Sebastien Ogier misses three rallies – and is still right in the thick of the WRC championship battle: His title ambitions are clearer than ever after Finland
Sebastien Ogier has reaffirmed his ambitions for a ninth World Rally Championship (WRC) title after finishing third in Rally Finland. Despite a part-time program this season, the eight-time world champion is now just 13 points behind the new championship leader and teammate Elfyn Evans.
Ogier is part of an exciting four-way battle. After nine of 14 World Championship races, the top four in the championship, which include Ogier and Evans as well as Finland winner Kalle Rovanperä and Hyundai driver Ott Tänak, are separated by just 13 points.
“The gap isn’t really that big considering the three rallies we missed,” Ogier told Autosport, referring to Kenya and Estonia.
On the podium every time he started
He finished on the podium every time he competed in the six races, winning in Monte Carlo, Portugal, and Sardinia. “Six podium finishes from six rallies – this was our worst result, but we can’t complain. 22 points is a strong result,” said Ogier after finishing third in Finland.
Before Rally Finland, Ogier emphasized that his main goal this year was to support Toyota in the battle for the manufacturers’ title. However, the 41-year-old is not ruling out a possible title win in the drivers’ standings: “A lot of people have asked me this week and I haven’t hidden anything: I will start in the next race in Paraguay, that was already planned before this week. Now, of course, it’s exciting to be part of this four-way battle.“
When asked whether he would reassess his title chances after Rally Paraguay, Ogier replied: ”The plan now is to attack.”
Will Ogier drive all five remaining races?
Evans, who currently leads Rovanperä by three points, expects Ogier to be a serious contender for the rest of the season. “I’ve always said that he can do whatever he wants. At the end of the day, it’s a world championship – you have to beat everyone who shows up,” said the Welshman.
It is currently unclear whether Ogier will compete in any more rallies after Paraguay. Toyota team boss Jari-Matti Latvala explained: “We’ll see how things look after Paraguay. There is a possibility that more races will be added, but nothing has been decided yet.” Latvala himself was active in Finland as a guest starter in the WRC2 category and missed victory there by just 1.1 seconds.
Ogier had already extended his part-time season to ten rallies in 2024 at Toyota’s request, thus contributing significantly to the Japanese manufacturer’s eighth constructors’ title. A similar development now seems possible for 2025.
