It’s a question that’s been put towards eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier after every Monte Carlo Rally of late.
This is his fourth Monte since retiring from full-time rallying. He’s still at the front and still the benchmark in the French Alps. But in a moment of unfiltered emotion at the stop line of the final stage, Ogier poured out his instinctive feeling: “I have no idea if this is my last one now. Maybe it would be a good one to stop.”
The drive back from Peïra-Cava to Monaco gave him some time to sit and process those feelings. It was a little more emotionally charged than the other wins on the Monte: it was personal. And it was about making right what had gone wrong on the stages last year, achieving in 2025 what he had so desperately wanted to do in 2024.
“What came to my mind straight away in this moment was thinking about my uncle,” Ogier told DirtFish once he’d finished driving back to the principality. “We lost him exactly one year ago and I started all of my adventures in motorsport with him.
Ogier gave thanks to his late uncle at the final stop line of the Monte
“He was the one supporting me at the beginning and been my best number one supporter with my parents since day one. This weekend, I have to admit that I had some lucky moments and definitely it was my uncle’s star shining for me.”
Ogier had spun off the road and put the rear end of his GR Yaris Rally1 in a ditch on Thursday night. That incident was a revolving doors moment: that so easily could have been an early end to the quest for win number 10.
But none of that matters now. He’s reached double digits. He’s got the victory he’d been chasing as a way to pay tribute to his uncle. He’d suggested he’d think about making this the end of the road for his WRC adventures on the Monte – but stood in the principality, after holding the trophy aloft, the question of whether winner’s trophy number 10 would be his last had a different answer.
If I manage to stay on this level, it's a shame to stop. But on the other hand, I'm closer to the end than to the start.Sébastien Ogier
“Hopefully not,” responded Ogier when asked if this could be the last Monte he’d contest. “I don’t know. The thing is, I just want to enjoy this moment.
“With this incredible series [of results], it would be a good one to stop. I mean, I will obviously do some more rally this season in WRC, but I don’t know about next year. I don’t want to make any plan. And of course, if I manage to stay on this level, it’s a shame to stop. But on the other hand, I’m closer to the end than to the start.
“So…13 times in a row on a podium here with nine wins. I could have never imagined I could do that one day. So it can only get worse, but I don’t know, maybe I can keep doing this!
“One day it will have to stop.”
Whether that day will take place in 2025 remains to be seen.