Sebastien Loeb has said that it was a 'dream come true' for him to be able to drive a Formula 1 car on Wednesday, when he got behind the wheel of last year's championship-winning Renault R26.
The Frenchman, who secured his fourth successive drivers' title on Sunday at the season ending Wales Rally GB, drove the car at the Paul Ricard circuit in the South of France. It was part of a special promotional event organised by Total-Elf, who are partners of both the Citroen World Rally Team and the ING Renault F1 team.
The Citroen man was thrilled by the experience and reckoned that his laps done at Le Castellet in preparation for the 2006 Le Mans 24 Hours helped him as he learned about the R26.
"Today has been a fantastic experience," said Seb, "if I'm honest, it's a little bit like Christmas come early! 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.
"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."
Loeb's team-mate, Daniel Sordo meanwhile also got a go in the R26, while Renault's Heikki Kovalainen drove the Citroen C4 WRC on a special stage near the Paul Ricard HTTT. The Finn was joined in the car by Loeb, who sat in the co-drivers' seat to give him a few tips.
"This was a wonderful day, and I had a great time driving Sebastien's car. I had previously been in this type of car as a co-driver, but this was miles better! I felt quite comfortable, even though the sensations are extremely different to what you feel in an F1 car," said Kovalainen.
"I talked a lot with Sebastien and Dani, and it was interesting to see how they controlled the car in the slow and high-speed corners, and learn from it. In return, I was able to give them some advice about the R26, and I hope they both enjoyed the experience."
