The FIA World Rallycross Championship restarted its expansion by showing a multi-continental calendar in 2023, and now will see a legendary name return to embrace another one, as Sébastien Loeb is back in full time after five years out due to Peugeot dropping their manufacturer support.
Loeb's rallycross efforts always have a certain connection with homeland France, with the choice this time being Special ONE Racing, which is born out of GCK Motorsport with the objective of restomod classics into electric rallycross beasts.
As it is makes explicit by Special ONE Racing's goals, the car to be used will be the new Lancia Delta Evo-e RX1e, which debuted last year at the Nürburgring RX with Guerlain Chicherit, who showed an impressive performance with the car despite not making it to the Final.
Chicherit will be driving too as the team will have a pair of Deltas ready for the season, which makes Special ONE eligible for the teams championship title race with Hansen WRXT, Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS and CE Dealer Team, and presumably puts the car count on double digits, depending on program sizes and further confirmations.
Loeb has driven a bit of everything out there, from multiple specs of top level rally cars to LMP1s, GT3s, touring cars, Dakar rally raids, hillclimb prototypes and the list goes on, but he still got totally captivated by the Delta Evo-e, and then the deal got signed, with the car dynamics impressing the multiple WRC champion. In fact, the Delta Evo-e RX1e showed a not too stiff behavior at Nürburgring, with the ability of quick direction changes without compromising balance being a notable highlight, and possibly the trump card against the almighty Volkswagen Polo RX1e.
The World RX season starts on 4 June at Montalegre, passing through traditional venues in Europe before going to Cape Town in Africa and Hong Kong in Asia.
PHOTO: FIA World Rallycross Championship
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