World Rally Championship legend Sebastien Loeb will soar behind the wheel of WRC equipment in a uncommon look for the French Tarmac Rally Championship this weekend.
The nine-time world champion is making a return to conventional stage rallying having been competing for Dacia within the World Rally-Raid Championship, which he at present heads after three of 5 rounds.
This weekend the 52-year-old will take a break from rally-raid motion to contest Rallye Vosges – Grand-Est, which performs host to the fourth spherical of the French Tarmac Rally Championship.
His outing is important as Loeb and co-driver Laurene Godey will compete behind the wheel of a 2017-spec ex-M-Sport-built Ford Fiesta WRC automobile.
“Again on asphalt,” stated Loeb on social media. “Laurene and I are keen to start out the Rallye Vosges Grand Est and get again to racing within the French Rally Championship.”
The automobile is owned by gentleman driver Armando Pereira, who has been competing within the automobile since 2020.
In its heyday the automobile was pushed by Loeb’s former WRC team-mate and rival Sebastien Ogier, plus present championship chief Elfyn Evans, in the course of the 2018 and 2019 WRC campaigns respectively.
Ogier gained on the Tour de Corse in 2018 with the automobile and took second in Spain en path to his sixth title that 12 months, whereas Evans drove it at Monte Carlo in 2019.
This weekend would be the first time Loeb has competed in prime stage WRC equipment since Acropolis Rally Greece in 2022 when he joined M-Sport Ford for 4 outings – a run which included his eightieth profession win in Monte Carlo.
Rallye Vosges – Grand-Est shall be contested over 12 asphalt levels, comprising 199.6km, with the motion as a result of start on Saturday and conclude on Sunday.
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