Sébastien Ogier would love to see Max Verstappen in a WRC car—which would mean the Formula 1 star following in his father Jos’s footsteps
Should Max Verstappen harbor ambitions to expand his driving repertoire beyond Formula 1 to include rallying, Sébastien Ogier would be ready: The Frenchman would love to welcome the four-time world champion for a test drive in a World Rally Championship (WRC) car. Rallying is in Verstappen’s blood; after all, his father Jos regularly competes in the Belgian Rally Championship.
During the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring, eight-time WRC champion Sebastien Ogier kept a close eye on Max Verstappen’s performance. The Dutch Formula 1 driver competed there for Winward-Mercedes and battled alongside his teammates Dani Juncadella, Lucas Auer, and Jules Gounon for the overall victory on the Nordschleife.
On social media, Sébastien Ogier expressed his admiration for Max Verstappen’s pace. He suggested to the Formula 1 driver that he take on the world of rallying as a new challenge in the future. Verstappen responded to this idea with humor and quickly retorted: “You as the teacher?”
Rally too dangerous
Although Verstappen greatly appreciates rally racing and was allowed to test Ogier’s M-Sport Ford Fiesta on a circuit for a Ford promotional video back in 2018, he remains skeptical. He ruled out a professional rally career on the Up To Speed podcast in February. The risk of collisions with immovable obstacles like trees is simply too high for him.
“I think it’s really cool, but I just think to myself: If I make a mistake and hit that tree—I mean, the tree isn’t going to move. That’s the limit for me. That’s something I don’t want to do. The risk is just too high,” said Verstappen.
Ahead of this weekend’s Rally Japan, Ogier was asked about his social media exchange with Verstappen. The Frenchman admitted that he would love to invite the four-time Formula 1 world champion for a test drive should he ever feel the urge to experience a WRC car in its element.
Focus on Japan
“It was a bit of a joke you make on social media, but obviously he likes new experiences and things like that,” said Ogier. “He drove my old Fiesta once last year, but that wasn’t the best place—it was on a circuit. I told him: ‘If you really want to [drive it], you have to try it in the right place, because a circuit isn’t ideal for the car.’
‘But I’m sure a guy like him could be drawn to [rallying] at some point, so why not? My answer was honest; I said that if he wants to join a test, I’d be happy to welcome him.’
Following his visit to the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, Ogier is now fully focused on winning Rally Japan. Earlier, in early May, he lost a likely victory at Rally Portugal after suffering a puncture on the penultimate special stage while leading the race.
Ogier secured the win when the WRC last visited Japan in November of last year, and has launched his charge for 2026 by finishing fastest in Thursday’s shakedown. “I consider myself to have a strong character, and when things don’t go my way [in Portugal], I push even harder to make them go my way,” he added.