Nine-time World Rally Championship champion Sebastien Loeb has signed a two-year contract and will tackle six rounds of the 2019 series in a Hyundai i20 World Rally Car alongside longtime co-driver Daniel Elena. Loeb’s program will begin with the season-opening Rally Monte Carlo Jan. 24-27. Dani Sordo, who signed a one-year deal, will share a car with Loeb; his first outing will be at Rally Guanajuato Mexico, March 7-10. Thierry Neuville — the 2018 WRC runner-up to Sebastien Ogier — and Andreas Mikkelsen remain in the Hyundai WRC stable. Loeb last competed full time in the WRC in 2012. He returned for three rounds with Citroën Racing this season, ending with a 79th career victory in Spain. Loeb admitted he would be open to more WRC outings with the team, but those hopes ended last month when the French squad confirmed a two-car lineup for 2019. Loeb was then left without a full-time ride when his Peugeot team withdrew from the WRC. “Winning at Rally de España this season reignited my desire to continue competing at the very front of WRC,” Loeb said. “Joining Hyundai will give us a fresh challenge and one that I can’t wait to tackle. I have been impressed with the team’s approach and their determination to succeed. They were firmly in the title fight this season, and I feel that I can bring a lot to them, together with Thierry, Andreas and Dani.”
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