Rallying superstar Sebastien Loeb is confirmed as part of an all-star Peugeot line-up for January’s gruelling Dakar Rally.
Loeb will venture into cross country rallying for the first time alongside another World Rally Championship legend, Carlos Sainz.
Driving for Peugeot’s manufacturing stablemate Citroen, Loeb won the WRC a record nine times in a stunning show of dominance from 2004-2012.
The Frenchman’s link with Peugeot saw him obliterate the Pikes Peak hillclimb record by 92s in a blistering 208 T16 in 2013.
Loeb and Sainz will tackle the Rallye du Maroc in Morocco from October 3-9 as part of the build up to the South American-based Dakar.
Completing the Peugeot Total line-up is the 11-times Dakar winner Stephane Peterhansel and five-times bike winner Cyril Despres.
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“I only discovered motor sport when I was 18 and I started competing in my first rallies,” the 41-year-old Loeb said, who also competes for Citroen in the World Touring Car Championship.
“Since then I have been interested in all types of different motor sports and Dakar is one of them. I think it’s a great challenge to go and compete there and drive in the desert.
“The Dakar is completely different from the racing I’m doing at the moment.
“It will be very long, over two weeks, and you need to have the endurance to look after the driver and the car. It’s another approach to racing but I’ll discover that in January.”
Loeb and Spaniard Sainz (a double WRC champion for Toyota) were team-mates in the former’s maiden WRC season in 2003.
For the Morocco event, Sainz will drive the recently uncovered 2008 DKR16 whereas Loeb will drive a 2015 specification car.
“When I tried the 2008 DKR out in June, it was immediately very impressive for me – and of course it has changed a lot since then,” Loeb said.
“What struck me most of all is how the Dakar car was a completely new experience.
“In the WRC I have been used to going around obstacles, but with this car you can just drive straight over them and it takes some time to have the confidence to believe it!
“I’ve also been used to having very detailed pace notes.
“In cross country, you have to find the road for yourself and improvise your route.
This is actually the first time I have driven any type of diesel car in competition too. So there is a lot for me to learn, but I am eager to find out more.”
Sainz says Loeb will quickly adapt to his new challenge.
“Of course the rally raid will be a new adventure for him, but he has every capacity to adapt to it with no problem,” Sainz said.
“As I have seen for myself in the past, he is a quick learner in everything he does.”
Like Loeb, his 42-year-old co-driver Daniel Elena has never competed in a cross country event previously.
Peugeot Sport director Bruno Famin said said the signing of Loeb is the final piece of the Dakar puzzle for the French manufacturer.
“Having improved the car in several different areas since we were last at the Dakar, the signing of Sébastien Loeb is the final piece in the jigsaw.”
Another former WRC star, Mikko Hirvonen, was announced earlier this year to pilot an X-raid Mini at Dakar.
With Peru withdrawing from the Dakar alternative routes between Bolivia and Argentina have been arranged from January 3-16.
See below Peugeot sport video with its ‘dream team’ of drivers
https://youtu.be/_DNzQ1iVk8c
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