Sebastien Ogier is looking to equal fellow Frenchmen Sebastien Loeb’s record for most World Rally Championship titles.
The Toyota driver is an eight-time champion, having won six of them consecutively between 2013 and 2018, and the other two in 2020 and 2021.
Ogier is competing part-time in the championship in 2024, having missed two events this year in Sweden and Kenya.
And after speaking with German magazine Motorsport Aktuell (via WRC), it seems that the 40-year-old has no intention of changing that in the future as he finds himself in the fight for his ninth title.
Sebastien Ogier says he will ‘never’ complete a full WRC season again
Ogier has had a brilliant season in the WRC thus far, having competed in six rallies and finished in the top two in all of them.
The Frenchman has won three events in Croatia, Portugal and the latest event, Rally Finland. Ogier registered second-place finishes in Monaco, Sardinia and Latvia.
With the Toyota driver being in contention for the championship, Ogier confirmed that he will be participating in the next event at Acropolis Rally Greece.
And the 40-year-old also revealed that he is set to participate in the last four rounds of the season, but stressed that he will never complete a full season in the WRC again.
READ MORE: What insiders are saying about ‘£426m’ WRC sale talks amid US expansion plans
“Originally, Chile and Central Europe weren’t on my list,” he said. “Given the current situation in the manufacturers’ and drivers’ championships, however, it’s clear that I will now compete in the four remaining WRC rounds and fight for the title once again.”
“I don’t care much about numbers, statistics, or records. I have other priorities. I’ll drive as long as it brings me joy and I can still compete.
“And I want to make one thing clear: I will never compete in a full WRC season again. After this rather intense season, I might even do less next year.”
Sebastien Ogier trails Thierry Neuville by 27 points in the 2024 drivers’ standings
Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville currently leads the championship heading into Greece with a 27-point margin between the Belgian and Ogier.
Neuville has competed at every rally this season, but has only registered one win; that coming at the season opener in Monte Carlo.
However, his consistency has shone through, as he has only finished outside the top five on two occasions and secured a total of four points.
Chile and Central Europe follow the Acropolis Rally Greece before the season finale in Japan in November.