Sébastien Ogier: “We no longer have the right to make mistakes”

Faced with the incessant charge ofOtt Tänak since the start of the season, few drivers have managed to stay in contact with the resident of the Toyota Gazoo Racing. With four victories in the last five races, the Estonian has widened a first clear gap against his rivals Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) and Sébastien Ogier.

The pilot Citroën Racing, relegated to 40 units of his former teammate at M-Sport, knows that the Turkish round this weekend could be a turning point in the season. On a delicate course, where mechanics and men risk suffering, the slightest additional point dropped against the leader of the classification could weigh heavily.

“The course of the last edition was undoubtedly the most difficult that I had to face in my entire career, recalls Ogier. And those who won were clearly not the fastest, so we may have to adapt the approach a little this year, especially since we no longer have the right to make mistakes in the championship »

In order to best prepare for the Turkish challenge, Citroën Racing did not skimp on the runs, going to confront another course known to be difficult: Greece. On the ES of the mythical Rally from the Acropolis, the Reds tried to find the best formula for a C3 WRC behind in terms of pure performance compared to the Toyota Yaris.

“After a 2018 vintage which surprised us with its harshness, we now understand the extent of the Turkish challenge and we have prepared accordingly, indicates Citroën Racing director Pierre Budar. Including a productive test session on some of the most demanding special stages in Greece.

Reliability will play a key role in the performance of the weekend, at the same time as the ability to get through the pitfalls, it's up to us to make sure we are impeccable, because we are determined to get back on the podium and fight fiercely for the championship. »

Reliability is undoubtedly the Achilles heel of the Toyota clan, Tänak having notably let slip away a success in Italy which was waiting for him. But let's not forget that twelve months ago, it was the Estonian driver who won in Turkey in his series of three victories in a row starting from Finland.