Grapevine: Loeb, Kovalainen swap cars for a day
World rally champion Sebastien Loeb got his first taste of Formula One machinery at Paul Ricard in France on Wednesday during a promotional event with sponsor Total-Elf
The Frenchman, who clinched his fourth WRC crown in Britain last weekend, experienced Renault's title-winning R26 car - with Renault F1 driver Heikki Kovalainen also getting the opportunity to drive Loeb's Citroen C4. Loeb's teammate Dani Sordo also tried out the Renault F1 car.
Speaking about his run in the car, Loeb said: "Today has been a fantastic experience; if I'm honest, it's a little bit like Christmas come early! I have just become a father for the first time, I won my fourth world title last weekend, and now a dream has come true: driving a Formula One car for the first time.
"I was very impressed with the grip generated by the aerodynamics, which is radically different from what we are used to in rallying. I already knew Paul Ricard well from my testing before Le Mans last year, so it meant I could really make the most of today's opportunity. It was a truly exceptional day."
Kovalainen, who was co-driven in the Citroen by Loeb, added: "This was a wonderful day, and I had a great time driving Sebastien's car. I had previously been in this type of car as a co- driver, but this was miles better!
"I felt quite comfortable, even though the sensations are extremely different to what you feel in an F1 car. I talked a lot with Sebastien and Dani, and it was interesting to see how they controlled the car in the slow and high-speed corners, and learn from it.
"In return, I was able to give them some advice about the R26, and I hope they both enjoyed the experience."
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