Loeb yet to take a final call on WRC future

Bengaluru, March 27: Nine-time champion Sebastien Loeb, who made his return to the World Rally Championship (WRC) arena on an experimental basis with Citroen remained coy about his future in the FIA series despite his team giving him the option to extend his stay.

The Frenchman, who won a record nine WRC titles in a row from 2004 had called it quits from the premier class of FIA series in 2012.

He took a five-year break during which he tried his luck in World Touring Car Championship, World Rallycross and even made his debut in the 2018 Dakar Rally with a Puegeot which ended in disaster.

But in a surprise move, Loeb decided to return to a familiar terrain and signed a deal with Citroen to do three rounds of WRC - Mexico, France and Spain.

He made a good comeback though in the last month's Mexico Rally, which he has won six times. Loeb stunned his rivals initially and was leading before a puncture put paid to his plans as he settled for a fifth-place finish.

Back in action

The 44-year-old is back behind the wheels of a Citroen C3 and he is busy testing the car ahead of the Rally of France to be held in the Island of Corsica from April 5 to 8.

As Loeb looked confident and was clocking up the kilometres ahead of his first all-asphalt rally of his 2018 WRC programme, more good news came from the French manufacturer that he can do more rallies beyond the three events planned so far.

Talk again

"We've an agreement for three rallies, this is the deal so far. After that we'll have the opportunity to talk again, so let's see what's possible then," Citroen team principal Pierre Budar told Autosport.com.

"But I don't know any team manager in this service park who wouldn't want this guy in their team full-time - it's the same for us," Bidar added.

Impressive performance

Budar said he was impressed with Loeb's speed on his first gravel rally in five years.

"Mexico has been an extraordinary proof of his performance," he added.

"We've seen he is still very fast and he has shown just how well he is able to deal with this new car.

Tight-lipped

But Loeb who will also contest the World Rallycross Championship with Peugeot this year, was tight-lipped about an expanded WRC programme.

"At the moment, I'm doing rallycross with Peugeot and I can't do everything," he told Autosport.

"When I retired from the full WRC series, I knew the reason why and that hasn't changed. Now I drive and it's cool, but to do all the championship - it's not the plan."