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Sebastien Loeb's return to the World Rally Championship now looks likely to begin with Rally Mexico 2018.

The nine-time WRC champion has been linked to a part-time programme in the series since testing a Citroen C3 WRC on asphalt and gravel in the summer.

Loeb has made clear his priority next season is Peugeot's World Rallycross Championship programme, which, following a hike in budget, is now expected to be run as a factory operation.

He will also be part of Peugeot's final Dakar Rally attempt.

Though Loeb had previously suggested that going straight from Dakar to the WRC opener in Monte Carlo was "possible", this has now been ruled out.

With the next WRC round in Sweden set to coincide with the start of Peugeot's RX testing programme, Mexico in March has become the likely start of Loeb's programme.



Citroen team principal Yves Matton told Autosport: "We are in discussions with him for next year.

"The only thing we know - and we decided this together - is that he won't be in Monte Carlo.

"It's too difficult with the Dakar, but it doesn't mean he will not appear next year - we are in discussions.

"We have to finalise this looking to a global view on what will be our drivers next year."

Competing in Monte Carlo would have meant starting the recce the day after he would have landed from Argentina after the Dakar.

Rally Mexico is an event where Loeb enjoys an enviable record, having won it six times in succession.

Matton said Citroen would be making a driver announcement in the coming weeks.

"It's still too early to talk about the line-up for next season," said Matton.

"We will confirm this in the next weeks. It's not finalised and it's not possible for me to announce drivers or our targets for next year."

Loeb has not competed in the WRC since his last Monte Carlo outing in 2015, when he led for much of the first full day before damaging his suspension.

While Loeb will miss out on the Monte, he will be in the vicinity this weekend, when he tackles the Rallye du Var in a Peugeot 306 Maxi.

The French event has attracted several high-profile entrants, with Yoann Bonato giving Citroen's C3 R5 its first public airing and Stephane Sarrazin doing the same with ORECA's Toyota Etios R4. Both will run as course cars.

Gilles Panizzi is also competing in a Peugeot 208 T16 and Francois Delecour has entered an Aston Martin Vantage GT4.

