Sebastien Loeb tests Citroen's early WTCC contender

The nine-time World Rally champion recently tested a prototype racing car based on the Citroen DS3 WRC in which he took his last two world rally titles.

Just like the current world touring car rules, the World Rally Championship operates a 1.6-litre turbocharged formula.

Loeb's test took place at Valencia, where he also tested the McLaren MP4-12C that he will use on all the rounds of the FIA GT Series this year.

While the Frenchman spoke openly about his McLaren test, he remained tight-lipped on the subject of his run in the DS3 test mule.

Sources indicate however that this was his very first run in a Citroen racing car, and while it proved to be reliable, the team struggled to adapt it to the demands of a circuit, both in terms of suspension and engine.

The final green light has yet to be given to the Citroen WTCC project, which is contingent on securing some external finance and also dependent on the firm's future in motorsport, which is still to be finalised.

Citroen is yet to commit to a specific model with which to run in the WTCC, with the larger DS4 also a strong possibility for the touring car campaign.

AUTOSPORT understands Loeb is concerned at the increasingly short timescale within which the project is operating, with some sources within Citroen suggesting that a debut after next season has started could be more realistic.