Motorsport: Five-time champ Loeb set for F1

Rally driver Sebastien Loeb could be in the driver's seat of a Formula vehicle later this year. Photo / Getty Images

Five-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb, who clinched Rally Australia on Sunday, could be headed for Formula One.

Loeb, in a Citroen, won the Australian round by 12.5 seconds from key Ford rival Mikka Hirvonen after dominating the final day in northern New South Wales. Spaniard Dani Sordo, Loeb's team-mate, was third.

The Frenchman has now crept to within a point of Hirvonen on the World Rally Championship points table with just two rounds remaining, in Spain and Britain.

But Loeb, whose C4 is sponsored by Red Bull, is being courted by the Red Bull owned Formula One team Torro Rosso for this year's season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Citroen Racing boss Olivier Quesnel said he would release Loeb for the November F1 race but was convinced he would return to rallying next season.

"I am not a Formula One boss, so I have no seat to offer Sebastien," Quesnel told AFP.

"But if someone makes a proposal to Sebastien, Citroen Racing will authorise him for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since the rally season will be over at that date."

Loeb on Thursday dismissed talk of an F1 drive as "rumours" but it is understood he is interested in an open-wheeler drive. He spent a full day last November testing with Red Bull in Spain where he set impressive times.

But Quesnel said on Saturday Citroen was in talks with Loeb for a two-year extension to his WRC deal.

"Both parties wish to remain married," Quesnel said. "I am not a gambling man but I bet Loeb will still be a rally driver next year."

Just one tenth of a second separated the three leading cars heading into the final day of Rally Australia, with Loeb sacrificing the lead on the last stage on Saturday to ensure he did not have to start first and have the tough job of clearing gravel for his rivals.

He edged ahead by 2.3 seconds by winning the opening leg and by the fifth sector was holding an 11-second break over Hirvonen.

By the second last stage Loeb had a commanding 18.4sec edge and was able to cruise to victory in the final 22.41 leg.

Sunday's win was the 53rd in Loeb's record-breaking WRC career and his sixth this season - but his first since he took victory in Argentina in April.

"It's been a long time since I've won so it is especially good to win another one," Loeb said. "It was really important for the championship to win ahead here and we got it so I'm really happy.

"It's down to one point between myself and Mikko and we go onto Spain next so the championship this year is really interesting and we will see what we can do."

Hirvonen has a reputation for doing better than Loeb in new rallies - Rally Australia was staged for the first time over this course - but the Frenchman said he had proved his critics wrong today.

"I know some people say that but I don't know why. But here it was important for me to have this victory," he said.

Hirvonen said he tried everything to keep ahead of his French rival, but could not keep up with the pace yesterday.

"There have been many rallies this year where I have been absolutely flat out from start to finish and this was one of those," Hirvonen said.

"But I couldn't held it, Citroen did really well yesterday and I just didn't have a chance today."

- AAP