Loeb to tackle Le Mans

World rally champion Sebastien Loeb will switch to circuit racing this summer when he takes on the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours.

The Frenchman has agreed to race for Le Mans legend Henri Pescarolo’s Judd-powered team in the June race, as co-driver to Soheil Ayari and Eric Helary.

Loeb follows in the footsteps of former world rally champion Colin McRae, who enjoyed a promising Le Mans debut last year in a GT class Ferrari.

Loeb agreed to switch disciplines only after testing a Pescarolo car at Paul Ricard and enjoying the experience.

He said: “This is an opportunity to do something very different from driving a world rally car.

“It’s too early to say how I’ll do, because I’ve got a lot to learn. The hardest thing is adapting to the high cornering speeds. I’m not accustomed to taking corners at 280kph.

“With the grip and aerodynamics, it is in another world. Braking is very different. In the WRC, it’s a balance between the braking and acceleration. On the circuit, the only resemblance is the use of left-foot braking.”