Nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier will miss the WRC season opener in Monte Carlo for the first time since 2011 – 2027 programme still to be confirmed
Sébastien Ogier has not yet finalised his plans for the 2027 World Rally Championship (WRC). One thing is already certain for the nine-time world champion, however: the Frenchman will not be on the starting grid for next year’s season opener in Monte Carlo.
At the season finale in Sardinia last weekend, Ogier set a new record with his 214th WRC start. At the same time, the Toyota driver hinted that he might scale back his involvement in the World Championship further next year.
When asked about his future, Ogier has so far only been able to confirm that, due to family commitments, he will be sitting out the Monte Carlo Rally for the first time since 2011. The Frenchman has already won the classic event ten times – more than any other driver.
“As you know, I won’t be taking part in the Monte Carlo Rally, and I don’t yet know whether I’ll be competing in any other rallies either. There’s no plan yet, but we’ll see,” Ogier told the English-language edition of Motorsport.com.
“That’s the only thing that’s certain at the moment. But I’d like to think about the rest a bit longer and perhaps wait a while to get more information about the calendar, for example,” said the Frenchman. No calendar for the 2027 WRC season has yet been published as of 8 October 2026.
“At the moment, anyway, I’m glad to have a break and to think things over afterwards. I still feel that I enjoy the sport and that I still have something to offer it. But for now, I need some time to think. You probably won’t be seeing me around as often, but it’s not out of the question that I might come back from time to time,” said Ogier.
Sébastien Ogier has been scaling back his WRC programme since 2022
Ogier had already begun scaling back his WRC programme in 2022. At that time, he competed in six rallies and split his year between the World Rally Championship and the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
From 2023 onwards, the Toyota driver increased the number of his WRC starts again. In 2025, Ogier competed in eleven of the 14 World Championship rounds, crowning himself world champion for the ninth time. He also made eleven starts this season and celebrated two victories. He ultimately finished fourth in the drivers’ standings.
It also remains to be seen what the Toyota driver line-up will look like for the 2027 season. The Japanese manufacturer has not yet announced its line-up.
