Ogier’s 59 rally wins and one hundred podiums ensure that when he speaks, it pays to listen. During the recently concluded Croatia Rally, Ogier weighed in on the massive changes proposed for the WRC.
The proposed changes were substantial, so it’s no surprise that the three teams currently involved in the WRC have submitted their own responses to the FIA and the series promoter. It’s clear that the World Rally Championship needs to evolve, but perhaps hitting the panic button and implementing massive changes mid-homoligation period might be premature.
“I will just give you a few arguments, which now seem to be common sense for improving the sport. Of course, the cars need to be made cheaper, which I completely agree with. You need to find a way to interest the manufacturers. I’m not saying hybrid has to be the way, but there needs to be something that attracts manufacturers to our sport,” Ogier summed up.
“The cars need to be spectacular without any step down in quality. Every driver will tell you they want as much power as possible. But if we go down a little, why not? As long as the competition is good and we all have the same cars, it’s not so bad. I’m sure it will still be spectacular to watch because of the way we drive.”
One of the key factors in increasing the popularity of rally, according to Ogier, is to hold rallies where the sport garners interest.
“I have a clear idea of which rallies should be part of the championship. Of course, I understand the role of a promoter. We know that, unfortunately, money dictates a lot in our world,” Ogier said.
“However, there should also be common sense in going to places where there is great enthusiasm for the sport. That’s the best way to promote it and showcase it.”
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Ogier also believes the new points system introduced this season needs tweaking.
“It’s clear that the new system wasn’t thought through enough. One target was reached by making Sunday interesting, but the points balance is wrong. Clearly, everyone sees that,” Ogier reflected.
“I think it can just be reassessed a little and the balance adjusted a bit more correctly, with more points on Saturday and fewer on Sunday. The goal of having an exciting Sunday where everyone is pushing will still be met, but the winner will have a real advantage. It’s clearly wrong that sometimes the winner is not the one with the maximum points.”
