Loeb and Ogier make a comeback! In what rally can fans look forward to the third battle between two of WRC’s greatest legends?

Big comeback! WRC legends Loeb and Ogier have announced their third comeback, this time on the Safari Rally Kenya, where fans will see another battle between these rivals. What did nine-time champion Loeb have to say about the event in Kenya?

For this season, Sébastien Loeb has decided that he and his biggest rival, Sébastien Ogier, will only enter WRC sub-events.

After competing in Monte-Carlo and Portugal, Loeb has once again agreed a deal with the M-Sport Ford team and will contest his third event of the 2022 season in the Safari Rally Kenya. This rally will take place from 23-26 June and will be the sixth event of the season overall.

Official confirmation from the team is expected to arrive on the same date, when Toyota will also confirm Ogier’s entry. Fans can look forward to another battle between two of WRC’s greatest legends.

It was Ogier who dominated the Kenya Rally last year after its return to the World Championship calendar (after 19 years). The last Kenyan rally before his return, in 2002, was dominated by Frenchman Loeb in a Citroën.

He has indicated that he would like to make two more starts in the WRC in addition to his stints in the FIA World Rally-Reid and Extreme E championships.

Loeb is currently seventh overall in the drivers’ championship standings, having collected twenty-seven points to date. He dominated the opening round of the season in Monte-Carlo, but did not compete in the following rounds in Sweden and Croatia.

Unfortunately, he crashed in the first few metres of the last rally in Portugal, and his second event of the season ended quickly. Ogier has 19 points to his name after finishing second in Monte-Carlo and, like Loeb, did not score in Portugal.

“It’s something very different from Portugal. I don’t know the current version of the rally (in Kenya – ed.) but I’ve seen some videos of the stages and it’s really different – the stages seem to be rough and lined with big rocks,” Loeb said in an interview with WRC.

“Kenya is pretty amazing. I think it’s the rally I have the most memories from. Like I said, in 2002 this rally was very different. The longest stage was 120km and we all had helicopters over the cars to announce all the wilderness that awaited us,” he explains.

“The difference with Portugal is that, although it’s typical of the WRC, I’m not really familiar with this rally in Kenya. It’s always much more difficult when you come to a rally you’ve never done before. It’s not going to be easy, but I’m really happy to be driving here,” he concluded.

Sources