Ogier proved that his eight world championships didn’t come by chance. He drove with exceptional tactical maturity and secured the largest possible haul of conditional points after Saturday.
When Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä crashed out from the lead on the 11th special stage, the afternoon loop essentially became a duel between Ogier and Hyundai’s Ott Tänak. Ogier emerged superior in this battle due to his wise driving and better tyre management than Tänak.
“It’s been an exciting weekend so far, I keep pushing all the time. But that’s the case in every single rally nowadays, you need to do that if you want to compete for top positions. But that’s the reason I’m still here,” the 40-year-old French champion declared.
“I enjoy that. So far, it’s been fun,” Ogier continued.
Sunday in Portugal will feature, among other stages, the Fafe special stage, which is famous for one big jump. Every driver in the World Rally Championship knows this stage well.
“There is already a long stage in the morning, which will be very important and where most of the differences can still be made. That’s going to be a crucial one first. But then Fafe is a nice stage to drive. I always enjoy driving that one, so looking forward to it as well,” Ogier anticipated.
Ogier is aware that he has a solid lead, nearly 12 seconds ahead of Tänak, but there is no room for errors or laxity on Sunday.
“It’s no different from what we have done the last two days, we need to keep pushing. Having a bit less than a 12-second advantage is better, but I know it’s no time at all to relax. We need to stay focused. And tomorrow morning, some long stages, so there’s still room to make differences,” Ogier planned.
