No sooner is Sébastien Loeb’s exit from Hyundai Motorsport in the World Rally Championship confirmed than he’s listed as a Dakar entry for the Bahrain Raid Xtreme team.
Loeb joins Spaniard Nani Roma in one of the Prodrive-built T1 cars for his fifth attempt at the marathon rally – his first time competing in Saudi Arabia, having missed this year’s inaugural event in the Middle East.
Two-time Dakar podium finisher Loeb said: “BRX have got big ambitions for the 2021 Dakar Rally and I’m excited to be a part of the journey with the team.
“There is an immense amount of experience in each area of the team; the best in the field with Prodrive, a track record of success from David Richards, and Bahrain’s rich history in motorsport. This combination is hard to rival, and I’m confident we will take to the dunes as strong contenders in next year’s Dakar.”
Richards echoed that enthusiasm, adding: “On behalf of BRX, I am thrilled to welcome Sébastien to the team. He brings with him a wealth of rally experience and is, we believe, one of the strongest drivers in the field. We look forward to working closely together over the next few months of testing, as we build towards next year’s race.”
Bahrain Raid Xtreme’s four-wheel drive 400bhp challenger for the January event will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
