Sébastien Loeb at the Vosges Grand Est Rally driving a 2017 Ford Fiesta WRC

The presence of the nine-time World Rally Champion at one or more rounds of the CFR this year was expected, and the Alsatian driver officially confirmed this evening that he will indeed participate in the Rally Vosges Grand Est (June 12-14), the fourth round of the 2026 season, which he won in 2019 aboard the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRCA slight surprise, however: it was expected, logically, to be on board theAlpine Ludovic Godard's A110 GT+, the car with which he won the 2024 Mont-Blanc Morzine Rally and with which he competed in the Rallye du Var last year, will ultimately be participating in the rally. He will be driving a 2017 Ford Fiesta WRC, the one belonging to Armando Pereira, the Franco-Portuguese businessman known for heading Altice, the group that owns the SFR brand. Specifically, it is chassis number 10, driven by Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin in the 2019 Monte Carlo Rally, which the two men finished after going off the road.

Sébastien Loeb at the Vosges Grand Est Rally: A major first

For this latest appearance in the CFR, his third in two years, Sébastien Loeb He will once again rely on his partner Laurène Godey in the co-driver's seat to call out the pace notes. The duo's presence at the event will, of course, be an event in itself, but their presence in this particular car is something else entirely: it will be the first time in the history of the French Rally Championship that a WRC of this generation will start the rally privately. WRC cars built after 2016 are, in theory, not accepted in the CFR for safety reasons. "The FFSA may grant an exemption for the occasional entry of WRC 1.6T cars after September 1, 2016, conforming to Article 255A of Annex J in force, to a national rally (excluding regional rallies)."This is what can be read in the standard 2026 rally regulations established by the governing body. This exemption was logically granted to the recent fourth-place finisher in the Dakar Rally. It should be noted that Loeb's participation in the 2019 Vosges Grand Est and Var rallies, both won in a Hyundai i20 Coupé WRC, was facilitated by the manufacturer, something that was permitted in the French Rally Championship (CFR) at the time.

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Can Sébastien Loeb win the Vosges Grand Est Rally in this car?

The big question will be: where will Sébastien Loeb and Laurène Godey rank in the pecking order in this car? Potentially, while it's one of the most high-performing generations of rally cars ever built, it's important to remember that it was conceived and developed a decade ago. Will it be able to compete at the same level as modern cars? In theory, there's no contest. More powerful and lighter than the previous generation of WRC cars, these vehicles competed in the World Rally Championship between 2017 and 2021 before the introduction of the hybrid Rally1 cars. They are remembered by everyone as the most enjoyable to drive. Sébastien Ogier Julien Ingrassia and Julien Loeb were World Champions two years in a row (2017 and 2018) with this Fiesta WRC. Their participation should therefore generate considerable interest in many respects… Last but not least: Sébastien Loeb and Laurène Godey will not be eligible for the championship and will therefore not score any points in Gerardmer.