Towards a total absence of WRC in 2023 for Sébastien Loeb

Sébastien Loeb recognizes that a partial program with M-Sport Ford in the WRC in 2023 is more than hypothetical with the year already well underway. The arrival of 2019 champion Ott Tänak is no stranger to this.

Published on 28/03/2023 à 18:30

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Towards a total absence of WRC in 2023 for Sébastien Loeb

The Ford Puma should not be driven by Sébastien Loeb in 2023. © DPPI / Nikos Natikis

In 2022, Sébastien Loeb had caused a sensation by winning the Rally Monte-Carlo for the debut of hybrid regulations in the World Rally Championship (WRC). Cet exploit avait été réalisé au volant d’une Ford Puma préparée par l’équipe anglaise M-Sport, une monture que l’Alsacien avait retrouvé à trois autres reprises (Portugal, Kenya et Grèce) avec des fortunes diverses.

While a continuation of this collaboration with Malcolm Wilson seemed on track for 2023, everything suggests that the nine-time world champion will skip the WRC this season. This is what the person concerned admitted during an interview as part of the release of a documentary on Canal+ scheduled for Sunday April 2.

ALSO READ > Sébastien Loeb in prime time on Canal+: “My job is to have fun, so the documentary transcribes my life well! »

“Everyone wants (to see it in WRC), even me, but I don't know, he declared to AUTOhebdo. Ford put all its involvement (financial) to engage Ott Tänak This year. Then there were no more offers for me.

ALSO READ > Ott Tänak at M-Sport in 2023

I took the initiative to move forward on other subjects, for my part, with the World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC, which he leads after the first two rounds. Editor's note) with BRX and Prodrive, and other side races. The situation and timing are no longer the same.

Before the Dakar, in January (2nd behind Nasser Al-Attiyah), I was open to all suggestions. Today, I'm starting to have a pretty busy schedule. Freestyles in the WRC, even if they were offered to me tomorrow, I wouldn't have the opportunity to compete in many of them. Nothing is done, but nothing is planned. Honestly, I'm not sure I'll compete this year. »

While waiting to find out more, Sébastien Loeb will take part on April 1 in the Azores Rally at the wheel of a new Skoda Fabia Rally2. The Frenchman has cleaned up his sporting programs because he has stopped his involvement in Extreme E, even though he won the 2022 season with the Spaniard Cristina Gutiérrez within the X44 team of Lewis Hamilton.