Sebastien Ogier will make his return at Rally Paraguay this weekend after recovering from a massive crash at Rally Finland, where he and stand-in co-driver Julien Ingrassia were taken to hospital for precautionary checks.
The incident occurred on the Vastila stage while Ogier was firmly in contention for victory. Fortunately, neither sustained serious injuries. Regular co-driver Vincent Landais will be back alongside him for the Paraguay event.
“Rally Finland didn’t turn out the way we hoped after what had been a very good rally until the point that it ended for us, but the most important thing is that Julien and I were both OK,” said Ogier. “Now we’ve had some time to rest and recover and I’m ready to compete in Paraguay together with Vincent.”
The retirement in Finland leaves Ogier fifth in the drivers’ standings, 62 points behind championship-leading Elfyn Evans. While a record-breaking tenth title now looks almost out of reach, the Frenchman insists he will not ease off.
“Even if our championship hopes are more or less over, we still want to aim for the top step in each of the remaining rallies this year, and help the team secure the manufacturers’ title,” Ogier stated.
Toyota can clinch the manufacturers’ crown as early as Paraguay, needing to outscore Hyundai by at least six points at the event. Ogier has fond memories of Paraguay’s gravel roads—he won last year’s inaugural WRC visit to the country and aims to repeat that success.
“We experienced a great first rally in Paraguay last year, with an amazing atmosphere as well as challenging stages and conditions, and we will try our best to repeat our victory there,” he added.
Ogier has committed to contesting all remaining WRC rounds this season. After Paraguay, he will continue in Chile and Sardinia, as well as the season finale if it goes ahead as planned.
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