Sébastien Ogier's dig at Hankook: "I hope this is a joke"

Between Hankook and the pilots of WRCWe're still far from the fairytale. Very far, in fact. Since the start of the season, the Korean manufacturer has struggled to convince, its tires being deemed too prone to punctures, which plagued the early rounds and shook up the standings in most rallies. Portugal, the sixth round of the season, was no exception: once again, several drivers were eliminated from the final battle. First, Sami Pajari sliced ​​his tire on a rock in the Vieira do Minho stage and lost his provisional podium position, before... Sébastien OgierA few moments later, he didn't let a victory slip away that was within his grasp by puncturing his tire in the same spot as his teammate. Toyota.

Thierry NeuvilleBy weaving his way through the stones and raindrops that made the finale a Dantean drama, he reclaimed the victory — a beautiful twist of fate for someone who had lost the Rally of Croatia against Takamoto Katsuta by making a mistake in the Power Stage while leading the overall standings. For Sébastien Ogier, relegated to 6th place in Portugal, it's a major blow, further reducing his chances of securing a tenth world title at the end of the season.

His latest puncture has reignited the debate about the numerous setbacks seen this season, which some drivers readily attribute directly to the poor quality of Hankook tires. The sole tire supplier for the top category of the World Rally Championship even posted a somewhat clumsy message on its X account after the Rally of Portugal. “Dust, jumps, and relentless action on gravel defined Portugal. The Hankook Dynapro R213 provided durability and control through rough terrain and high-speed stages.” "We can read on the post from the official Hankook account."

This communication was clearly not to Sébastien Ogier's liking, and he did not hesitate to respond: "I hope this is a joke… 😅." This highlights the fact that the durability and control touted by Hankook are somewhat exaggerated, as once again a rally was decided by the crews' ability to avoid punctures. But the season is still long—eight rounds remain—and Thierry Neuville has proven it: today's losers can be tomorrow's winners. So, for Sébastien Ogier, in pursuit of his tenth title, anything is still possible. If bad luck doesn't strike him.

ALSO READ >Exclusive – Thierry Neuville: “We couldn’t afford to make a mistake”

I hope this is a joke… 😅

- Sébastien Ogier (@SebOgier) May 13, 2026