Tuesday 29th September 2015

Loeb to face Dakar

WRC dominated and Pikes Peak obliterated, Sebastien Loeb moves to his next rally challenge

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It would be a very foolish person to bet against Sebastien Loeb in a new motorsport venture. If the nine World Rally Championships, Pikes Peak victory and WTCC success weren't enough, it's worth remembering Loeb didn't begin competing until he was officially adult: "I only discovered motor sport when I was 18 and I started competing in my first rallies." Phenomenal.

Loeb that good he doesn't need a car now

Now he's giving Dakar a shot, driving Peugeot's new 2008 DKR in next year's event. He's also reunited with Carlos Sainz, Citroen teammate in his first WRC season back in 2003. They will compete at the Rallye du Maroc Cross Country event in Morocco next week; Sainz will drive the 2016 car with Loeb in this year's DKR in his Cross Country debut. It's also the Frenchman's first time competing in a diesel. Might as well give him some challenge, right? In his words "There is a lot for more to learn, but I am eager to find out more." He's going to win, isn't he?

For the Dakar proper, Loeb will be part of Peugeot Total's self-proclaimed 'dream team'; alongside Loeb and Sainz will be five-time winner bike winner Cyril Despres and 11-time winner Stephane Peterhansel. Daniel Elena has been confirmed as Loeb's co-driver, continuing a rally partnership that stretches back 17 years.

Predictably enough Peugeot Sport director Bruno Famin is confident about his team's prospects: "Sebastien was impressive from the moment he first sat in the car... He took his usual measured approached to understand the car step by step: from there his natural ability took over. " For Monsieur Loeb the biggest obstacle at the moment is quite literally the obstacles: "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!" Again, you suspect it won't take him too long.

Expect more from the partnership very soon given how close the Moroccan event is. In the meantime we can watch more 405 T16 videos and get very excited. You think Peugeot are fairly keen to win again?

[MG Mark]

Good to see - only a matter of time before it came to pass, as he's done most other things.

And don't forget that, amongst those considerable achievements mentioned, while it was a DNF in a Pescarolo at Le Mans in 2005, he was back there and finished in 2nd place there the year after....

MG Mark