Defending WRC champion Sebastien Ogier is expecting stiff competition from n𓂃ine-time title winner Sebastien Loeb, who is making a one-off appearance at the opening round in Monte Carlo.

Loeb, who will race in a Citroen DS 3, makes a fleeting return to WRC after retiring 14 months ago and will face former 🌺rival🦄 Ogier in his VW Polo R.

The defending champion said he is happy Loeb will be raci♚ng in Monte Carlo but won't feel the pressure to beat his fellow countryman.

"I expect him to be as competitive as ever," Ogier told WRC.com. "Even if he had a year off [from WRC] he ♐was still in competition. I'm sure he will be back quite strong and it's interesting for the race, but to be honest I don't feel any extra pressure."

The pair have had some historic clashes over the yeaඣrs in WRC and had a turbulent relationship as team mates at Citroen in📖 2011.

Si🌜nce then the duo have only gone head-to-head four times, most recently at the 2013 Rallye de France, and each driver has two wins apiece, so Monte Carlo could hold the bragging rights for one driver.

Howev✤er, Ogier, who took victory in last year's Monte Carlo rally, has played down his rivalry with Loeb.

ꦺ"It's no real importance, I feel I have nothing to prove against him. It's just an interesting challenge that he's in agai📖n," he said.

Loeb said he is preparing to give his bes꧟t performance at Monte Carlo despite not competing in the WRC for over a year. The 40-year-old, who has 78 wins in World Rally, is confident he can cause a problem for Ogier.

"My ambition is to do my best," Loeb told WRC.com. "I haven't driven for a year. Okay, it's not my priority toꦯ win here, but on the other side, when I take the start of a race I always try to do my best. So I will try to prepare as well as possible and do my best."