FIA WRC 2024: Ogier sends warning to rivals for revenge ahead of Rally Finland

Sebastien Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais of the team Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT. ©Imago

FIA WRC 2024: Ogier sends warning to rivals for revenge ahead of Rally Finland

Festus Chuma 20:04 - 31.07.2024

Sébastien Ogier will be aiming for redemption at Rally Finland seeking victory after a strong second-place finish at Tet Rally Latvia.

Eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier is ready to turn the tables at the upcoming Secto Rally Finland, after conceding to his teammate Kalle Rovanperä's dominant performance at the Tet Rally Latvia.

While Ogier graciously accepted second place in Latvia, he is determined not to settle for anything less than victory in Finland.

At the recent rally in Latvia, Ogier faced a formidable challenge in the form of Rovanpera who finished a substantial 39.2 seconds ahead.

“Kalle was untouchable this weekend, so very well done to him. His speed was to be expected, this is his favourite profile of road and he’s been born here in a rally car. I think second was the best we could have managed, this was the target and, like you know, I don’t often say my target is to be second," Ogier told WRC portal.

Despite his limited engagement in fast gravel rallies since 2021, Ogier maintained a competitive pace throughout the even.

His performance in Latvia proved he could still contend strongly a point he hopes to underline in Finland.

“Rally Finland is a unique event in the championship that I think every driver loves to drive,” said Ogier.

The Frenchman is keen on bringing his A-game to the rally, aiming to capture a victory that has eluded him since his win in 2013.

“I’ll try to bring everything I can to achieve the best team result. After a break from driving in really fast rallies, I think I had some good speed and a good weekend in Latvia and I hope to bring that to Finland,'" he noted.

Toyota Gazoo Racing will be fielding five full works cars in an expansion includes last year’s winner Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta, and WRC2 title contender Sami Pajari, who is making his top-class WRC debut.

The seasoned champions Ogier and Rovanpea are slated to score manufacturers’ championship points alongside Evans.

The rally landscape is further diversified with M-Sport scaling back to two cars after the conclusion of Mārtiņš Sesks’ two-round program.

Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster will lead the team’s charge. Meanwhile, the Hyundai squad maintains its robust lineup from Latvia, featuring world title contenders Thierry Neuville, three-time Finland winner Ott Tanak, and local hero and 2017 event winner Esapekka Lappi.

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