Ogier prays for rain

Sébastien Ogier must certainly scan the weather reports before competing in the Rally of Finland from July 28 to 31. The Volkswagen driver has not won since his two victories in Monaco and Sweden due to the even more penalizing regulations where he must open the road during the first two stages.

His quest for success will be all the more difficult to accomplish as he will encounter strong opposition, notably his teammate Jari-Matti Latvala who will compete on his land, even if the French driver has already won the Rallye des 1000 Lacs in 2013.

“The Rally Finland is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the year, admits Sébastien Ogier. I love riding here because rallying is all in Finland. The conditions are also perfect. The roads are not only pretty, they are made for rallying. »

The weather forecast predicts some risk of showers for the second stage at the end of the day, but the sky should mainly remain overcast.

“The starting order takes away any chance of winning a regular gravel rally this year, deplores the three-time world champion. The weather will still play a major role in this event. Fingers crossed for a wet track. »

However, Sébastien Ogier is not under pressure since he has a lead of 51 points over his closest opponent Andreas Mikkelsen.

“Defending our title remains what matters most, adds the Volkswagen driver. We're in a good position at the moment, but it would be nice to have a chance to win. It's all the more a shame as the Championship currently has some very good drivers. »