Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier are making their final preparations before going head-to-head in a support race at this weekend’s Formula One Monaco Grand Prix.
Three weeks after the pair fought for victory on Rally Argentina, Ogier and Loeb will race in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, driving identical 460hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars.
It will be the first time the two Frenchmen will have raced each other on a tarmacked circuit.
The pair will first drive the famous 3.3km Monaco track on Thursday 23 May at a practice session starting at 1730hrs. Qualifying takes place on Friday from 0945hrs, with the 16-lap race scheduled for 0945hrs on Sunday.
Ogier, who leads the FIA World Rally Championship, said he was looking forward to his guest appearance in a 911 run by ‘Team Allyouneed by Project 1’.
“It will be very special for me to experience Monaco from a non-rallying perspective for once,” said Ogier. “I sat in the Porsche for the first time a fortnight ago at a test session in Hockenheim. Last year’s winner Sean Edwards gave me a few tips and I was coping really well by the end.
“I will obviously be keeping half an eye on Sebastien Loeb. The desire to be better is always there – but Seb has much more experience on racetracks. With that in mind, I will be trying to enjoy the weekend and, as always, do my very best.”
Loeb has not raced the Monaco circuit before but has prior knowledge of Porsches, having competed several times in the Porsche Carrera Cup in France, including a double victory at the Grand Prix de Pau in 2012. Most recently he finished eleventh in the Porsche Supercup round in Barcelona on 12 May.
“Running in this championship is quite a challenge – a challenge that is almost impossible!,” said Loeb. “I’ve always enjoyed my experiences in Porsche Carrera Cup France. This is real racing! Everyone has the same car and you have to fight. They are always hotly contested races, with great battles. Porsche Supercup is a level above.”
