Loeb splits with co-driver Elena after 23-year partnership
Sebastien Loeb and long-term co-driver Daniel Elena have parted company after 23 years together.
Loeb admitted “it wasn’t an easy decision” to make and it is understood that he called Elena around midday on Tuesday to deliver the news to him, having most recently competed together at this year’s Dakar Rally for the Bahrain Raid Xtreme team.
The Prodrive-built BRX1 car’s debut at the Dakar Rally was marred with mechanical problems, including a broken suspension arm on stage six and a damaged bearing on stage seven. Retirement followed for the pair on stage eight when they picked up two punctures in the opening 80km and only had one spare wheel.
Posting on his official Instagram account, Loeb wrote: “After five Dakar rallies together – and after discussions with the team – we came to the conclusion that maybe it would be good to try something else.
“It is not without a heartache that we will not start the next edition as team-mates.
“It wasn't an easy decision to make, or the easiest phone call to make after these 23 years, but I have no doubts about your ability to bounce back.
“We will have the opportunity to share our passion again together and to look back on our great moments.”
Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, Bahrain Raid Xtreme team, 2021 Dakar Rally
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Loeb has insisted the decision to part company will not affect his friendship with Elena moving forward.
Nine-time World Rally champion Loeb left the WRC at the end of 2020, after two seasons in the Hyundai Motorsport camp, to pursue a win at the Dakar, although all parties hinted at the time that they could join forces again in the future.
Their best results with Hyundai came at Rally Chile in 2019 and Rally Turkey in 2020 where they finished on the third step of the podium.
That followed a lengthy spell with Citroen where Loeb and Elena secured nine consecutive WRC titles between 2004 and 2012.
Except for 2006, these were achieved under the official works banner in three different cars: the Xsara, C4 and DS3.
The pair joined forces for the first time at Rallye du Val d'Agout in 1998, the scene of their first win as team-mates in a Citroen Saxo Kit Car.
Related video
WRC "turned calendar upside down" for safe start in COVID-19 measures
Breen crash "hasn't affected" WRC Rally Croatia plans for Hyundai
Third-generation McRae eyeing Junior WRC graduation for 2023
Third generation driver Max McRae is working hard towards stepping up to the Junior class of the World Rally Championship next season, following a test in a JWRC car.
Ex-F1 racer Kovalainen plans Japan WRC entry, eyes European outings
Ex-Formula 1 racer Heikki Kovalainen is pressing ahead with preparations for a one-off WRC outing in Japan in November and plans to contest more events in Europe in the near-future.
Hyundai cautiously optimistic after shock Finland WRC win
An unexpected victory in Finland has left Hyundai Motorsport cautiously optimistic it has turned a corner after a difficult start to the World Rally Championship's new hybrid era.
Rally legend Kankkunen to drive hydrogen-powered Toyota at WRC Ypres Rally
Four-time World Rally Championship title-winner Juha Kankkunen will drive a hydrogen-powered Toyota GR Yaris in stages at next week’s WRC Ypres Rally.
How Rovanpera has reignited Finland's rallying obsession
Finland may have a small population, but it has long enjoyed rallying success. Now that the nation has a new star to cheer in the form of Kalle Rovanpera, interest in the discipline is surging once again
How Tanak spoiled Rovanpera’s Finnish homecoming
Kalle Rovanpera and Toyota went into Rally Finland as overwhelming favourites but came away as runners-up to a resurgent Ott Tanak and Hyundai. While it may have dampened the homecoming party, it still moved the Finn closer to the ultimate World Rally Championship prize
Inside Hyundai’s F1-spec mobile WRC home
Hyundai is one of the World Rally Championship's big three, and has a brand-new travelling facility befitting of that status. The team invited Autosport for a behind-the-scenes look at its state-of-the-art HQ, which comes complete with all the bells and whistles you'd expect of a top Formula 1 outfit
How Rovanpera's latest Estonia masterclass left his WRC rivals stumped
After trailing Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans for much of Rally Estonia's opening day, WRC points leader Kalle Rovanpera took advantage of a change in the weather and never looked back afterwards. Winning for a fifth time this year at the scene of his 2021 breakthrough, and with a breathtaking powerstage bonus for good measure, his advantage is already looking difficult to topple
How the WRC captures its stunning visuals
Whether it’s the mountains of Monte Carlo, the snow of Sweden or the Kenya Savannah, the World Rally Championship is able to beam some of motorsport’s most spectacular footage to television screens while operating in the harshest of environments. Autosport went behind the scenes to unearth the secrets that make this logistical challenge possible
Why WRC's Safari tour is more than just a rally
OPINION: A source of national pride in Kenya, the Safari Rally is also a sporting, cultural and economic phenomenon. And as last weekend's World Rally Championship round reminded us, it's a key driver in establishing Africa’s place in world motorsport
How Rovanpera tamed a wild Safari Rally
The Safari Rally acted as a brutal test of driver and car resolve as multiple retirements opened the path for a historic Toyota 1-2-3-4 triumph, headed by star Kalle Rovanpera. But keeping things clean was only half of the challenge, as a well-timed charge when conditions worsened allowed the Finn to take control
How Tanak turned the tables to deliver Hyundai a timely WRC triumph
The 2019 champion has been a bit-part player recently, but Ott Tanak ended a 15-month drought in fine style with a dominant win in Sardinia. On a weekend when championship leader Kalle Rovanpera struggled with cleaning the road, his Hyundai rival has made his belated arrival into the title race and given cause for those predicting a walkover from the Toyota star to pause