Sébastien Ogier competes in the World Rally Championship because it’s fun.
Of course, there is the objective of helping Toyota to another manufacturers’ title, but fun for a fierce competitor with eight world titles and 62 rally victories means just one thing: winning.
Invariably, Ogier starts every single rally he enters as a clear contender to do just that – but there are some rallies he looks forward to more than most.
Monte Carlo stands out given its significance to Ogier, but also brand-new WRC rallies like this week’s Rally Islas Canarias.
They provide a challenge that stimulates the Frenchman who has nearly 200 WRC starts to his name.
“It’s always an exciting feeling to go to a new rally,” Ogier explained. “It’s almost like the essence of rallying, where nobody knows the roads and you need to start from scratch.
Ogier is undoubtedly one of the favorites for victory this week
“We will have a very demanding recce discovering all the stages, and making good pacenotes will be crucial to be quick on this rally. It’s a situation that has suited me well in the past and I hope I can still do it well and fight for the top positions.
“From what I’ve seen, the roads look very beautiful, but I also know that on an island in the Atlantic, the weather can change very quickly,” he added. “It’s going to be nice to be back on these kind of high-grip, circuit-style stages, and I hope we can be in the mix and fighting for the win.”
Ogier’s new rally record
Ogier says fresh events have “suited me well in the past”, but how accurate is that statement?
Throughout the 17 seasons he’s been a top-flight driver, 16 new (or relocated) events have been part of the calendar.
Ogier has won three of them in their first edition.
Monza Rally was one of three events Ogier has won on its first appearance on the WRC calendar
That perhaps makes his statement seem false, but generally he has always been near, or setting, the pace on these events – with the possible exception of Ypres.
Compared to his rivals, only Ott Tänak has conquered more new events (four) first time out. Thierry Neuville has also won three, with Kalle Rovanperä claiming two.
Will any previous knowledge help?
Rally Islas Canarias may be new to Ogier and the WRC, but it’s not new for everyone.
Half the Rally1 field has previous experience of the event from its history in either the Intercontinental Rally Challenge or European Rally Championship.
World champion Neuville is the only one of those five to have won a WRC rally before, but he’s not convinced his two previous starts in 2010 and 2011 will help him this week.
I know what the grip is like both when it’s dry and when it’s wet, so this sets us up well for all possibilities.Adrien Fourmaux
“It’s hard to remember the last time I competed at Rally Islas Canarias,” Neuville confessed, “but it was definitely a rally I enjoyed. Many parts of the route have been reworked, resurfaced and widened, so I don’t think there is much experience I can take from 2010 and 2011 into the weekend.
“I think the momentum we need for this event is there, and we have everything we need in the car, so I think we will perform well,” he added.
“We are targeting a victory, of course – we need to beat Evans to close that gap in both championships.”
Hyundai team-mate Adrien Fourmaux could be better set than most though. His last Islas Canarias appearance (2020) was a lot more recently than Neuville – and he won.
“Having competed at Rally Islas Canarias in 2020, some of the stages will be quite familiar to me,” Fourmaux said.
“I know what the grip is like both when it’s dry and when it’s wet, so this sets us up well for all possibilities. The aim is to deliver as strong a result as we can – I would like to get back on the podium, or even take it one step further.”
