Ogier will contest his second WRC rally of the season in the Canary Islands. The Frenchman won the Monte Carlo Rally in January and has since taken a break from driving duties.
Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala says Ogier’s return gives an instant boost to the entire team.
“His desire to win is the strongest I’ve ever seen in anyone during my career. He’s always such a shot of energy for the whole team,” Latvala told RallyJournal.com.
Ogier is once again only contesting a partial WRC season this year. Last season, the Frenchman was enticed to take part almost full-time, as it became clear after Rally Finland that he was Toyota’s best asset in the title fight.
The plan didn’t work out. Ogier made several mistakes trying too hard to chase the title, and the historic ninth championship remained out of reach for the French champion. However, he immediately proved in Monte Carlo this January that his driving skills are still intact.
“That win for Ogier in Monte showed that even with more years behind him, he can still drive at the top level,” Latvala says.
“He always comes to every rally to win. I’ve noticed that whenever Ogier arrives, it always gives the team a boost of energy. He’s also very demanding. He demands a lot from the team and from himself. In its own way, that’s a challenge, but at the same time, it pushes the team to step up. Everyone gives their very best when he’s around,” Latvala praises.
Latvala believes Ogier’s return to the WRC is in some way a “secret weapon” for Toyota now. The French champion’s presence also helps the other drivers in the team.
“I believe all our team’s drivers now feel good about going out to fight for points. Of course, they all come from slightly different starting points. Elfyn (Evans) is in a good position in the championship. From that perspective, he doesn’t necessarily need to win right now, but he does need to score good points, Latvala explains.
“Kalle (Rovanperä) is surely also highly motivated, and so is Ogier himself. Takamoto (Katsuta) also wants top results.
Latvala hopes and believes Ogier won’t need to be pushed to drive more rallies this season. The wish is that the French champion can decide entirely on his own how much energy he has to commit to competing.
“Hopefully, we won’t need to push him further. And that was the plan for this season all along. I already said before that we need to have three full-season drivers if we want to fight for the championship,” Latvala concludes.
