Ogier has mixed memories from Croatia. In the 2021 season, the French star celebrated the victory at the first Croatia Rally, though it was not without an incident involving the police during a liaison collision.
Last year, however, a tyre puncture and a time penalty cost him so much time that the multi-champion had to settle for fifth place.
This year, only competing in selected WRC rounds, Ogier has raced only in his home event at Rally Monte Carlo. The rally ended bitterly in second place, as Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville clinched the victory on Sunday. After a three-month break, however, Ogier is more than ready to return to action.
“I’ve enjoyed my time off since Monte-Carlo and now I’m happy to get back into competition. My test last week was a good chance to get my feeling back in the car, with quite a demanding road: pretty fast with jumps and narrow sections,” says Ogier.
“These are features of the rally as well, but we also know that the weather can be uncertain at this time of year.”
Since Ogier has only competed in one event this year, he will start as the sixth car. If the conditions are wet, the front runners are in the best position, as cutting the corners inevitably brings dirt onto the road.
“We don’t have the ideal starting position for an asphalt rally, so we’ll have to assess the conditions and see what we can do,” Ogier explains.
“My main motivation is always to reach the podium and fight for victory, but I’m also here to help the team, and with the new points system we can see that Sundays are also now more important than ever.”
The Croatia Rally begins on Thursday with a shakedown. The event, concluding on Sunday, will feature 20 special stages, covering over 280 kilometers.
