Five times rally champion Sebastien Ogier moving to Citroen for 2019 season

Five-times world rally champion Sebastien Ogier will join Citroen next season after two years with M-Sport Ford, the French manufacturer said on Friday.

The Frenchman was junior world champion with Citroen in 2008 before winning his first four titles with Volkswagen from 2013-16. He took his fifth with M-Sport last year.

"I really like the idea of working again with people with whom things went pretty well a few years back," said Ogier in a statement.

"And I'm also excited by the chance to try and pull off the challenge of becoming world champion with a third different manufacturer."

Only compatriot Sebastien Loeb has won more championships (nine) than Ogier, and they were all in Citroen cars from 2004-12.

Finland's Juha Kankkunen is the only driver to have won titles with three different manufacturers, taking championships with Peugeot (1986), Lancia (1987, 1991) and Toyota (1993).

Citroen gave no details about the length of Ogier's contract. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)