Ogier has contested four rallies so far this year and delivered an impressive run: three victories and one second-place finish. His win in Sardinia has now lifted him to second in the championship standings – just 19 points behind his Toyota teammate Elfyn Evans.
The French champion is also confirmed for Rally Greece at the end of this month. Many pundits believe that if Ogier delivers another strong result in Greece, he may reconsider his plan to take a long summer break. However, entries for Rally Estonia – which runs in July – must be submitted before the Acropolis Rally begins, so it remains to be seen whether Ogier is willing to chase fellow Frenchman Sébastien Loeb’s record of nine world titles.
Last season, when Ogier emerged as Toyota’s only realistic challenger to Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville, he added a few extra events to his partial campaign. But his title hopes eventually faded with a string of retirements late in the year.
At least one person is convinced history could repeat itself: Hyundai WRC team principal Cyril Abiteboul believes Ogier will switch from a part-time role to a full title assault once again.
“It will be interesting to see exactly what Ogier’s strategy with Toyota will be. I don’t know, I’m not there, but it will be interesting to see how much he really misses out if he sees that the championship is in contention,” Abiteboul told DirtFish.
“Already last year it’s very clear. I believe it’s clear from what we saw that his strategy, the strategy has changed in the course of the season. I think he’s a shark. When a shark smells blood, it goes in this direction. So let’s see.”
But Ogier has firmly rejected both Abiteboul’s comments and wider speculation that he will abandon his planned family time after the Acropolis.
“It could be nice to fight for a title. But once again, and I’ve said it many times, my son is more valuable to me than a ninth title. There’s nothing else to add,” Ogier told Belgian broadcaster RTBF.
Still, if Ogier performs well in Greece, he will remain a strong contender in the title race. That could allow him to skip the high-speed Rally Estonia for a summer break, and then return in full force from Rally Finland in August — with a ninth title still within reach.
