Sebastien Ogier will start next month's Rally Italy Sardinia with a dual mission: to break one record and to tie another. Although his chances of winning a 10th world title this season are nearly impossible due to a 63-point deficit with only 70 points remaining, Ogier continues to etch his name in the World Rally Championship history books.
Ogier's latest achievement came after Rally Chile, where his result saw him equal two records: most WRC starts and most WRC podiums. This is a testament to the incredible consistency of the French driver who has competed at the highest level for over a decade.
Equalling Latvala's Start Record
The record for most starts was previously held by Jari-Matti Latvala, who amassed 213 starts during his career with Ford, Volkswagen, and Toyota. Ogier now equals that tally, and in Sardinia he will make his 214th start, breaking the long-standing record.
“My career is definitely surpassing every expectation I could have had when I started rallying,” Ogier told DirtFish. “The positive is I'm still there and matching the all-time record this weekend of start of Jari-Matti. Sorry, Jari-Matti, I know you're a little bit sad from this moment!” he smiled. “But I'm sure you can still catch it at some point with some rally to start. Or who knows? Maybe Rally1, one dayg”
In their respective 213 starts, Ogier has been far more dominant than Latvala. He has won 51 more events, 317 more stages, and achieved 53 more podiums. Of course, Ogier's nine world titles also stand out.
Equalling Loeb's Podium Record
The second record Ogier now shares is most podiums. Second place in Chile was the 120th of his career, tying him with Sebastien Loeb. Loeb reached 120 podiums from 184 starts, while Ogier needed 213 starts. Loeb also leads in rally wins (80 vs 69).
However, Ogier has more second-place finishes (31 vs 29) and third-place finishes (20 vs 11). This shows that Ogier is often at the top, even if he doesn't always win. With Toyota's strong performance this season, it's not impossible that Ogier will soon break Loeb's podium record.
Record for Manufacturers' Title Contributions
Before Chile, Ogier already held one record: manufacturers' title contributions. He has helped Citroen, Volkswagen, M-Sport Ford, and Toyota win manufacturers' championships. Toyota's sixth consecutive title and 10th overall this season was the 13th manufacturers' title Ogier has been involved in. No other driver has contributed to more WRC manufacturers' titles.
With Sardinia set to be his 214th start, Ogier will not only set a new record but also extend his legacy as one of the greatest rally drivers of all time. While a 10th title may be out of reach, these records will be a lasting proof of his greatness.
Baca Juga
James Fulton, co-driver pengganti Aaron Johnston, jalani debut di Toyota Rally1 Chile. Meski awal buruk, ia raih poin dan puji pengalaman 'Taka Airlines'.
Adrien Fourmaux frustrasi usai finis ketiga di WRC Chile. Pembalap Hyundai itu merasa pace mampu lebih baik, namun masalah ban jadi penghalang.
Jon Armstrong alami roll di Rally Chile, memperpanjang kesulitannya di WRC. Pembalap M-Sport Ford itu mengakui mobilnya tidak selalu mudah dikendalikan.
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