Loeb would be free for Abu Dhabi

Speaking from the Rally Australia, Citroen Racing boss Olivier Quesnel stated that he would allow the five-time world rally champion, Sébastien Loeb, to participate in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next November.

«I am not a Formula 1 boss, and therefore I have no seat to offer Sébastien» notes Quesnel to AFP. «But if someone makes an offer to Sébastien, Citroen Racing will allow him to participate in the different races from the end of the rally championship season.»

Loeb is widely known for having shown interest in Formula 1 through test days, the latest of which dates back to last November with the Red Bull Racing team. It was noted that the Frenchman was very impressive. Since then, the Alsatian has only been mentioned once for a Toro Rosso seat. The links between Red Bull and Citroen are quite evident, since the energy drink is a major sponsor of the Citroen team.

However, Sébastien Loeb will not completely turn towards Formula 1. His boss indicates that negotiations are ongoing regarding his contract for two new years in WRC. Both parties wish to remain united. Quesnel declares: I’m not a gambler, but I bet that Loeb will remain a rally driver next year. The head of Citroen Racing also expressed that their star driver could participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans next year with the Peugeot team.

More recently, it was confirmed that Sébastien Loeb had been contacted by the USF1 team, which is set to join Formula 1 next year and is inquiring about its future drivers.