Ogier was leading the tarmac event after Saturday, meaning the Toyota driver was set to secure the largest conditional haul of 18 points. To earn those points, Ogier needed to finish the race on Sunday.
However, the Frenchman failed in this task, crashing out on the penultimate stage. As a result, both Ogier and Toyota lost crucial points.
“I feel really very sorry for the team for what happened,” Ogier apologised.
According to Ogier, a section early in the stage caught him by surprise.
“In this penultimate stage the first corner going under the trees was much muddier than I anticipated and I just understeered wide and hit the tree on the outside,” Ogier explained.
“The route note crews did not have the chance to pass through this stage before us so I didn’t have the information in my notes, but this is no excuse because I’m behind the wheel and the other drivers didn’t make the same mistake.”
Ogier’s error sealed the fate of this year’s drivers’ championship, which will now undoubtedly go to a Hyundai driver – either Thierry Neuville or Ott Tänak.
Ogier’s retirement was also a heavy blow for Toyota, as the team had a great opportunity to further close the gap to Hyundai in the manufacturers’ championship. Now, Toyota only managed to cut Hyundai’s lead by two points, leaving the teams with a 15-point gap ahead of the season’s final rally.
Check out the WRC standings here!
“Right now I feel very disappointed, especially for the team because it could have been a strong weekend for us. It’s been three rallies in a row where we clearly have the speed but not the result at the end,” Ogier lamented.
“Thanks to Elfyn (Evans) and ‘Taka’ (Takamoto Katsuta) we still have a chance in the championship at Rally Japan and we will try our best again there.”
The season-ending Rally Japan will take place from 21st to 24th November.
