Ogier claimed victory at the season-opening Rally Monte Carlo, and followed that up with wins in Portugal and Sardinia. He has also finished second this season in the Canary Islands and Greece.
These strong results have kept Ogier in the championship fight despite skipping two rounds. Whether it’s down to his vast experience or sheer skill, the French ace has largely avoided public complaints about the Hankook tyres.
“I mean, I’m just trying to adapt. Of course they are not ideal, and there are some conditions where we are all struggling, but I’m trying to make the best of it,” Ogier told RallyJournal.com.
“At least on my side, compared to the beginning with the previous supplier where I suffered a lot of punctures — it was very frustrating to lose some good results and wins — these tyres seem to be a bit stronger, at least.”
Ogier acknowledges that the Hankook tyres could offer more performance, but the initial focus with these one-make tyres has clearly been durability.
“We’ve had fewer issues generally. And yeah, the performance and the feeling could be improved, and I think we’re all working on it. But yeah, so far it looks like I’ve managed it quite okay.”
Ogier says he can’t explain why he’s been able to adapt better than others. His more direct driving style may suit the tyres more than, say, that of his team-mate Kalle Rovanperä – who still enters corners too aggressively, causing a loss of grip.
“Honestly it’s hard to explain why sometimes you manage better than others and why it doesn’t work for some. It’s a bit surprising to see Kalle suffering more than the others with these tyres. In recent years, he always had incredible speed on many rallies,” Ogier said.
“Okay, he had it in Gran Canaria on tarmac, where actually we maybe didn’t expect it that much. You know, maybe he’s too much of a circuit driver now — but really, I have no idea. But in Canarias, he was incredibly fast. No one could match his speed.”
Nevertheless, Ogier still considers Rovanperä a championship contender and believes the Finn will give it everything on home soil.
“But on gravel so far, it looks like he’s struggled a bit more. I wouldn’t count him out of the championship yet. He’s still there. Last year he was also incredibly fast here, so let’s see what happens this week,” Ogier summed up.
“Honestly, Kalle and Ott (Tänak) will probably be dangerous — and Elfyn (Evans) also. He’s always been strong on these roads. So I think we need to keep an eye on all of them. But again, my plan is to focus on myself. I know this rally hasn’t necessarily been my strongest in the championship in the past, but still, I enjoy driving these roads. That’s the reason I’m still here. Our target is at least the podium.”
Rally Finland gets underway on Thursday evening with the traditional Harju super special stage.
