Toyota Gazoo Racing has confirmed to DirtFish that both Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia were uninjured in a high-speed testing crash on Wednesday morning.
The reigning World Rally Champions were taken to hospital after levelling a tree (pictured below) when their Yaris WRC went off the road in a pre-Monte Carlo Rally test. They have subsequently been released following a medical check-up.
“Both the crew are fine, they have been checked out and are now coming back to the team base,” a TGR spokesperson told DirtFish.
Photo: Thibault Pascal
Ogier had already completed a day of running when the crash happened in the region of Saint André de Rosans, on the Haute-Alpes/Drôme border east of Gap.
One eyewitness reported: “Séb went straight from the road. It was high-speed and straight to the tree. The car was rolling a few times, it was a big, big crash.
“They were coming from the car OK, with no problems. I don’t think Séb really wanted to go for the hospital, he seemed fine and was looking to the car to understand what happened.”
While Ogier misses much of his second day of running, the crash won’t impact on Toyota’s other drivers, who have all completed their tests.
Elfyn Evans was driving last weekend, while Kalle Rovanperä was in the car on Monday and Ogier yesterday. Takamoto Katsuta completed his test last month.
Ogier starts next week’s Monte Carlo Rally chasing a record-breaking eighth win.
