Sébastien Loeb might retire from World Rally Championship (WRC) competition at the end of this year. The eight-time world champion is expected to decide before the end of the summer.
Loeb has an option for 2013 on his current Citroën contract, but tell-tale signs indicating retirement at the end of 2012 are surfacing.
Since December 2011, Loeb has been involved with his own racing team, which he founded with Dominique Heintz : Sébastien Loeb Racing. SLR currently fields and LMP2 prototype in European Le Mans Series (ELMS), as well as three Porsche 911 GT3 in France's Carrera Cup championship and a Mercedes SLS in GT competitions.
Loeb himself took the wheel of one of his 911 at the Grand Prix de Pau, handing his team its very first victory. The idea of a full-time commitment has probably occurred to the Frenchman. After all, SLR's goal is to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013. Which would mean a switch to the World Endurance Championship because the ELMS is doing so bad, and a chance for Loeb to fight for yet another world title.
Furthermore, with eight – possibly nine at the end of this season – world titles in his pocket, Loeb doesn't have anything else to prove. Next year, Volkswagen is set to arrive, with the means to succeed and Sébastien Ogier – the same man who once seemed like a worthy successor to Loeb, during their year together at Citroën in 2010 – at the wheel.
2013 could be the year Loeb is overthrown, the year he should have retired.
Plus, the PSA Peugeot Citroën group is going through a rough patch lately. It has already laid off 8,000 workers, and plans on closing a factory in Aulnay, near Paris. Citroën repeatedly said the WRC program is not in danger, but admitted there would be cutbacks in the team's fundings.
Loeb's departure would save his expensive's salary to the company, and open the door to his replacement Thierry Neuville, groomed by Citroën, who showed promising speed so far in his rookie season. Meanwhile Mikko Hirvonen could assume the leader role, which would support his decision to leave, at the end of 2011, the similarly good seat he had at Ford.
Barwa, the Qatari company financing Citroën's B team which fields Neuville and Nasser Al-Attiyah, could pair with Citroën's factory team; bringing the missing link to the budget and the number of cars down to three, making the team all more efficient and cheaper to run.
Loeb commented the situation in the Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace newspaper: "Last year, I didn't have my race team, so I had nothing after rally. Now, I have too much stuff! But yes, I am asking myself a lot of questions lately[.] I'm not going to stop it all at once. One thing is for sure: I still thoroughly enjoy competing. Whatever happens, I need the thrill of racing.
"I just have to find the right challenge for me," he added. "For example, when I win a Porsche Cup race, like I did in Pau, people are more surprised then when I win a rally. I won in New Zealand? What's new? Driving a WRC car is never boring, the feel at the wheel is the same. But there comes a time where you need to make a decision.
"And that time has come."
Loeb has an option for 2013 on his current Citroën contract, but tell-tale signs indicating retirement at the end of 2012 are surfacing.
Since December 2011, Loeb has been involved with his own racing team, which he founded with Dominique Heintz : Sébastien Loeb Racing. SLR currently fields and LMP2 prototype in European Le Mans Series (ELMS), as well as three Porsche 911 GT3 in France's Carrera Cup championship and a Mercedes SLS in GT competitions.
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| Stéphane Sarrazin at the wheel of Loeb Racing's LMP2 prototype. (Photo: WRi2) |
Loeb himself took the wheel of one of his 911 at the Grand Prix de Pau, handing his team its very first victory. The idea of a full-time commitment has probably occurred to the Frenchman. After all, SLR's goal is to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013. Which would mean a switch to the World Endurance Championship because the ELMS is doing so bad, and a chance for Loeb to fight for yet another world title.
Furthermore, with eight – possibly nine at the end of this season – world titles in his pocket, Loeb doesn't have anything else to prove. Next year, Volkswagen is set to arrive, with the means to succeed and Sébastien Ogier – the same man who once seemed like a worthy successor to Loeb, during their year together at Citroën in 2010 – at the wheel.
2013 could be the year Loeb is overthrown, the year he should have retired.
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| Sébastien Loeb, Citroën DS3. (Photo: WRC) |
Plus, the PSA Peugeot Citroën group is going through a rough patch lately. It has already laid off 8,000 workers, and plans on closing a factory in Aulnay, near Paris. Citroën repeatedly said the WRC program is not in danger, but admitted there would be cutbacks in the team's fundings.
Loeb's departure would save his expensive's salary to the company, and open the door to his replacement Thierry Neuville, groomed by Citroën, who showed promising speed so far in his rookie season. Meanwhile Mikko Hirvonen could assume the leader role, which would support his decision to leave, at the end of 2011, the similarly good seat he had at Ford.
Barwa, the Qatari company financing Citroën's B team which fields Neuville and Nasser Al-Attiyah, could pair with Citroën's factory team; bringing the missing link to the budget and the number of cars down to three, making the team all more efficient and cheaper to run.
Loeb commented the situation in the Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace newspaper: "Last year, I didn't have my race team, so I had nothing after rally. Now, I have too much stuff! But yes, I am asking myself a lot of questions lately[.] I'm not going to stop it all at once. One thing is for sure: I still thoroughly enjoy competing. Whatever happens, I need the thrill of racing.
"I just have to find the right challenge for me," he added. "For example, when I win a Porsche Cup race, like I did in Pau, people are more surprised then when I win a rally. I won in New Zealand? What's new? Driving a WRC car is never boring, the feel at the wheel is the same. But there comes a time where you need to make a decision.
"And that time has come."