Tom Chilton, a new strength to the Sébastien Loeb Racing in WTCC

The Sébastien Loeb Racing is pleased to confirm that Tom Chilton will be racing for the team as part of the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) and alongside Mehdi Bennani and Grégoire Demoustier. Greatly experienced in the discipline, the British driver joins the Alsace-based team with much ambition. He will race at the wheel of a Citroën C-Elysée.

Sébastien Loeb : "Tom Chilton is an additional asset!"

Après After a positive campaign marked by Mehdi Bennani’s second place in the WTCC Trophy – for independent drivers only – the Sébastien Loeb Racing is about to enter no less than three C-Elysée in its second full WTCC season! The team will thus rely on a triple threat within this very tough competition.

"The aim is to see the team take one step forward each year. It was the case last year when getting involved in the World Championship, it will be the case this season with our new rally programme and three cars entered in the WTCC" Sébastien Loeb, co-founder of the team, explains. "With Tom Chilton alongside Mehdi and Grégoire, we’ve got experience, efficiency and youth... We’re putting a solid lineup together including a British, a Moroccan and a French driver. That also shows that we’re becoming an international team.

"Tom knows this championship very well and has shown how competitive he is. I know what I’m talking about as I’ve raced against him before. He’s an ambitious driver, we do appreciate his approach and he will be bringing great experience with him. We want to enable him to meet his objectives and I’m convinced we have the potential to clinch good results. We’re glad to welcome Tom, he’s definitely an additional asset."

Tom Chilton: "One of the best race seats to be racing in"

30-year-old Tom Chilton is a very experienced touring car driver. After his debut in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) in 2002 – he was not even old enough to hold a road car license – he stood on the podium at his first ever race meeting. Tom went onto become the youngest BTCC winner at 19 years old in 2004, racking up 12 wins, 45 podiums, manufactures championship and the 2010 BTCC Independent Championship with him. Tom also shone in many competitions including in sports cars where he was several times successful in the LM P1 class in American and European Le Mans Series. The British driver progressed to the WTCC back in 2012, clinching two overall wins in 2013, and one in 2014. With a fifth-place finish in the 2013 World Championship, he ranked third in the WTCC Trophy last season and contributed to winning the Teams title in the past two seasons.

"It’s a very exciting year ahead, I think it will be one of the best race seats to be racing in this year" Tom Chilton declares. "The team has only been in the championship for a short period of time but has achieved great results so far and many more to come. The Citroen C-Elysée has proved to be a championship winning car these past two years. With the combination of a professionally run team, it can only be a positive step forward for me. To finish Top 3 is my aim for the main WTCC Championship with a goal to also secure the Drivers WTCC Trophy, with the Teams WTCC Trophy too. For sure racing in the BTCC for 10 years followed by 4 years in the WTCC, I’ve built up a lot of knowledge which can only be a positive thing to add to the team and my teammates. I have huge respect for Sébastien Loeb and it’s an exciting feeling to be racing in his team."

Apart from the three Citroën C-Elysée competing in the WTCC, the Sébastien Loeb Racing is currently finalizing its projects regarding the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Also, 2016 will see the team getting involved in rallying for the first time, with a Citroën DS3 R3 competing in the Junior World Rally Championship and a Peugeot 208 T16 in several rounds of the WRC-2 Championship.