Sebastien Loeb will not contest next year's Intercontinental Rally Challenge-opening Monte Carlo Rally, despite recent speculation linking the Frenchman to the centenary running of the event.
It had been thought Loeb could drive Citroen's DS3 R3 on the 100th Monte next January, but his team principal Olivier Quesnel was adamant there would be no seat for Loeb on an IRC round in 2011.
Loeb has, in the past expressed an interest in tackling the Monte Carlo Rally, which now runs to his favored route including action in the Ardeche as well as the Alpes Maritimes.
"Sebastien Loeb will not go to Monte Carlo," said Quesnel. "It is not a round of the World Rally Championship, and as long as it is like this, Seb and Citroen will not go. It's like this."
Citroen and its fellow WRC manufacturer Ford had been pushing hard to try and get the world famous event back to the world championship for its centenary, but for the third year in succession the Monte Carlo Rally remains an IRC round.