Eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier has finally spoken about the horrific crash he suffered at Central Finland Rally last weekend. The incident cost him a win that was within reach and effectively ended his hopes of securing the world title this season.
Ogier held a lead of more than 20 seconds over Sami Pajari before crashing off the road on the penultimate stage on Saturday evening. It was a heavy accident, but fortunately both Ogier and his co-driver at the time, Julien Ingrassia, escaped with only minor injuries.
In an interview in Paraguay, the French star stressed that the impact had been more mental than physical. "After an accident like that, the most important thing is that we were both in one piece. We felt fine again very quickly. Perhaps the bigger impact was on the mental side because I was really disappointed to have thrown away the win," he commented.
Ogier acknowledged that he has often taken big risks in the past but rarely made fatal mistakes. "I've managed to do the same kind of thing many times before because all I had to do was reach the finish. I haven't let many opportunities like that slip through my fingers during my career," he added.
The crash effectively means Ogier will need something of a miracle to become world champion this season. He trails championship-leading team-mate Elfyn Evans by a hefty 62 points. "That can happen when you flirt with the limits and drive absolutely flat out. Unfortunately, even a small mistake can do a lot of damage in those circumstances. Now we just have to look ahead and see what we can still achieve. There are four rallies left and we want to get the maximum result from them," Ogier summed up.
"You have to be realistic because the championship fight doesn't look good. When the gap is 62 points, that's a lot. Now we just have to maximise the fun and the wins at the same time. The chances are almost non-existent, but of course anything can always happen," Ogier continued.
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