Sébastien Ogier: “We are going to have a smoking brain”

If he is one of the riders who has already competed in Japan, that doesn't help him much, because it was on dirt. The Frenchman expects a very selective round, but he fully intends to aim for victory.

Published on 09/11/2022 à 14:45

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Sébastien Ogier: “We are going to have a smoking brain”

Ogier will aim for a second victory on Japanese soil © Nikos Katikis / DPPI

At the end of the reconnaissance, what do you think of the course?

First of all, I have to say that the welcome from the fans is always so special. It's autumn and the colors in the special stages are superb. This won't make the ES easy though! The recoveries were intense. It's very rhythmic. It's such a twist and turn that it's mentally demanding. In certain sections, our brains are going to smoke... We are doing 20 km, but we feel like we have done 50! In pages of notes, it's a bit like that. Some portions seem too slow for our taste because it turns a lot and the average speed will be very very low. There are others, however, that should be pretty good. I have the feeling that there is a big part per day, the opening SS on Friday, the one on Saturday and the long one on Sunday. Rain is also forecast for the final stage, which means that everything could still change during the final day. I can't wait to start the rally. It's up to us to play well to delight our fans who are waiting for a victory of Toyota.

This promises to be quite a baptism for Vincent Landais, your new co-pilot?

This is immediately a big test. This was also the goal of our weekend. We have to discover ourselves, it will be difficult, but at least we will quickly settle on a lot of things.

Given the regulations, you were not able to take a test to prepare for this test. How are you going to define the settings of your Yaris?

We will also not be able to rely too much on the shakedown which is only representative of the rally for the first special, because it is the same road, but in reverse… For the rest, we will base ourselves on our experience. We have a few ideas in mind, but we can't be 100% sure. There will inevitably be a bit of trial and error at the start of the race, wishing that we are heading in the right direction. I felt very good in the car in Spain and I hope to find a car that suits me.

Are you satisfied after your success in Catalonia or do you still have motivation to try to impose yourself here?

It was very pleasant to win, so I want to do it again, both for me and for the team. It would be very important for Toyota so my motivation is the same as at the start of the Spanish rally.

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