Rod Millen did it once. Malcolm Wilson did it twice. Jean-Luc Thérier managed 10. Twelve drivers have hit the half century. But only two people have ever stood on a World Rally Championship podium 100 times.
Both French, both Sébastiens. Last week’s Croatia Rally was a big deal for the younger of the two totemic rallying rock stars. Sébastien Ogier’s Zagreb win moved him into top-three triple figures to join countryman Sébastien Loeb.
Naturally all 100 of those podiums are important, but which ones are really important. This being a story of podiums, we’ve picked our big three.
2008 Tour de Corse
Citroën C2 S1600 (20th overall)
It might not count as one of the 100, but Ogier's Super 1600 podium in Corsica was a crucial milestone in his career
You’re right, technically this one’s not an overall podium – but it’s definitely a top-three result Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia will never forget. The pair had taken the Junior World Rally Championship by storm in their rookie season.
They landed into the series with a debut class win at Rally México (one of the reasons the León event means so much to them both) and an outrageous eighth overall. That set the tone for the year ahead. Winning two of the following three Junior rounds in their FFSA-funded C2 put them on course for the title. An engine failure at the penultimate round in Spain cost them what could have been a crown-clinching win.
No matter, it only served to make the story that bit better. They went home to France (to the French island of Corsica) and sealed the deal in Ajaccio with second place in JWRC.
Naturally at that time, Loeb won the event outright, but watching the pair of them standing side by side at the end of the event, it was impossible not to recognize the future-proofing of France’s grip on the World Rally Championship.
2017 Rally GB
Ford Fiesta WRC (3rd overall)
Third on 2017 Wales Rally GB delivered world title to M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson
Four years and four titles meant Ogier was much loved in Volkswagen Motorsport’s Hannover factory. But when the German marque withdrew from the sport at the end of 2016, Ogier was briefly lost. What to do? Where to go? He tried the Toyota, but wasn’t convinced.
What about M-Sport? He’d always had the maximum respect for Malcolm Wilson, but could the Englishman’s private team really make up for only partial manufacturer backing? He drove the car. He was convinced. For one season only, he would give it a go.
A Monte Carlo win started the partnership perfectly and it just grew and grew from there. Going into Wilson’s home round of the WRC, Ogier was 37 points clear with two scores still to count. It could be done in Wales and a podium would secure it.
That podium was duly delivered on a quite remarkable Sunday for M-Sport. Ogier’s third place meant a fifth successive championship for him and team-mate Elfyn Evans won the event to confirm M-Sport Ford as the champion manufacturer.
Deep joy.
2009 Acropolis Rally
Citroën C4 WRC (2nd overall)
Ogier bounced back from disappointing run to secure first WRC podium in Greece
Entering the 2009 season as reigning Junior World Rally Champion, life was looking good for Ogier. He’d made the step up to Citroën’s Junior team and concluded the previous year by leading Rally GB on his debut aboard a C4 WRC. He tackled his home event – the Monte Carlo Rally – for the first time (as an IRC round) and won it. Life was looking good.
Into his WRC campaign, the then 25-year-old’s rise to stardom stalled. There were mistakes in the first half of the year: Norway didn’t go to plan, he was off the road in Cyprus, super-rallied in Portugal and Argentina then super-rallied and retired in Sardinia. Leaving the Italian island, there was huge speculation about Ogier’s future.
Citroën’s senior management was getting uncomfortable. Was Ogier the Loeb successor they’d hoped for? Arriving into Loutraki for round seven, he needed a result. And he delivered one. Under huge pressure, Ogier brought the C4 home second.
Done. The result he’d been waiting for, the result he’d needed. Less than a year later, he won his first WRC round (Portugal, 2010) and three years on from that he won the first of eight world titles.
Citroën backed the right horse.
