Ogier voiced his concerns at the finish of the first stage of the Acropolis Rally in Greece three weeks ago, criticising the organisers. He felt that the three-minute gap between the starting cars was insufficient and raised safety concerns.
After the rally, the stewards and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) issued the Frenchman a conditional €30,000 fine, which will be enforced if Ogier makes any further statements that damage the reputation of the WRC, the FIA, or the championship promoter.
Speaking ahead of Rally Chile, which starts on Friday, Ogier expressed his thoughts on the fine.
“I’ll never hesitate to say what I think about safety. Even though many don’t have the courage to do so, that’s not the case with me. I’m far from perfect, and some of the words I used could be better. But it’s not always easy, especially at the end of a stage, when you’re full of adrenaline,” Ogier explained in an interview with the Belgian broadcaster RTBF.
Ogier didn’t hold back when discussing the possibility of paying the fine.
“I’ll never pay that kind of fine. If I have to, I’ll take them to court. They’re the ones putting us in dangerous situations, and that shouldn’t be the case.”
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Ogier has received support from his competitors after the events in Greece. Few can understand why the Toyota star was hit with a suspended fine.
“What happened didn’t deserve a penalty or a fine at all. We’re talking about safety that wasn’t ensured because the necessary steps weren’t taken, even though the FIA had been warned by all the drivers. It’s easy to hand out fines to silence drivers and hide the problems,” said Thierry Neuville, the Hyundai driver currently leading the WRC standings.
“Everyone thinks the same as Ogier. Sure, there are different ways to express it. But I don’t think Seb was aggressive towards anyone,” added Adrien Fourmaux of M-Sport Ford.
Rally Chile begins on Friday with six special stages.
