Loeb tried the Renault F1… Kovalainen the C4 WRC!

Sébastien Loeb took the wheel of a Formula 1 car for the first time in his career this week. At the invitation of the Total Group, the Citroën driver got behind the wheel of a Renault F1 R26 and quickly made an impression! View photos

The Alsatian had been invited to cover a few laps yesterday in private. This afternoon, the new four-time World Rally Champion completed about twenty laps in two sessions, clocking a time less than a second off Heikki Kovalainen’s reference.

Sébastien Loeb commented at the end of the day: “I had a fantastic experience today. For me, it’s a bit like Christmas before Christmas, I just became a father for the first time, I won a fourth world title, and today I fulfilled a dream by driving an F1! I was impressed by the grip generated by the aerodynamic downforce, which is of course very different from what we are used to in Rally. I was already familiar with the Paul Ricard circuit having driven a prototype there as part of my preparation for Le Mans in 2006, so I really enjoyed it today. Really, it was an exceptional day.”

Heikki Kovalainen added: « It has been a fantastic day, I really enjoyed driving Sébastien’s car. I had already had the opportunity to ride in this type of car as a co-driver, but this was completely different! I felt comfortable even though the sensations were radically different. We had a lot of exchanges with Sébastien and Dani, and it was very interesting for me to see their way of controlling the car, whether in slow or fast corners. On my side, I tried to guide them during their test drive of the R26, and I hope it was enriching for them. »

After Sébastien Loeb, Dani Sordo should also take the wheel of the Renault.

Heikki Kovalainen was, for his part, invited by Citroën to discover the C4 WRC. After riding alongside Sébastien Loeb, the Finn saw Dani Sordo tear off a wheel of the C4!

See the photos of the event