Ogier began this season as a part-time driver, but despite this, the Frenchman remains in the hunt for this year’s championship. In the six WRC events he has contested, Ogier has secured three wins and three second-place finishes.
Even though Ogier has skipped three rounds, he is currently second in the championship standings, trailing Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville by 27 points with four rounds remaining.
See the full WRC standings here.
Just over a week ago, Ogier claimed victory in Finland. After the rally, he had not yet confirmed whether he would compete in all the remaining events of the season. However, at the beginning of this week, it was confirmed that the French star would at least take part in the upcoming Acropolis Rally in Greece.
But that’s not all. Ogier has now confirmed that he intends to chase his ninth world title.
“Originally, Chile and Central Europe weren’t on my list. Given the current situation in the manufacturers’ and drivers’ championships, however, it’s clear that I will now compete in the four remaining WRC rounds and fight for the title once again,” Ogier confirmed in an interview with the German magazine Motorsport aktuell.
“We don’t have all the cards in our hands at the moment, and we are behind in both championships. In the drivers’ championship, I can still understand it, but not in the manufacturers’ championship.”
Ogier further clarified what he believes is wrong with the situation in the manufacturers’ championship.
“Toyota has won six out of nine WRC rounds so far and secured three one-two finishes, yet we are still 20 points behind. For me, this new points system is a real joke,” Ogier declared.
Should Ogier manage to clinch the title, he would match his compatriot Sebastien Loeb’s record of nine world championships. However, Ogier insists that chasing records is not his primary motivation.
“I don’t care much about numbers, statistics, or records. I have other priorities. I’ll drive as long as it brings me joy and I can still compete.”
“And I want to make one thing clear: I will never compete in a full WRC season again. After this rather intense season, I might even do less next year,” Ogier said.
What will Rovanperä do?
Ogier’s decision to compete in the remaining WRC rallies of the season could have a significant impact on Kalle Rovanperä’s schedule for the rest of the year.
This year, Rovanperä and Ogier have alternated in Toyota’s third Rally1 car, but due to the intensifying battle in the manufacturers’ championship, they have also competed together in Portugal, Latvia, and Finland. In these events, both Rovanperä and Ogier have been fighting for team points alongside Elfyn Evans.
As Ogier mentioned in his interview with the German magazine, the WRC round in Chile at the end of September and the Central European tarmac rally in October were not part of his original plan.
In other words, these events were initially earmarked for Rovanperä.
It is difficult to imagine Toyota sending four Rally1 cars to the distant rally in Chile, so it seems likely that the South American gravel event will be dropped from Rovanperä’s calendar. The next question is whether Toyota might run both Ogier and Rovanperä in the Central European Rally.
This will very likely depend on the points situation in the manufacturers’ championship. If the battle for the title remains tight, both champions could very well be in action again.
The season will conclude in November in Japan, Toyota’s home turf. The team has traditionally fielded all its drivers in Japan, so it is likely that the entire Toyota quartet – Evans, Rovanperä, Ogier, and Takamoto Katsuta – will be in action in the Land of the Rising Sun.
