L. MathekaOgier confirms break after WRC season-opening Monte-Carlo
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 31.12.21. | 12:50
The rally driver became a darling of the Kenyan rallying fan base after winning the WRC Safari on its return after a19-year hiatus
Eight-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier is set to take a break from rallying.
Ogier has hinted that next season’s Rallye Monte-Carlo set for 20 to 23 January might be his only FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) outing in the early part of the year.
This is your chance to gets your hands on a special piece of memorabilia from @SebOgier and Julien Ingrassia's final #WRC event together
— WRC - FIA World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) December 27, 2021
The Frenchman is stepping back from full-time competition in favour of a part-programme of WRC events in Toyota’s all-new hybrid GR Yaris WRC Rally1. While a Monte-Carlo start is confirmed, the rest of his schedule remains uncertain.
“After Monte-Carlo the chance that I don’t do rally for a while is big, I would say. Even right now I say that I need this end-of-year break and now it felt like actually I didn’t have any because I am straight away in the preparation of Monte-Carlo again,” he told WRC.com during his crowning moment at the FIA prize giving ceremony in Paeis earlier this month.
“But after Monte-Carlo I want to take this time with me, my wife and boy and then we will see what comes next," he continued.
Ogier, 37, joked that age had not dulled the fierce competitive instincts in himself and 42-year-old Ingrassia during their final season together.
“The titles are all important in my eyes but it’s been very competitive the last years, always very intense fights. We can say that over our careers, I had the feeling that it never gets easier to win the rally, probably the opposite. So being able to win five races this season and win another title, I think it has shown that we keep pushing up to the end with Julien and age had not so much impact on us yet," Ogier offered.
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