Sébastien Loeb and Adrien Fourmaux at the start of Monte-Carlo 2022

While everything indicated that Sébastien Loeb would be at the start of the 90^e édition de la doyenne des épreuves, l’annonce de cette participation tardait à tomber. Dans les coulisses, d’âpres négociations ont apparemment eu lieu entre M-Sport, Red Bull and Prodrive until all parties benefit. Present during the preparatory tests for the winter round, the 48-year-old Frenchman had a lot of fun in the Puma and was delighted to be able to use it on the special stages.

It is now confirmed. Holder of 9 podiums in Monaco including 7 victories in 14 participations, will the Alsatian be able to further improve his statistics? The task will not be easy since he will have just returned from the Dakar and will have to compete in the Monte-Carl' with his new co-driver Isabelle Galmiche, Daniel Elena having decided to retire. For the moment, only this participation with Ford is on Loeb's schedule for 2022, but perhaps a good result will encourage an increase in this program? That ofAdrien fourmaux is finally known. Involved from the start in the development of the new Rally1 Hybrid, the northerner was calm about his future.

ALSO READ > Adrien Fourmaux extends with M-Sport for 2022

« Malcolm (Wilson, Editor's note) has been telling me for a long time that he wants to see me racing in the car, explains Adrien Fourmaux. So I had no reason to worry. When he says something, he usually keeps his word. In the team, everything was put in place to properly prepare for this 2022 season. » Associated with Alexandre Coria, the Seclin driver will use a Puma in Red Bull colors during the 13 rounds of the calendar.

“It's nice to work with M-Sport, it's a very professional team that knows how to build good cars,” says Sébastien Loeb. I'm happy to work with M-Sport now, since the start of my career I was fighting against Ford, but I always knew that Malcolm was someone very involved in the team and passionate about rally, we have always had good relations. I'm really excited for Monte-Carlo, it's really an exciting challenge. It was a pleasure to experience the new technology found in the Puma Rally1 cars, I think it is quite similar to the 2017 cars, but with an added hybrid system. This makes it a little more difficult to use and it's exciting to have something new to deal with in the car. When I tested the car I was really impressed with its balance and power with the hybrid, I really liked it.”

M-Sport is delighted to announce that @AdrienFourmaux 🇫🇷 and @SebastienLoeb 🇫🇷 will join @Craig_Breen__ 🇮🇪 and @GreensmithGus 🇬🇧 in Monte Carlo 🇲🇨, in a fleet of all-new Ford Puma 🐈‍⬛ Hybrid 🔋 Rally1 cars. #MSPORTERS #ford #FordRally #FordPerformance #Rally # Rally1 #WRC

- M-Sport (@MSportLtd) December 21, 2021