WRC – Ogier’s crazy comeback in Monte-Carlo

Starting 47 seconds behind leader Bryan Bouffier in the second stage, Sébastien Ogier returned to the service park with a lead of more than 50 seconds over the private driver M-Sport. Unlike the first day, the reigning world champion opted for the right tire choices and avoided the pitfalls of the special stages while his compatriot lost his lead following a road exit. “Fortunately we made the right choice with our tires. However, the heavy downpours made the conditions still particularly difficult, especially with the fresh asphalt strips which were almost as slippery as ice. It’s not for nothing that pilots call it “black ice”. We are satisfied with this second stage since we have not only reduced our delay but we are ahead of Bryan Bouffier. »

His teammates Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen were less successful. The Finn found himself fifth, several minutes behind the Citroën of Mads Ostberg following a puncture. “It’s another stage of the “Monte” where we experienced ups and downs”, comments the former M-Sport driver. “The first pass was very slippery and difficult. Unfortunately we suffered a puncture after the lunch break which caused us to lose a lot of time. But the victory in the last special stage of the day and our rise to fifth position gives us renewed motivation for the last stage. A top five was our goal from the start and we are still in the race to achieve it. » The Norwegian suffered from a low-speed exit from the road, causing him to lose several minutes. The Scandinavian is only in eighth place, a good distance from Mikko Hirvonen.

Videos of the event can be found on this link.