Sebastien Loeb has tied himself to Citroen in the World Rally Championship for the next two seasons after signing a contract extension until the end of 2013 with the French manufacturer.
There had been uncertainty surrounding the future of the seven-time world champion, who currently leads the 2011 standings and is chasing a ninth straight victory on Rallye Deutschland this weekend. It was believed that he could switch to incoming manufacturer Volkswagen or leave the sport altogether to pursue a career in circuit racing.
“With the arrival of other manufacturers in the championship, the competition is going to get tougher in the years to come,” said Loeb. “All the more so with the rule changes concerning the starting order coming in in 2012 as all the drivers will be fighting on a level playing field. To take the fight to them I'm putting my trust in Citroen, a team I know inside out and the DS3 WRC, the car that I helped set up with Citroen Racing.”
Citroen General Manager Frederic Banzet commented: “Sebastien Loeb is a great ambassador for the make. Today, his image and ours are intimately linked. He incarnates the daring, the sporting spirit and the love of competition, values that are very dear to us. We're proud of his loyalty to Citroen, and of the fact that's he's continuing his career with the team that's supported him since his debut.”
