Grégoire Demoustier will race a Citroën C-Elysée for Sébastien Loeb Racing in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in 2016, after the Frenchman penned a deal with the independent squad.
Demoustier will line up alongside Mehdi Bennani in the team, with both the youngster and his French team entering their second seasons in the WTCC.
Demoustier made his début with Craft-Bamboo Racing in 2015, scoring a best result of ninth in Thailand on his way to 19th overall in the drivers’ championship.
“I am pleased to join Sébastien Loeb Racing, I could not hope to reach a better team,” said Demoustier, who completed his maiden season at the wheel of a Chevrolet RML Cruze. “I’m happy to join a French team and, above all, they have shown their ability to fully exploit the Citroën C-Elysée.
“Mehdi Bennani had an excellent season and there are no secrets at this level. I learned a lot during my first year, either in terms of the level of tension or driving in a championship, and my goals will be different next year. The ambition will be larger and hopefully see good results in the ranking for independents.
“I cannot wait to experience the C-Elysée. The car is competitive but I am curious to see its behaviour when driving. I’m pretty confident and hopeful!”
Joint Team Principal Dominique Heintz explains that the team, which scored its first WTCC podium at the season finale in Qatar, was keen to do a deal with a French driver.
“We wanted to develop our program in the WTCC with more cars, but we also had the desire to do it with a French driver,” explained Heintz. “This is the case with Grégoire Demoustier and we are happy to welcome him.
“Grég is still young but he already has a good experience of the circuits, including recently in GT and the WTCC. His profile is interesting because it has real potential. He showed good things for a first year in a field of specialists and we accompany him in his progress to aim higher because he is an ambitious driver.
“With Mehdi and Grégoire, we have two drivers with different characteristics, with whom we have the opportunity to get very good results. We now have two chances to shine, and we hope to have a third in the near future.”