Sébastien Ogier is likely one of the biggest drivers in World Rally Championship historical past as an eight-time champion who continues to win races immediately even on a part-time schedule. Sadly, followers who wish to see him commerce in his Toyota Yaris for a Toyota Hilux will probably be disenchanted to be taught he doesn’t echo their sentiment.
Talking with Autosport, Ogier admitted that even when he decides to step away from rally for good, the Dakar Rally shouldn’t be one thing he’s significantly enthusiastic about.
“It hasn’t been on my listing but,” Ogier defined. “I believe testing the automobile, I’ll all the time be for it, it’s all the time a enjoyable expertise. However in the meanwhile, I don’t know. I’ve by no means been actually attracted that a lot by this race.”
Rally raid is a well-liked avenue for rally drivers who want to attempt one thing else that also shares some overlap in skillset. Ari Vatanen received the 1981 World Rally Championship earlier than happening to win 4 Dakar Rallies, whereas Kenjiro Shinozuka was the primary Asian driver to win a WRC spherical and claimed the 2000 Dakar. 9-time WRC champ Sébastien Loeb and twice titlist Carlos Sainz are among the many high drivers within the World Rally-Raid Championship immediately, the latter profitable the Dakar 4 instances together with the newest in January, whereas reigning W2RC victor Nasser Al-Attiyah continues to dabble in rally immediately to nice success. Mikko Hirvonen and Spanish Rally Champion Sergio Vallejo boast Dakar expertise too, and though he has but to make it occur, 2003 WRC champion Petter Solberg has been open to tackling the race sometime.
As an alternative of cross-country rally, Ogier is extra interested in pavement racing with a concentrate on the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He entered the 2022 version in an Oreca LMP2 and completed ninth at school, capping off a three-race stint within the FIA World Endurance Championship. The Frenchman has additionally made one-off appearances within the Porsche Supercup and DTM.
“Fairly often prior to now, [rally drivers] went to cross nation rally as a result of it was simpler to adapt and I might have extra probability to carry out there than I might be right here in Le Mans, however I favored extra the problem of happening monitor and pushing myself, studying one thing new,” he continued. “I believe sooner or later if it’s not rallying, I’ll focus once more extra on monitor racing and endurance than Dakar.”
Whereas 2022 was his solely Le Mans to this point, his present dedication to Toyota Gazoo Racing in WRC does go away the door open if the producer needs to subject a Toyota GR010 Hybrid for him; TGR completed runner-up within the 2024 version final weekend. Toyota can be the defending W2RC champion with their Toyota GR DKR Hilux, although Ogier’s apathy in direction of the self-discipline means Seth Quintero and Lucas Moraes won’t have him by their aspect within the close to future.
