Ogier will have a title chance in Corsica

Sébastien Ogier will have to achieve a better performance than last year at the Tour de Corse to hope to win his fourth consecutive world title with his co-driver Julien Ingrassia. The Volkswagen driver, who only took 15th place in 2015 following gearbox problems, will have to win the Rally of the 10 Virages hoping for a poor performance from his direct opponents in the Championship.

“First of all, I hope that the weather will be more favorable in Corsica this year, last year's event having had several special stages canceled due to torrential rain, remembered Sébastien Ogier. We will have quite a few new roads (70%) and many stages have been modified. The recognitions will be all the more important. I hope for these changes because they make the rally completely different. »

“Corsica is far from being an easy rally, insisted the Volkswagen driver. I expect the race in Corsica to be as close as in Germany where four drivers remained fighting for victory until the end. »

Andreas Mikkelsen will only need an eighth place to push back the title deadline, the Norwegian falling 59 points behind his teammate with four events remaining in the season.

“I can't wait to go to France because it's a unique asphalt that awaits us in Corsica, commented the Scandinavian. The stages, few in number but very long, have lots of turns and are very technical. Previous editions have highlighted the need to preserve your tires and brakes. If you leave without thinking, you are punished on this rally. »

“In my opinion, the first special (the 49,72km of Acqua Doria – Albitreccia contested on Friday September 30) will be decisive because we will have to immediately get into the right rhythm. Even though I prefer a more varied rally, with a mix of short and long stages, my co-driver Anders (Jaeger) and I are in great shape to tackle this challenge. If the Championship is not yet played, I am focusing more on the crews behind us: Paddon, Neuville and Jari-Matti (Latvala, respectively 16 and 21 points behind Andreas Mikkelsen). I plan to increase my advantage over them with a podium”, added the Norwegian.

Jari-Matti Latvala will also be a good contender for victory since he is the last winner of the Tour de Corse.

“I like driving on the asphalt of Corsica, recognized the Finn. The surface is very hard and bumpy in places. You can't really cut corners, it makes the roads less dirty and the grip level is very high. There are no straight lines longer than 150m. I think this all suits me. »

The route of the Tour de Corse 2016