Such was his speed, Sebastien Ogier was persuaded by Toyota to extend his partial campaign to an eventual 10 rounds.
The Frenchman delivered his best to score three wins, including a record-breaking sixth Portugal triumph to surpass WRC great Markku Alen. Victories in Croatia and Finland also proved vital for Toyota, but paled next to a mesmerising final stage of the year in Japan to snatch the manufacturers’ title from Hyundai.
Ogier topped the stage wins chart (52), but a series of uncharacteristic mistakes and misfortune blighted the end of his year and extinguished faint hopes of a ninth world title.
Ogier has no regrets as class shows no signs of diminishing
Once again, arguably the WRC’s greatest driver of all time showed his worth in 2024. Had fine margins gone in his favour, a record-equalling drivers’ title to match compatriot Sebastien Loeb could have materialised, but Sebastien Ogier’s contribution to Toyota’s fourth consecutive manufacturers’ crown proves he is still worth his weight in gold.
There were errors along the way, highlighted by a rally-ending crash in Central Europe that marked the third event in succession where the Frenchman hit trouble. This followed turbo failure and a final stage crash on the Acropolis, as well as a puncture/crash in Chile.
But more often than not, Ogier was the pacesetter during his 2024 appearances and never doubted his ability in these difficult moments.
“First of all, we reached the target which was the manufacturers’ title,” the 41-year-old said. “It was a close call and it went to the last stage of the season; we had to push to reach that. We had to be committed in the car and that has been my thing. When I know I have the confidence, I can push hard and I know I can be the fastest.
“I’m happy with everything and I have no regrets. We never really planned to fight for the drivers’ title and missing some races means it is difficult to go for it. Everything had to be perfect to fight for the drivers’ title and it wasn’t possible.
“Of course, it is always challenging when you are not full-time, but this year doing a bit more helped me to be at a strong level of performance and this last four rallies we have been the best performer. I really enjoyed those rallies [where we had issues], so it was a bit of a paradox. I enjoyed them a lot and felt so good behind the wheel, but somehow we didn’t get the result we wanted.
“At the end of the day, I never lost the faith I can still do it. If I’m still doing it, it is because the fun is still there driving these cars on the limit.”
Amid a widespread FIA clampdown on drivers’ swearing and sharing their views, the eight-time champion used his platform to send a bold and important message to the FIA with his protest in Chile – after being handed a suspended €30,000 fine for comments directed to organisers regarding the safety of a stage at the Acropolis Rally.
Ogier will contest fewer WRC rallies next year, but with a new control tyre from Hankook and hybrid power being removed from the cars, his experience and ability to adapt will again prove extremely valuable to Toyota in 2025.
