Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia’s World Rally Championship partnership will come to an end after the 2021 season, as Ingrassia won’t continue into the new Rally1 era.
Ogier and Ingrassia have competed together since 2006 on French national rallies in a Peugeot 206.
From there, the French duo rose into the WRC, dominating the JWRC in 2008, before earning a graduation into a World Rally Car with Citroën in 2009.
Their first victory came on Rally Portugal 2010 and they claimed another six with Citroën before moving to Volkswagen in 2013 and dominating the next four seasons of the WRC.
However when VW suddenly pulled out in October 2016, they needed a new challenge and moved to M-Sport; duly winning both the 2017 and ’18 world titles too.
Photo: Jaanue Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
A return to Citroën in 2019 was a disappointment but since signing with Toyota for the last two years, Ogier and Ingrassia have become seven world-time champions and are well placed to make that eight this season too.
Ogier is regressing his WRC commitment next year, doing just a handful of rallies as he prioritizes family life and opportunities elsewhere in motorsport.
Ogier was asked by DirtFish, amid continual speculation over his own program ahead of Rally Finland, what Ingrassia’s 2022 plans were, and he said: “I’m not sure, you have to ask him, but I’m pretty sure he had a long time traveling the world and doing rallies so I’m pretty sure he’s also happy to have more free time.”
However it was revealed on Thursday morning that Ingrassia will not be partnering Ogier in the part-time program in 2022, instead being replaced by Benjamin Veillas.
“This adventure started almost 20 years ago, in November 2002 with my very first rally as a co-driver.
Just a couple of years later, in January 2006 I met Séb and we decided to combine our skills and will to accomplish our mission in the best possible way,” Ingrassia wrote on social media.
“What a journey it has been since then! Hard work at every second, some indescribable joys and emotions, so many people met all around the world.
“I’m deeply proud of what we have accomplished together with Séb, all this energy and determination we spent across all those teams we’ve been part of, all those challenges we had to face.
“After those thousands of pacenotes pages, it’s time now for me to write some other lines of my life, and this is why I decided to end my career after the last rally of this season.
“I want to say ‘thank you’ to all of you for the support you have given me, and all those emotions we shared together!”
Ogier, who respects Ingrassia’s decision “100%”, posted a social media statement of his own: “”Julien, to me there is no doubt: you are the best co-driver out there. Who knows what my career could have been without you?
“A very big thank you for everything, I know what I owe you and it will not be possible to replace you.”
Ingrassia’s retirement means the 2022 Monte Carlo Rally will be Ogier 169th WRC start but first without Ingrassia by his side.
Veillas is no stranger to Ogier nor the WRC though. He regularly sits with Ogier on his pre-event tests and is part of his gravel crew, and did a full season with M-Sport in 2016 alongside Eric Camilli who he has continued to co-drive for in recent years.
