For the upcoming World Touring Car Championship season, the Sébastien Loeb Racing has recruited a new driver. Following on the confirmation that Mehdi Bennani will continue to compete for the team next season – as he did throughout the 2015 season – Grégoire Demoustier is now about to join the Alsace-based team too. The 24-year-old French driver who discovered the WTCC this season will be driving a Citroën C-Elysée next year. The team might also enter a third car.
Born in Villeneuve-d’Ascq Grégoire Demoustier started his driving career back in 2008 in Mitjet Series and Peugeot THP Spider Cup. He then participated in single-seater series a couple of times before turning to GT where he acquired experience and achieved success every now and then: in the 2012 World GT1 (four podiums), in the French Championship (4 wins between 2011 and 2013) and the European Championship, or as part of the Blancpain Endurance Series (2 wins). In 2015, Demoustier decided to embark on a new career path completing his first full WTCC season on board a Chevrolet Cruze. Throughout that learning process he was able to show part of his potential, scoring his first points overall and clinching a podium in the Yokohama Trophy. 2016 will definitely be about picking up momentum.
“I’m glad to be joining the Sébastien Loeb Racing, actually I couldn’t have hoped for a better team to recruit me” Grégoire Demoustier confides. “I’m happy to get to compete with a French squad especially with the operational expertise they’ve been showing with the Citroën C-Elysée. Mehdi Bennani had an excellent season and there’s no secret to it: that certainly wasn’t down to luck but rather to great work. I’ve learnt a lot during this first year whether in terms of my skills on board a front-wheel drive or as regards to the championship itself. My goals will be different next year. I’ll be more ambitious and I hope to achieve some great results in the independent drivers’ classification. I’m really looking forward to discovering the C-Elysée. It’s a very competitive car and I’m curious to drive it and see how it behaves. I’m quite confident and hopeful!”
Alongside their collaboration with Mehdi Bennani who came second in the Yokohama Trophy this season with no less than seven wins, the Sébastien Loeb Racing expands and strengthens its involvement in the World Touring Car Championship.
“We were looking to develop our WTCC programme by entering more cars. But we also wanted to do that with a French driver. That’s exactly the case with Grégoire Demoustier and we’re happy to welcome him to our team” Team Principal, Dominique Heintz explains. “Greg may be young but he’s got a good track experience, especially in GT and most recently in the WTCC. His profile is interesting because he’s got a true potential. He’s delivered some good performances considering it was his first year in a competition that is full of experts. We’re now going to support him, enabling him to improve and to aim higher because he’s ambitious. Mehdi and Grégoire are two different drivers, with assets of their own, and we’ll be able to clinch excellent results with them. From now on we’ll have two opportunities to shine, and we’re hoping for a third one in the near future.”
Indeed the Sébastien Loeb Racing intends to enter a third Citroën C-Elysée in the 2016 World Touring Car Championship. Discussions are currently underway to finalize this project.