Toyota technical director Tom Fowler has confirmed Sébastien Ogier’s GR Yaris Rally1 suffered no mechanical failure ahead of the crash which cost the nine-time world champion the lead of Rally Finland.
Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia spent the night in hospital following a high-speed accident in Västilä on Saturday afternoon. The #1 Toyota failed to negotiate a right-hander and crashed through the trees.
Fowler told DirtFish: “I have seen a lot of conspiracy theories going around about this crash, but the car is in our workshop with all four wheels still pointing in the same direction.
“The suspension system and the mechanics of the car are all still fully functional. From the data analysis we did straight after the car came back, the only thing we could see is, unfortunately, the car was carrying a bit more speed than maybe the others in this place.
“I think the main point about this place in the road is that it’s a combination corner: left, right, very fast. And as soon as you have any kind of oversteer situation, you’re already pointing the wrong direction for the next part of the combination. The margins are incredibly small. We’re not talking like he’s gone there like too, too fast. It’s like we’re talking like a couple of kph situation and you just start to lose the rear.
“Losing the rear when you need to take a corner in the opposite direction next at very high speed… the margin is just so small. We’ve inspected the car with the FIA this morning and everything is in working order.”
Fowler was quick to praise the strength of the current Rally1 cars, adding: “Once again, I think we’ve shown that the Rally1 car and the philosophy of the safety regulations – which are copied and pasted into 2027 cars – means the cockpit of the car is in absolutely pristine condition. There’s not a single intrusion, not a single piece of damage in what’s obviously been a very rough ride inside the car.”
Asked whether Ogier would still feature in the team’s plans for the next WRC round in Paraguay at the end of the month, Fowler confirmed car build and delivery remained on course for the reigning world champion’s return to Encarnación – an event he won last year.
He said: “As it stands at the moment, we’re not planning to make any changes to the entry. Obviously Séb has already discussed it before this event, that he is planning to optimize the number of rallies he can do for the rest of the year to try to continue on a championship campaign.
“His entry car is built ready in the workshop.
“That’s the technical side from the team, obviously there’s a personal side that Séb has to think about. His body has taken a lot of g-forces, hence the medical checks on Saturday.
“Personally, I think we all know Séb quite well in this team and I would think that if there’s one thing that isn’t going to stop him, it’s something like this – this is the sort of thing that would make him even more determined.”
With four rounds remaining, Ogier sits fifth in the championship standings, 62 points behind series leader and Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans.
