Ogier: “I’m riding with confidence with the Citroën C3 WRC”

Sébastien Ogier scored two scratches in the second stage of the Rally Monte-Carlo to take the lead in his duel against Thierry Neuville (Hyundai). The six-time champion WRC showed up at the last assistance with a lead of 2 seconds over the Belgian after being taken back a dozen seconds on the last course.

“I am obviously satisfied to end up in control at the end of what is still a very complicated stage, marked by big changes in conditions and pace from one stage to the next. Our tire compromise was perhaps not ideal this afternoon, but we knew how to deal with it”, comments the man who remains undefeated in Monte-Carlo since 2014.

“I'm feeling confident with the C3 WRC and our strategy of running a thoughtful race is paying off so far, as we haven't made the slightest mistake. I will try to continue like this, especially since tomorrow's day still promises to be very tricky, particularly in Saint Léger Les Mélèzes – La Batie Neuve”, adds the reigning world champion.

“We are obviously delighted to take Gap in the lead this evening, at the end of what was still a very complicated day, particularly from a tire choice point of view. Sébastien and Julien brought their experience and talent to bear to achieve a masterful day, but everything remains to be done with major difficulties still to come.", summarizes Pierre Budar, the director of Citroën Racing.

His teammate Esapekka Lappi, however, was less successful. While in 7th place, the Finn had to retire after breaking a wishbone.

“Like others, we saw our tire strategy be seriously compromised this morning by the cancellation of the first special, which had mainly dictated our choice to opt for four studs. Then as soon as we restarted in the afternoon, I hit something in a rope, probably a stone, which immediately broke the triangle and we were unable to repair it. It's obviously a shame, but we will now take advantage of the remainder of the race to continue to familiarize ourselves with the C3 WRC, and why not brush up on settings that we would not normally have dared to try.", the Finn consoles himself.

“Their small mistake unfortunately has serious consequences, but the main thing is that they can leave tomorrow in order to accumulate experience,” summarizes Pierre Budar.