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Rally Driver Sébastien Loeb Knighted

Rally driver and French icon Sébastien Loeb has returned to Paris after the recent rally in Sardinia to be knighted by the French Republic.

The five-time World Rally champion was knighted at the Elysée Palace in Paris, receiving the Légion d'honneur from French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The award is the highest that can be given to an individual, and was established by Napoleon. Other noteworthy recipients of the award are four-times F1 champion Alain Prost, the 1998 French World Cup-winning squad and actor Gene Kelly.

"I am extremely honoured to have been recognised in this way," said Sébastien on RedBulletin.com. "This award is given to an individual, but I would like to share it with each and every member of the Citroën team.

"Every time that we hear the French National Anthem played at the end of a rally, we all feel exactly the same pride at having showcased France to the best of all our abilities."