Sebastien Ogier doesn’t yet have the “feeling” to challenge for a ninth World Rally Championship title, while again taking aim at the points system that he feels is devaluing the title race.
The eight-time world champion, competing in part-time season, has emerged as Thierry Neuville’s nearest rival in the championship after taking victory at Rally Finland after long-time leader and team-mate Kalle Rovanpera rolled on the penultimate stage.
Ogier is now 27 points behind Neuville with four events remaining and has already been asked by his Toyota team to do more events given his success this year.
A run of three wins and three second place finishes from six events has posed the question that Ogier could go on to claim a ninth world title should he extend his campaign.
After crossing the finish line in Finland, Ogier said: “I have to see [if we do a full campaign] but it looks like I have no other option. It is not my priority anymore.”
When asked by Autosport about his plans for the remaining of the year, Ogier played down talk of a title fight and instead took aim at the championship’s new points system that has helped put him in this position.
“I think we're going to have more and more pressure to do that [the rest of the year and going for the title] anyway, inside me, I don't really have it yet, this wish, this feeling because I don’t value those things [titles] as much as people think maybe,” he explained.
“Especially with this points system, it's simply a joke, it's devaluing even more this championship. There will be a winner at the end [of the season] but will it be the one who deserves it, nobody knows.”
Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala admitted his squad is not “friends” of the points system but expects a decision from Ogier about his plans for the rest of the season before the end of the month. It is anticipated that Ogier will participate in Greece next month.
“With Seb I have mentioned that I would like him to drive more events. I'm waiting for his answer, but I think the chance he is now in the championship as he is second, we should try to keep the fight on and let him drive all the events.
“It’s a very difficult situation, but at least we need to keep trying. Without trying, we cannot win anything,” Latvala told Autosport.
“We are not friends with the points system, but we cannot change it. I think in a couple weeks’ time we should know.”
Reflecting on a second career Rally Finland win in what proved to be one of the most demanding editions of the event, Ogier said it was difficult to find happiness after what happened to Rovanpera.
“It was a little bit too brutal, if you ask me, I would honestly prefer being second right now, but motorsport is like this sometimes, sometimes it's unfair,” said Ogier.
“I lost the win in Sardinia [this year] with bad luck, today I got it with luck. But I cannot feel too much happiness inside me, and maybe it will come afterwards because still it is a win in Finland.
“It is still one of the rallies everyone wants to win the most, so I will probably at some point be happy with it, but right now I'm not.”
