First F1 taste

Four-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb had his first taste of Formula 1 performance at the Paul Ricard Circuit in the South of France last Wednesday, December 5th, when he swapped cars with Renault's Heikki Kovalainen.

Loeb drove Renault's R26 championship-winning 2006 car for a Total-Elf promotional event.

"Today has been a fantastic experience; if I'm honest, it's a little bit like Christmas come early!" Loeb said. "I have just become a father for the first time, I won my fourth world title last weekend, and now a dream has come true: driving a Formula 1 car for the first time."

"I was very impressed with the grip generated by the aerodynamics, which is radically different from what we are used to in rallying," he added.

The Frenchman, however, is no stranger to circuit racing as he competed at the Le Mans 24 Hours last year.

"I already knew Paul Ricard well from my testing before Le Mans last year, so it meant I could really make the most of today's opportunity. It was a truly exceptional day."

Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo also had the chance to try the Formula 1 car, while Kovalainen drove the Citroen C4 WRC, with Loeb as his co-driver.