The eight-time World Champion will attend the Italian round of the FIA World Rally Championship for the fifteenth time and the first with the Toyota Yaris Rally1 after the announcement of his part-time presence in the highest international series.

02.05.2023 – Great news that warms up the hearts of the fans waiting for the 20th Rally Italia Sardegna, which will take place on the Isle of the Four Moors next June 1-4. Sébastien Ogier will be back in the Italian rally organized by Automobile Club d’Italia with the support of Regione Sardegna after last year’s absence.

The eight-time world champion will be at a much-welcomed comeback, which is the first one since Ogier announced his part-time presence in the championship. The French driver won four editions of the Rally in Sardinia: in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2021. His record of victories is equal to Sébastien Loeb’s (2005, 2006, 2008, 2011) and his participation in the 2023 edition excites the curiosity of all the stats fans as it provides the chance to change the figures of the rally.

He has always been passionate about the Italian rally, which Sébastien has often admitted to appreciating. The French has been among the few drivers to interpret this rally at the best despite often starting as first on the road and therefore did not manage to take the result he had hoped for.

His debut was in 2008 in the Citroën C2 S1600 but on the occasion, he was betrayed by the SS4 “Monte Corvos” and ended the rally in Super Rally as sixth of JWRC. After two more retirements in 2009 and 2010, Seb was fourth in 2011, but in 2012 he claimed his best result of the season at the wheel of the Skoda Fabia S2000 entered by Volkswagen Motorsport, which was an unmatchable P5 against the World Rally Cars.

In 2013 he claimed his first win in what was the last rally held with the base in Gallura. Ogier then won the rally a second and third time in Alghero in the two following years aboard the Polo WRC. He was third in 2016, and fifth again in 2017 in the Fiesta WRC with which he was second by just 0.7s in 2018 when he was pipped by Thierry Neuville in the final Power Stage on Argentiera. This is still the shortest gap in the history of the event. Ogier got on the podium in P3 in 2020, while in 2021 despite starting on top he claimed a deserved win in Olbia during the last complete season that he won with Toyota at the ACI Rally Monza.

This is going to be Ogier’s first time in Sardinia at the wheel of the Toyota Yaris Rally1, the car on which he won the first rally of the current season  - on the gravel in Mexico last March 19th, and with which he carried out the preparation tests for the island Sardinian rally at the end of April. He will be joined by Vincent Landais. The latter has already competed six times in Sardinia next to Pierre-Louis Loubet.

Photo: Daniele Carta

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