Returning Loeb heads Argentina entries

Sebastien Loeb will make a return to World Rallying on the next round of the Championship, Philips LED Rally Argentina, which starts on 1 May.

After missing the last two rounds in Mexico and Portugal, the return of the reigning world champion is one of the highlights of an entry list that features twelve other World Rally Car crews.

Loeb has chosen Argentina to be one of the handful of rallies he will tackle this season as he bows out of the WRC after a record-breaking nine world titles.

Less than a fortnight after driving a McLaren MP4-12C at the FIA GT Series race at Zolder, the Frenchman will be back at the wheel of the number 1 DS3 World Rally Car for the Citroen Total Abu Dhabi team. Mikko Hirvonen will drive the French team’s second car. Dani Sordo will drive a third DS3 for the Abu Dhabi Citroen Total team.

After his recent win in Portugal, championship leader Sebastien Ogier will return in his Volkswagen Motorsport team Polo R WRC, with team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala in an identical car. Andreas Mikkelsen will drive a third Polo R for the Volkswagen Motorsport II team.

Qatar M-Sport team drivers Mads Ostberg and Evgeny Novikov head the Ford runners, with Thierry Neuville also in an M-Sport Fiesta for the Qatar World Rally Team.

Martin Prokop will represent the Jipocar Czech National team in another Fiesta, while Brazilian driver Daniel Oliveira will make his 2013 WRC debut at the wheel of another Fiesta WRC, run by Stohl racing.

There are two Mini JCW World Rally Cars on the list; one for LOTOS team driver Michael Kosciuszko, the other for long-time P-WRC competitor Gabriel Pozzo from Argentina.

The rally has also attracted nine entries in the FIA WRC-2 championship, including the winner in Mexico, Fiesta RRC driver Abdulazis A-Kuwari.

Production Cup leader Nicolas Fuchs also returns in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX - the Peruvian fresh from winning the production category in Mexico and Portugal.

Philips LED Rally Argentina kicks off on Wednesday 1 May with the Qualifying stage at 1058hrs and the Super Especial Parque Termatico at 1600hrs.