Next Stop, Le Mans: FIA reportedly puts the brakes on Sebastien Loeb's grand prix debut
What do you do after making it to the pinnacle of rallying and winning a record-shattering six consecutive world championships? Anything you want – or so you'd think – but Sebastien Loeb is running into some roadblocks that appear to have derailed his plans to try his hand at Formula One.
The French rally ace who recently secured his sixth WRC title in a row was tipped to potentially drive for Scuderia Toro Rosso at the upcoming F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi. Considering that the team is owned by the same company that sponsors Loeb's Citroën rally car, and that the outfit seems to almost exclusively employ drivers named Sebastien (to say nothing of the championship already having concluded), it all seemed entirely likely. But despite having participated in a number of test sessions, the FIA has reportedly deemed the 35-year-old driver unsuitable for F1 racing, refusing to grant him the Superlicense needed to compete.
So what's next on Loeb's plate? Although he's recently been linked with a drive for USF1, Loeb realizes he probably won't get another shot at F1 at this point in his career. But he isn't done with circuit racing altogether. Having scored an impressive podium finish at Le Mans in 2006 for the Pescarolo team and tested the Peugeot 908 LMP1 (run by the same automaker as his rally team) a couple of times already, the champ is looking at potentially joining the Peugeot Le Mans team again in the near future.
[Source: Autosport | Image: Mark Thompson/Getty/Red Bull Racing]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Carlos 5:26PM (10/27/2009)
Did they mention why he was deemed unfit?
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chairman 5:44PM (10/27/2009)
Sounds like he just didn't have enough seat time in a F1-style car and put up respectable times. Per crash.net:
Having already dipped his toe in the water with test outings for Renault at Paul Ricard in late 2007 and then for Red Bull – who sponsor both the Frenchman and the Citroën Total World Rally Team with whom he is endeavouring to clinch a sixth straight crown on Rally GB this weekend – at Silverstone and subsequently Barcelona last year, Loeb participated in the end-of-season GP2 Series group test at Jerez earlier this month.
However, a lack of laps due to repeated red flags and consequently the slowest time of any of the 25 drivers present on the final timesheets, hinted that he may still not be ready to take his place on the F1 grid, and now that has been confirmed.
Criteria for the successful application for a superlicence include victories in junior categories such as GP2 or F3 – neither of which Loeb has on his outstanding career CV, which aside from 52 triumphs at the highest level in world rallying has taken in a brace of sportscar appearances in the legendary, round-the-clock Le Mans 24 Hours.
Other sources suggest that Loeb simply concluded that he had little to gain and far too much to lose from an F1 venture without being able to test the STR4 prior to the race weekend. The examples of Giancarlo Fisichella and most notably Luca Badoer at Ferrari over the second half of 2009 have demonstrated all-too-well just how damaging the in-season testing ban has been for drivers needing to rapidly accustom themselves to the intricacies of a new car.
“I have no regrets because I had no ambitions,” Loeb said on his personal website, “but it would have been fun to do it.”
Clavius 5:31PM (10/27/2009)
I'd definatly like to know why they turned him down. Seriously to me atleast on paper he has the creditials or is this one of those "politics as usual" in F1?
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Debreczeni 5:40PM (10/27/2009)
He was 4 seconds off pace according to the team, they don't want to throw him into a new car with very limited practice, like Luca Badoer or Fisichella.
woootles 5:34PM (10/27/2009)
looks eeevil!
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DiRF 6:05PM (10/27/2009)
He looks like a Bond villain in that shot...
dukeisduke 5:38PM (10/27/2009)
Yeah, why the hell won't they grant him a Superlicense? Is this Max, or Bernie's idea?
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Victorface 5:42PM (10/27/2009)
"tested the Peugeot 908 LMP1 (run by the same automaker as his rally team)"
Peugeot isn't the same as Citroën.
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why not the LS2LS7? 5:47PM (10/27/2009)
Actually, it is.
http://www.psa-peugeot-citroen.com/en/hp1.php
Victorface 5:49PM (10/27/2009)
Sorry. I made a mistake. Citroen and Peugeot's parent company is PSA Peugeot Citroen.
leftlaneabuse 5:52PM (10/27/2009)
Damn shame, but wouldn't want him to leave WRC.
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larry raines 5:59PM (10/27/2009)
I think SeBASTian is sooooo SUPER!
(said with lisp)
like........they should just givehimone.
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StinkyPete 6:26PM (10/27/2009)
Rules are rules... tough luck.
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Venom 8:19PM (10/27/2009)
Dexter Morgan. Race car driver.
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RLQ 9:47PM (10/27/2009)
HAHAHA
Good one.
ablogreader 9:06PM (10/27/2009)
If Ari Vatenan had won the FIA presidency I'm sure he would have pulled a few strings.
;)
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Xa 9:20PM (10/27/2009)
sebastien loeb, sebastien bourdais, and stephane sarrazin together in a car at lemans 2010 could probably equal an all french win for peugeot. it would be pandemonium if they pulled it off.
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nuggetsmcduggets 12:34AM (10/28/2009)
I know they're two vastly different forms of motorsport, but it's Sebastien Loeb - one of the most talented drivers...probably of all time, and they can't give him the seat in a backmarker for one piddly, completely inconsequential race? He's tested [F1] in the upper half out of 17 drivers, just give him a chance FIA, seriously, I'm sure three practice sessions would be enough for him to figure out, at the very least, how to keep it on the road and maintain a respectable pace.
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jinsei888 1:13AM (10/28/2009)
How does a man with such crooked eyes drive so precise?
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Nellydesign 8:29AM (10/28/2009)
Braaaaains!!!! BRAAAAINS!!!!
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