The WRC legend is about to make another comeback! Loeb to rejoin M-Sport Ford

Big comeback! Frenchman Sébastien Loeb has confirmed his participation for the Portuguese rally and fans will once again be able to watch the battle of two legends. Loeb will, of course, join the team with which he competed in the season opener in Monte-Carlo.

From 2004 to 2012, none other than Loeb celebrated overall triumph. It was the Citroën Total team, led by Loeb, who completely dominated the WRC in those years. For the 2022 season, the French driver has joined the M-Sport Ford WRT team, thus becoming part of a new hybrid era.

It should be noted that both Loeb and Sébastien Ogier are not competing in the main WRC programme. In fact, both legends have chosen only partial participation, or rather, they will continue to choose only the sub-events they want to intervene in during the season.

Thus, both competed in the season opener at Monte-Carlo, with Ogier dominating the standings throughout.

However, as the finish approached, luck was on Loeb’s side. Ogier had a lead of almost twenty seconds at the halfway point of the race, but in addition to a puncture, he also missed the start in the final stage and received a ten-second penalty.

With this feat, Loeb achieved the 80th victory of his WRC career. In any case, the 48-year-old Frenchman has a busy schedule that includes Extreme E, the World Rally-Raid Championship and only recently confirmed his entry in the DTM.

And in May, Loeb will rejoin the WRC for the fourth round of the season in Portugal, which kicks off with a ceremony in Coimbra on 19 May. This will be followed by a 3.06-kilometre ‘super special stage’ on the outskirts of the city.

Loeb will once again be joined as co-driver by Isabelle Galmiche, who became the first woman to stand on the top step of the podium since 1997.

Fans can also expect a tough battle between Loeb and Ogier. It is Ogier who is also expected to continue in Portugal as part of the so-called partial season.

M-Sport will thus run five cars in the fourth race of the season. Loeb will be joined by Craig Breen, Gus Greensmith, Adrien Formaux and Pierre-Louis Loubet.

Sources