Tension are beginning to flare between two rivals in the bid to win the 2024 World Rally Championship title.
Thierry Neuville and Sebastien Ogier have been battling it out in the WRC for the last few years. The former has never won a world championship, whereas the latter is the second most successful driver in the series’ history with eight titles.
Neuville has been leading the 2024 standings since the season opener in Monte Carlo after the Belgian took the win. Monaco is the Hyundai driver’s only victory so far this season, but has secured another three podiums throughout the year.
Ogier has competed part-time in this year’s campaign, missing the rounds in Sweden and Kenya and he withdrew from the event in Poland. In the six rallies Ogier has competed in, the Frenchman has finished in the top two in all of them, winning three.
Ogier’s victory last time out at Rally Finland leaves him 27 points behind Neuville, and at the latest round in Greece, the Toyota and Hyundai drivers have come into conflict.
Cyril Abiteboul smiles as he responds to Sebastien Ogier’s comments about Thierry Neuville in Greece
Ogier confirmed that he was set to compete in Greece in a bid to help Toyota win both the drivers’ and the manufacturers’ championship, and on the first day, the Frenchman had been leading while Neuville was struggling with engine trouble in fifth.
But at the penultimate stage, Ogier suffered a turbo problem, which cost him two minutes and relegated him to fourth.
READ MORE: Peter Windsor shares three-word reaction to Thierry Neuville’s new Hyundai WRC contract
Speaking to DirtFish after the day’s action, Ogier took the chance to take a swipe at his championship rival.
“Obviously for us, it made a big stop to what was looking so far to be a perfect day,” he said.
“With great speed from second on the road, we took 45 seconds to the championship leader, so maybe he should learn to open the road because he’s not really fast from first on the road, he just cries all the time.
“So let’s try to put pressure on him, I’m sure we can still do things.”
Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul had Ogier’s comments put to him after the first day, and he had a smile on his face as he responded to the matter.
“I’m just looking at the classification,” he said.
“Just look at the classification, just look at the FIA Gala in December and we’ll see then who’s the first.”
READ MORE: Sebastien Ogier hints at future plans away from WRC ahead of Acropolis Rally Greece
Who will win the 2024 WRC title?
With just 27 points between Neuville and Ogier heading into Acropolis Rally Greece, the championship is still very much up for grabs.
It is not also only between these two for the championship though, as Hyundai’s Ott Tanak sits just four points behind Ogier in third, while Elfyn Evans and Adrien Fourmaux stand outside chances.
Neuville previously said that Ogier will ‘always have an excuse’ for not winning the WRC title, as the Belgian looks hungrier than ever to grab his first title, having lost out to Ogier on four occasions.
While the Toyota driver has repeatedly said that statistics do not matter as much to him as people may think, the Frenchman is set to run in the remaining three rallies after Greece with a record-equalling ninth title in sight.