Sébastien Loeb reprimanded for Catsburg/Michelisz clash

Citroën’s Sébastien Loeb has been handed a formal reprimand for the incident on lap ten of race two at Vila Real, where the French driver tried to pass the Zengo Honda of Norbert Michelisz and the Lada of Nicky Catsburg around the outside at the final corner, which resulted in Loeb crashing out at the roundabout.

Michelisz had just put a move on Catsburg following Tarquini’s successful pass a few corners earlier on the way into the corner, when Loeb also tried to make it three wide in the turn, with Loeb and Michelisz both forced across the nose of Catsburg’s Vesta and Loeb slamming into the barriers at the roundabout on the Portuguese street circuit.

Catsburg was forced to take the alternative route around the corner in order to continue and maintain his fifth position.

The stewards ruled that Loeb was “too optimistic trying to overtake two cars on the same manoeuvre, result in a collision with car #10 (Catsburg).”

The incident between Honda’s Tiago Monteiro, Nicky Catsburg and Jaap van Lagen was also investigated but it was deemed no action was necessary.