Citroën CEO Linda Jackson says a full-time WRC return in 2019 is entirely in the hands of Sébastien Loeb, should the nine-time champion want it.
The Frenchman won three of the 12 Tour de Corse stages this year, even though it was a decade since he last competed on the island and has not seen a full-time WRC campaign since 2012.
Loeb was an early front-runner in Corsica, as he was in Mexico earlier in the year, but then put his C3 in a ditch on stage two, forcing him to retire for the day. However, he returned to set the quickest time on three Saturday stages.
Asked whether she was likely to chase Loeb for a full-time drive Jackson said: "You need to ask me that question later in the season. But such a return would depend completely on Sébastien and his availability and what he wants to do."
In 2018 he is set to contest only one more event, Rally Catalunya in October and when asked about the possibility of him competing in Germany, Jackson added: "With Sébastien it's three rallies. It's his agenda and his diary."
She added that Loeb's speed in Mexico and Corsica vindicated the decision to give him Craig Breen's seat, adding: “We made the right choices at the start of this season. A lot of people asked, 'Is this the right thing to do?' I think we have shown that it seems to be working well."
She also added that Loeb's influence had been noticeable within the team given his experience and popularity.
"What you can see – and this starts from the very top with team chief Pierre Budar – is a real team spirit and a real calmness about the team. You can see the consistency, calmness and confidence and it's nice having the experience of Sébastien, the team can feed off this.
"Clearly, we still want results, but things happen and nobody was more gutted and upset than Sébastien himself."
