Pierre-Louis Loubet’s 2021 World Rally Championship season is over as he has suffered a broken hip after being hit by a car.
Loubet secured a full-time program in a 2C Competition Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC for this year, but things didn’t go to plan on the special stages as he suffered a spate of crashes and has only amassed six championship points – less than several Rally2 drivers have managed.
The 24-year-old wasn’t entered for last weekend’s Rally Finland, and was one of several drivers to skip Safari Rally Kenya earlier this year.
He’s now in rehabilitation, so will be absent from next week’s Rally Spain and won’t make the start of the season-ending Monza Rally in November either.
“There’s a little change for my end of season’s program: rehab instead of finishing the WRC season,” Loubet wrote on social media.
THE DUVAL TREND LOUBET MUST IGNORE
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“You’re going to tell me ‘Ohhh, bad luck’, but believe me, I’m really lucky to just have a broken hip after getting hit by a car…”
He added: “So yes, It was a tough year and a tough season for me. But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and I’m already looking forward to next year, so I can fight and express my potential behind the wheel.”
Loubet is not the only top-line WRC competitor to be injured this season.
Takamoto Katsuta’s co-driver Dan Barritt suffered a back injury after a jump on Rally Estonia, and hasn’t competed on a WRC round since.
Keaton Williams and then Aaron Johnston have deputized for him, with Johnston looking set to remain in the car for Rally Spain.
2C Competition will still run a car in Spain as Oliver Solberg was already due to make the third World Rally Car start of his WRC career with the team.
