2009 delivered one of the WRCs most exhilarating seasons in rally history; a neck-and-neck battle was to play out as Sebastien Loeb continued his 2008 winning performance with runner-up Mikko Hirvonen never far behind.

Norwegian snow gave drivers the opportunity to show their versatility. Portugal lived up to its reputation of spectacular crashes. New circuits threw down new challenges; Poland hadn't been part of the WRC circuit since 1973 nor had Australia since 2006. Both events saw shock developments that left Hirvonen overtaking Loeb as number one on the leader board. A win for Loeb in Spain meant the championship was yet to be decided with only one race left. In a thrilling competition, only 16 seconds separated Loeb and Hirvonen until a freak incident finished Hirvonens title challenge and Loeb claimed his 6th WRC Championship.