Loeb, who drives an M-Sport Ford, took the lead in the final stage, when French rival Sébastien Ogier, who was more than 20 seconds ahead, suffered a puncture.
The previous oldest WRC winner was Sweden björn valdegaardwho took the 1990 Safari Rally in Kenya at the age of 46 years and five months.
Ogier, the defending champion in the Toyota Yaris, recovered to finish second, 10.5 seconds behind Loeb, who registered his eighth win in Monte Carlo and his first since Catalunya in 2018.
️Breaking: What. A Finish @SebastienLoeb & Isabel Galmich: #RallyeMonteCarlo 2022 champions #WRC |… https://t.co/SkNqkhFPGe
– WRC – FIA World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) 1642940302000
“I feel really happy! I didn’t expect that much when I got here, but it was a big fight,” said Loeb, who was partnered by co-driver Isabel Galmich.
“The Ogier was really fast and I struggled a bit yesterday and this morning as well.”
In another M-Sport Ford, Irishman Craig Breen rounded the podium.
Neither Loeb nor Ogier, who have won 17 of the last 18 titles between them, are competing on a full-time basis in the 2022 championships, which saw the introduction of new hybrid cars.
Ogier, 38, is due to race in only a few events, while Loeb made a quick comeback from a second-place finish at the Dakar Rally to compete in Monte Carlo.
Entering the La Penny-Callongs Special, Loeb’s chances of victory were slim as he was 24.6 seconds behind Ogier, who had blasted the first two stages to win both.
But an untimely puncture in the second half of the stage cost Ogier valuable time.
He trailed by 34.1 seconds to clear the way for Loeb’s remarkable shot of victory.
With the final 14.26km special to come, Loeb led by 9.5 seconds and needed just a clean run to hit the Monte Carlo jackpot again.
Loeb did better, snatching another second off Ogier to set his 80th WRC win and another record in the history books.
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