Ogier: “A lot of work to do” after Portugal

Great champions are perfectionists; Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) n’échappe pas à ce trait de caractère. Le septuple champion du monde des rallyes (WRC) does not come out of Rally from Portugal with a big smile despite his podium (3rd).

En effet, le Français s’est bagarré, non seulement contre un mauvais emplacement de départ comme c’est devenu hélas la coutume sur les épreuves en terre, mais aussi contre un manque de vitesse pure de sa Yaris face aux Hyundai i20 Coupe.

Another podium and 18 points overall, this is a positive result for this @rallydeportugal in the end#WRC #RallydePortugal @TGR_WRC pic.twitter.com/03PhxNt00E

- Sébastien Ogier (@SebOgier) May 23, 2021

“Not being in the running to fight for scratch times is not happy. This is partly due to the sweeping but also because I didn't feel 100% comfortable in the car. explains the Gapençais, who keeps the lead in the Championship by two points against Elfyn Evans (Toyota), winner in Portugal.

“Maybe this is linked to our still limited knowledge of Pirelli tires (arrived to replace Michelin last winter. Editor’s note). In addition, the fact of having carried out pre-rally tests in the rain prevented us from understanding them better on gravel. »

The representative of Toyota Gazoo Racing has his work cut out for him, before a Sardinian meeting contested again on dirt roads. “We're going to have a lot of work to do on our private test day this week. We hope to achieve a step forward in terms of performance. »

Sardinia, another rally that the Frenchman will have to open on the first day. “No one wants to have this role in Sardinia but you never know what might happen. My strategy has always been to accumulate as many points as possible”, he declares, in reference to these three units won during the Portuguese Power Stage. “I think it has paid off in the past. »

Find in issue 2313 of AUTOhebdo, available Monday evening digitally and Wednesday on newsstands, the analysis of the WRC in Portugal by our special correspondent.