Rally Ireland will form part of the World Rally Championship for the first time this year.
The Donegal Rally is the fifth round of the Irish Championship and will feature three legs divided into 22 special stages, all of which are on tarmac.
"The Irish stages are very specific and we wanted to get a feel for what we can expect when we return in November,” Citroen Sport boss Guy Fréquelin said.
“Entering Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena in a C4 WRC is the best way of evaluating the special challenges involved. The bumpy, narrow profile of the stages and the type of asphalt will give us some useful pointers to help optimise our preparations for the championship's penultimate round.
“Depending on where we stand at the time in the Drivers' and Manufacturers' standings, it might be important to score a top result and our trip to Donegal is intended to give us every chance of doing that,” he said.
'"It will be important to compete to gain experience with the car on this type of terrain, which is quite unique,” Loeb added.
“Despite Citroen's experience of ashphalt competition, it seems that the Irish roads have characteristics that we have never previously come across elsewhere. Contesting the Donegal Rally will enable us to obtain a more accurate picture of what awaits us and perhaps even determine a specific set-up.”
The Donegal Rally takes place from June 15-17.
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