Gales: Loeb staying is hugely significant

“His relation to Citroën is symbiotic”

By Franck Drui

24 August 2011 - 14:54
Gales: Loeb staying is hugely significan

Jean-Marc Gales, a member of the managing board of PSA Peugeot Citroen, has underlined the significance to the French organisation of securing Sebastien Loeb’s services for another two seasons in the World Rally Championship.

Gales, who personally oversaw the negotiations to keep Loeb at Citroen amid strong interest from Volkswagen Motorsport, said it would have been “unconceivable” for the seven-time world champion to join the German firm when it enters the WRC in 2013.

“It’s certainly not what we would have liked, absolutely not,” said Gales. “We did a lot of things to make him stay, to make the association last longer. It’s a great association that needs to last much longer. He’s so connected to us, he knows the team, it’s a team that made him grow. We will make sure he feels at ease in the future. It’s just unconceivable for us to let him go to Volkswagen.”

Gales also explained Loeb’s value from a marketing perspective, adding: “His relation to Citroen is symbiotic, like Paris and the Eiffel tower - it just belongs together. I’m personally extremely happy he’s re-signed again because it does help us sell cars in simple terms. Everybody associates Citroen with the wins we do and the championships we have won with Sebastien and vice versa. And he’s also excellent because we want to reposition our brand and Sebastien fits with that. I’m very happy that he stays.”

Confirmation of Loeb’s extended tenure with Citroen is also a demonstration of Citroen’s support of the world championship, according to Gales. “It shows Citroen’s commitment to the WRC and also shows the commitment from Citroen headquarters to Citroen Racing, which is very important. We have never talked about that but a two-year contract with the seven-time world champion is a sign of that clear commitment.”

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