Sebastien Ogier climbed to the top of the rally on Sunday after mistakes from Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville and his teammate Elfyn Evans
The victory was Ogier’s first of the 2024 season, and it also marked a significant milestone—his hundredth podium finish in his illustrious WRC career.
“When you start, you dream of being on it once, and then you dream of winning,” Ogier remarked on his tremendous accomplishment.
“I’ve had the chance to achieve that very often.,” Ogier continued.
Ogier, an eight-time world rally champion, found that at one point, winning had become too routine for him.
“There was a point maybe in my career when I didn’t appreciate it enough because it became too normal, and that’s when you do fewer rallies and as you get older and the competition is tough, you need to celebrate a bit more and you appreciate them more,” Ogier admitted.
Next, the World Rally Championship series continues in May on the gravel roads of Portugal. Ogier, who is racing only part-time this season, will also compete in Portugal.
“Portugal is a country I have a lot of good memories in, especially in the north, maybe a bit less in the south. But still, I’m looking forward to the atmosphere and this rally,” Ogier said.
Part-time drivers have the advantage of generally having a good starting position, which is especially important in gravel rallies.
“The starting position should be good there, and hopefully, we will benefit from it, but it’s too early to talk about that now. Let’s just enjoy this win,” Ogier stated.
Ogier earned 21 World Championship points from his victory, the most of any driver. Ott Tänak, who finished fourth overall, scored just one point less. The Frenchman had a clear opinion on this.
“Luckily, I don’t compete in the championship because the system is unbelievably wrong, and nobody understands what happened. We all get the same points. Just give a point to everybody. I’m glad I don’t compete in the championship, which is a shame for the team who don’t get rewarded enough when you win,” Ogier criticized sharply.
