Loeb's DTM entry surprised championship boss Berger

Loeb will be making his first circuit racing outing of the year when he lines up on the grid at Portimao on April 30 at the wheel of an AF Corse-run Ferrari 488 GT3, replacing Nick Cassidy in Red Bull’s two-car crew.

This would make the 48-year-old the first rally driver to compete in the DTM since countryman Sebastien Ogier, who made a wildcard entry with Mercedes at the Red Bull Ring in 2018.

The addition of Loeb lends extra star power to Red Bull’s DTM programme following the departure of Alex Albon to Williams in Formula 1 and Liam Lawson’s return to Formula 2, after the latter's heartbreaking title defeat to Mercedes driver Maximilian Gotz in 2021.

Loeb joins the DTM at a time when the championship bosses are trying to establish a place for the series in the crowded GT3 arena, having ditched Class One cars and reduced manufacturers dependence in favour of a customer-focused formula.

Asked if he had a role in luring Loeb to the DTM to bolster the profile of the series, Berger said: "No, Loeb was absolutely Red Bull's idea - to my own surprise. Thomas [Uberall, a marketing manager] from Red Bull told me that it was our idea. And then it clicked with me.”

Nick Cassidy, AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo

Photo by: Andreas Beil

Despite primarily being known for his rally prowess, Loeb has dabbled in circuit racing on several occasions during his career, famously finishing second at the Le Mans 24 Hours with Pescarolo in 2006 and winning races in both the FIA GT Series and the World Touring Car Championship.

The Frenchman also has had an eventful year so far, kicking off the season with a second-place finish in the Dakar Rally with the Prodrive/Bahrain Raid Xtreme team before uniting with M-Sport and beating Ogier in a WRC