Sebastien Loeb has announced that it will return to rallying next year but not as a driver and rather a team owner in the Junior World Rally Championship.
The nine-time world champion’s team is appropriately dubbed Sebastien Loeb Racing and will field a Citroen DS3 in the series that sits just below the top-level WRC competition and above both WRC 2 and WRC 3.
Alongside all his success in WRC, Loeb also walked away victorious with the 2001 JWRC title, holds the record at Pikes Peak and next year, will race at the Dakar Rally.
It isn’t yet known who will drive for the team, but it has been confirmed that Dominique Heintz, a business partner of Loeb, will act as team manager. Also included in the squad will be Daniel Elena, Loeb’s well-respected co-driver who played a major role in Loeb’s rally success.
Loen’s outfit already competes in a range of series including the World Touring Car Championship and, given the Frenchmen’s roots and unrivaled success in rallying, it’s of little surprise the team has made the call to enter the series.
Discussing this decision, Heintz said: “We thought for quite some time and we feel that this is really the right time. The team continues to grow on the circuit and it will ramp up again in 2016 with several programs, including the WTCC. But the rally is in our genes. It was obvious to go and I am very pleased that this happen for 2016. We managed to assemble all the pieces of the puzzle.”
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