Mexico, Corsica and Catalonia: logical choices for Loeb's return

The desire had been itching for some time, Sébastien Loeb took the plunge by announcing his participation in three WRC rounds in 2018 : the Rally of Mexico (March 9-11), the Tour de Corsica (April 6-8) and Catalonia (October 26-28). But why did the nine-time world champion in the discipline select these events in particular?

Obviously, this choice is not the result of chance. The Alsatian's skills on the road have contributed to his fame. During the 2005 edition of the Tour de Corse, the man who was then the leader of the Citroën team achieved the feat of winning all 12 special stages of the rally with 10 turns, a first in the World Rally Championship.

This will followkings other rank successes, on the Xsara then the C4. At the start of the 2018 edition, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena will be the most victorious crew on the Isle of Beauty. Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul have added their name to the list twice (in 2011 during the IRC and 2017).

In three years of absence (his last participation in WRC dates back to Monte-Carlo 2015 where he finished 9th), the landscape of the discipline has changed. The power of cars is now around 400 horsepower, the use of aerodynamic elements has exploded and speeds have also increased. In this very different context from the previous decade, Sébastien Loeb sought stability by choosing Mexico. “I have good memories of Mexico, and the route hasn’t changed too much compared to my time”, explains the official driver Peugeot in the Dakar and in World RX.

Once again, the Loeb-Elena pair is the most capped in the current WRC field. Even better, with six victories (from 2006 to 2008 then between 2010 and 2012) no crew has done better in the history of this rally. The strong image of his participations in Central America will not be the champagne of the podium, but a connection traveled on three wheels after a broken right rear suspension and a Daniel Elena leaning on the driver's door as a counterbalance.

Finally, Sébastien Loeb will compete in the only mixed rally on the calendar, in Catalonia. This test was a real garden for the Alsatian, since he annihilated all competition eight times in a row between 2005 and 2012. However, the Spanish rally did not offer any special on gravel, which has been the case since 2013. The new route will have to be understood by the Frenchman.