Loeb: WRC return complicated so far

Nine-time champion Sebastien Loeb has admitted his return to World Rally Championship action for the Monte Carlo Rally has not been totally straightforward so far.

The Citroen legend recently completed his first pre-event WRC test in 15 months earlier, and he acknowledged that the move from his World Touring Car Championship C-Elysee to a DS 3 WRC took some time to get used to.

Loeb spent a short time off the road after dropping down a bank while running slick tires on snow in the French Alps.

"It was nice to be back in the car," Loeb said. "And it's nice to have the feeling driving a four-wheel drive car on normal roads. [My return] was a bit complicated, but the feeling came back again very well."

Loeb acknowledged that the conditions during his two-day test were not ideal for Monte Carlo, though he doubted that it was possible to truly replicate the unpredictable event in a test.

"We didn't have so much snow, but then again, maybe there won't be a lot of snow on the rally," he said. "In the test we have the conditions we have and it will be the same in the rally.

"We had some very good conditions on the first day, with some dry asphalt and just some damp patches. On the second day, there was some ice, especially in the morning. Some hairpins were very slow on the ice."

COMEBACK NEARLY HAPPENED IN 2014

Loeb also revealed how close he came to contesting his home round of the WRC last season.

"Citroen proposed for me to do France last year," he said, "but in the end it wasn't possible. So now we do Monte Carlo, which also has a lot of stages in France. This is a good event with a good atmosphere and a lot of supporters."

The Frenchman would not be drawn on his chances of taking an eighth Monte win.

"My ambition is the same [as usual]: to do the best I can," Loeb said. "I didn't drive for more than one year [in the WRC], but on the other side I always try to do the best that I can and prepare as well as possible."

Originally on Autosport.com