The French star is irritated, even though he is already very close to a record-equalling ninth world title, which would put him level with his compatriot Sébastien Loeb. Ogier is sixth after Friday in Saudi Arabia, which is enough to secure the championship if he also manages to beat his team-mate Elfyn Evans in Sunday’s points.
When Ogier was asked for his opinion of the rally after Friday’s running, the star driver had nothing positive to say.
“There are 24 hours and 30 minutes left. Then I’ll be back on a plane and on my way home, Ogier snapped bluntly in the promoter’s interview.
Ogier is frustrated that the title-deciding rally is being held in Saudi Arabia. Even if all other politics are left aside, the rally is extremely unpredictable and genuinely high-risk, even if driven through at a safe pace.
“Who knows what’s coming? The lottery continues tomorrow,” Ogier groaned.
“You couldn’t control anything in the afternoon. If you look at the final stage, Kalle (Rovanperä) pushed like hell, but still nothing. We, on the other hand, cruised around and avoided the rocks – and still had two punctures. Only three stages left.”
At the end of Friday, Ogier was not at all sure what level of risk he should take when chasing the championship.
“There’s no sense in taking every risk. Then you certainly won’t reach the finish.”
