Victories in Croatia, Portugal, and Finland, along with second-place finishes in Monte Carlo, Sardinia, and Latvia, have placed Ogier as the closest challenger to Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville, even though Ogier has skipped three rallies.
However, Ogier’s position crumbled at the Acropolis Rally in early September when the multi-champion rolled his car during the final stage on Sunday. Ogier pushed hard to score as many points as possible, but this time, the risk didn’t pay off.
Ogier hasn’t really dreamed of his ninth championship at any point. Yet, circumstances led him to give it a try, but now the situation is undeniably difficult. With only three rallies remaining, Ogier trails Neuville by 38 points.
“Our challenge in Greece didn’t end in the way we were hoping and the gaps in both championships moved in the wrong direction, but we won’t give up and we’ll keep giving our best in these last three rounds of the season because things can still turn around,” Ogier tries to remain hopeful.
After the rally in Greece, both Ogier and team principal Jari-Matti Latvala had already thrown in the towel. However, after a couple of weeks to digest the disappointment, they’ve had to soften their statements. In the upcoming Rally Chile, Ogier has competed once before, in 2019, when he finished second driving for Citroën.
“I didn’t go to Chile last year, but my memories from 2019 are of a nice event with stages that are enjoyable to drive, as well as a good atmosphere like we often have when we go to South America. So I’m happy to go back there,” Ogier says.
“There will be a mix of some sections I know and some that will be new for me, but I’m never afraid of that challenge. Recently our pace has been pretty strong and we’ve been scoring higher than our rivals on average, and I hope we can carry that on.”
Rally Chile starts Thursday afternoon CET with the shakedown. The main event features 16 stages covering approximately 307 kilometres.
