM CZE POL CRO SAN VAL 11th 37