Analysis
Ogier apologises for 'out of line' WRC incident
Sébastien Ogier publicly apologised for an incident at Rally Paraguay, raising concerns with FIA and Paraguayan Presidents.
Sébastien Ogier has issued a public apology for an incident involving FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Paraguayan President Santiago Peña at Rally Paraguay, acknowledging that his concerns about the World Rally Championship were raised at an inappropriate time and with an unsuitable tone.
Ogier's Rally Paraguay Incident
During Rally Paraguay, Ogier, a Toyota driver, had been notably critical of WRC tyre supplier Hankook following multiple punctures on Friday, ultimately forcing his retirement from the day after stage three due to damaged front suspension. RallyJournal reported that Ogier described the tyres as “not at the standard required for a world championship” and the situation as “a pure lottery,” far from acceptable for the sport's highest level. He also highlighted that numerous drivers had encountered tyre issues across several rallies, underscoring the need for improved reliability from Hankook's products.
Apology and Constructive Dialogue
Following the rally's conclusion, Ogier posted a statement on social media, expressing regret for the interaction with President Ben Sulayem and President Peña. Autosport confirmed that Ogier stated, “It was neither the right moment nor the right tone in which I raised my concerns about the championship.” He further confirmed that he had offered personal apologies to both presidents on Saturday evening. This was followed by what Ogier described as a “very constructive meeting” with FIA President Ben Sulayem, where they discussed areas requiring attention and improvement within the WRC, as reported by RallyJournal. Ogier indicated that this discussion yielded “clear targets” for the future of rallying, which he anticipates will be actioned.
Wider WRC Context
The incident occurred during a press conference at Rally Paraguay where the WRC’s new commercial rights holders were being introduced, with Ben Sulayem in attendance. While the exact content of Ogier’s remarks to the presidents remains undisclosed, his prior outspoken criticism regarding tyre reliability clearly underpinned his concerns. The WRC season, with four rounds remaining, sees Elfyn Evans leading the drivers' championship with 201 points, followed by Kalle Rovanperä’s compatriot Jari-Matti Latvala's protégé Sami Pajari on 171 points, and Takamoto Katsuta with 160 points. Esapekka Lappi, another prominent Finnish driver, holds 25 points in the championship. This situation underscores a broader discussion within the WRC regarding various operational and technical aspects of the sport, which Ogier's interaction has brought into sharper focus.
Status And Sources
This story is labelled Analysis, which means this is our reading of facts that are already established. The rules behind those labels are in the editorial policy, and the desk that published it is Sanni Koskela.
Written from the following reporting. Each link goes to the newsroom's own page, not to an aggregator:
- RallyJournalrallyjournal.com
- Autosportautosport.com
