Ogier explains his emotional Monte Carlo Rally

Sébastien Ogier wanted to win last week’s Monte Carlo Rally very badly. But as his week progressed, it became clear there was far more on his mind than a 10^th success in the French Alps.

I’ve been fortunate enough to chart Ogier’s progress through the World Rally Championship for the last 16 years and one thing I learned quickly is his exceptional focus, his ability to put everything except for the stage finish out of his mind.

Last week was different. When Ogier’s emotions got the better of him at the end of stage five, you knew something was seriously amiss. The watching world had little idea of the torment the eight-time world champion had been through from the start of the recce.

His uncle, the man who’d fired his passion for motorsport, had passed away.

“I basically had to say goodbye,” Ogier told DirtFish after the rally. “I came too late to the hospital after the recce day on Monday. It was a very important person for me, my uncle, who basically introduced me to motorsport as a kid. He bought me my first go-kart and I have so many memories, so many good times with him.”

Dealing with such a loss is unimaginable as you prepare to send a 500-plus horsepower rally car across icy mountain passes. But somehow and from somewhere, Ogier summoned the courage to continue.

It’s perhaps trite and maybe clichéd to say this is what Ogier’s uncle would have wanted him to do. Equally, was there a better way to pay tribute to what his uncle had done for the champ than to drive every meter with his love and support in the back of his mind?

Ultimately, Ogier finished the event with his head held higher than ever.

He added: “It was so fresh, it was very, very demanding for me, even if I consider myself as very strong to manage the emotion, this one was tough to take. It all happened so quickly. Honestly, I considered not starting the rally this weekend, but at the end of the day I had to do it for my team. I’m happy I managed to stay professional and still give a strong performance this weekend, but the one from Thierry [Neuville] was even stronger.

“It was a super exciting and close fight, but in the end, Thierry deserves the win, hats off to him.”

Just when you thought Ogier didn’t deserve any more credit for being a magnificent human, he comes up with that. After everything he’s been through, he finds the words to praise his nearest rival and the man who stepped out and stopped his charge to a 10^th Monte win.

“I think I can be proud of my weekend,” said the Toyota star. “I tried everything I could. The flow of emotion was not easy, but we can be proud that we managed to stay in the fight more or less up to the end, and I believe it was nice to follow for the fans.”

And it’s impossible not to think Ogier’s number one fan would have been smiling down on the champion he helped create.