Sebastien Ogier is looking to salvage the best finish he can in 2024 after falling out of contention for the World Rally Championship title.
The Frenchman, who was competing part-time in the WRC this year, announced that he would be racing in the final four rallies of the year so he can fight for a record-equalling ninth title.
Thierry Neuville has been leading the championship since the Monte Carlo Rally, and Ogier was hoping to close the gap and take the title from the Belgian – as he has done on four previous occasions.
But suffering two dismal weekends at Acropolis Rally Greece and Rally Chile, the 40-year-old was overtaken by Neuville’s Hyundai teammate Ott Tanak and thrown effectively out of the running for the title.
Sebastien Ogier admits Toyota are ‘just not fast enough’ after he lost Central European Rally lead on Friday
Ogier heads into the Central European Rally third in the standings and 41 points behind leader Neuville, as the Frenchman looks to end the year strong at the final two rallies of the year.
The Toyota driver finished the opening two stages in the lead on Thursday by 0.9 seconds over Neuville, and he continued that momentum by winning the opening stage on Friday in the Czech Republic.
However, Neuville grew into it as the day progressed and by the end of Friday’s six stages, the Hyundai driver had taken the lead from Ogier by 6.4 seconds after an impressive performance.
This puts Neuville in an even better position to claim his maiden WRC title as he only needs to outscore Tanak by two points this weekend to seal the deal.
Speaking with Autosport, Ogier was left surprised by the fact he had fallen so far behind the Hyundai and admitted that his Toyota was just not quick enough on the day.
“We are just not fast enough, it was a clean stage but we are missing a bit of pace,” he said. “The car feels nice to drive but we have to check.”
Sebastien Ogier can help Toyota win the Manufacturers’ Championship over Hyundai
While a ninth title is out of reach for Ogier, the Frenchman can play a big part in helping the team challenge Hyundai for the Manufacturers’ Championship.
The Japanese outfit cut down their Korean rival’s lead from 35 points to 17 at Rally Chile, as Kalle Rovanpera and Elfyn Evans recorded a one-two finish.
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Neuville is looking to avoid an ‘internal fight’ with his teammate Tanak and secure the drivers’ championship as soon as possible so he can concentrate his efforts on keeping Toyota behind.
Hyundai currently have control of all three WRC titles, but Toyota will not make life easy for them in the final two rallies as they look to prevent their rivals from securing a clean sweep in 2024.