Inside Rally

The new 2013 World Rally Champion, Sebastien Ogier, claimed his title on the first stage of Rally France, and by the end of the rally he took the lead, and went on to win his home rally.

On his twitter page he said, “So happy, so many emotions, an amazing rally. The title on thurs. night, then it was difficult to be back in the race. We tried to push all the time at the maximum and it worked. I’m so happy, it’s been a perfect weekend for us. #RDFAlsace #WRC”

The biggest news of the final day was Sebastien Loeb, who was competing in his home event for the final time of his career, slid off the road and rolled the car into a ditch. With his special Livered, DS3 on the roof, it was the end to what has been an incredible career for the Frenchman.

Talking to Autosport Loeb said, “I am more sorry for the spectators and the team. There were a lot of spectators who were waiting for me and I’m not going through.”

Talking about the crash, Loeb said: “I started flat out. In our situation we were fighting for the victory and it didn’t go as I planed. I lost the rear, we had a spin and we ended in a ditch. For sure, I would have preferred to finish on the podium on this rally.”

Overall Results of Rally France
1 Ogier
2 Sordo +12.2
3 Latvala +19.5
4 Neuville +1:14.1
5 Novikov +3:10.9
6 Hirvonen +3:37.7
7 Mikkelsen +4:04.2
8 Ostberg +4:35.2

At the end of Day 3 of Rallye de France. Just 1.5 seconds separate the top 3.

Jari Matti Latvala is now leading after Neuville spun & picked up a puncture dropping nearly 2 minutes. Citroens Dani Sordo in 2nd but only by 4 tenths of a second. With the new 2013 World Rally Champ, Sebastien Ogier in 3rd, 1.5 Seconds off the lead. Sebastien Loeb, after claiming his 900th Career Stage win early today holds 4th, 5 seconds away from Lead Latvala. Just 57 kilometers to go tomorrow for Day 4 of rally France.

Qatar World Rally Team’s Thierry Neuville powered into the lead of Rallye de France-Alsace today. Thanks to an inspired tyre strategy from the team, the young Belgian is well and truly in the hunt for securing a maiden victory in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).

“It has been a perfect afternoon for us. We had faultless information from the team and our weather crews – so a big congratulations to them because we would not be in first place if it was not for them! I felt really comfortable and we were able to push without taking any big risks. I felt confident all day.

“It will be a new experience for me running first on the road. I have never been first [on the road] on Tarmac so I will have to learn quickly. I will have to make my own lines and I won’t have the benefit of seeing the other drivers’ braking points and if there is standing water it could be difficult. But I am happy to be in first place this evening, and we will just have to wait and see if I am still holding this position tomorrow.”

Contesting two loops of three identical stages south-west of the Strasbourg-based service park, Neuville was keen to build on his second fastest time in yesterday’s opening Power Stage, and did just that by piloting his Ford Fiesta RS WRC to the top of the standings.

Despite some slight time loss on the opening test (SS2), Neuville regrouped brilliantly over the following stages. With a diagonal configuration of Michelin’s hard and soft compound tyres for the 34.34 kilometres of ‘Vosges – Pays d’Omont 1’ (SS4), the Belgian was on top form. Trading fastest splits throughout the drying stage, he and co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul posted the second fastest time – some 20 seconds faster than the WRC’s newly crowned champion Sébastien Ogier.

As for the afternoon loop, Neuville was in a class of his own. Whereas others predicted rain, the Qatar M-Sport team got their weather reports spot on. With the optimum tyre choice, the Belgian posted the fastest time on all of the afternoon’s three stages. Utilising the harder compound rubber to full effect, the Qatari outfit’s rising star goes into tomorrow’s stages with a 9.9 second lead over Dani Sordo, reviving the memory of the pairing’s epic battle at Rallye Deutschland last month.

In the Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team, the Alsace weather played havoc with Evgeny Novikov’s opening loop as the Russian elected to clad his Fiesta RS WRC with Michelin’s harder tyre. Yet despite being somewhat disadvantaged, the Russian set some promising times.

Following the example of their fellow Qatar M-Sport crews, Novikov and co-driver Ilka Minor once again opted for the harder compound for the second pass and were immediately on the pace – setting the third fastest time though ‘Klevener 2’ (SS5). On course for another strong result, the Muscovite currently holds sixth place overall.

In the sister Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team Fiesta, the weather also proved pivotal for Mads Østberg and co-driver Jonas Andersson. Suffering from the worst of the rain through SS2, the Norwegian took a cautious approach – minimising any risk to complete the morning loop in ninth place overall.

After 9 years of total domination, the WRC has a new World Champion. Volkswagens Sebastien Ogier, who has claimed his title in his home country on Rally France.

Photo:D.Darrall

With Rally France starting off with the power stage. It meant that Ogier’s title decided on the first stage results of Thierry Neuville. Neuville would have to score maximum points on all of the remaining Rallies and Ogier would have to retire for Thierry to be able to overhaul the Frenchman for the title .

But before Ogier even crossed the start line on the Power Stage, Neuville – before him on the road – only managed a 2nd fastest time. With Dani Sordo going fastest, it Meant that Sebastien Ogier has enough points to take away the title, regardless of his or Neuville’s Overall results.

Qatar M-Sport’s Thierry Neuville said, “I think we all knew that Sébastien [Ogier] would be champion this year, but I admit that it happened a little sooner than I would have liked! I was pushing really hard on the Power Stage and was up on Dani [Sordo], but he [Sordo] set a very good time and maybe the soft tyres weren’t the best option for us. But a big congratulations to Sébastien and Julien [Ingrassia] all the same.
 
“As for the rest of the rally, we know that we have the speed and that the car is good. The forecast too looks as though it could be good for me so anything can happen. I would like to take my first victory this year, but I also need to look to Jari-Matti [Latvala] and think about the Championship. But OK, if we are still in a position to go for the win on Sunday, then I will for sure take more risks to make it happen.”

Sebastien Ogier has, after a year out of WRC, took a brand new car and team Volkswagen, to the World title in the first year of asking.

“The way we have won this title is amazing,” said Ogier. “In a year we have gone
from zero to world champions and it’s such a great story. It’s been a hard year
with a lot of work, development, and effort from everyone. It’s Volkswagen’s
first year in WRC and we have not finished the season yet, but already we are
champions.”

It was 10 years ago when someone who wasn’t Loeb, won the drivers’ title. And that was, at the time, Subaru World Rally Driver Petter Solberg. When the Norwegian beat Loeb by one point to win. Since then the WRC has been totally dominated by Sebastien Loeb and Citroen Racing. And Loeb in that time broke record after record, to become the greatest driver of all time.

Now its time for a new Champion. And based on the incredible pace that the now 2013 Champ Ogier has shown this year, there could be a few more titles that go to a man named Sebastien.

InsideRally would like to send its biggest Congratulations to Sebastien Ogier & Julian Ingrassia. As well as the whole Volkswagen World Rally team on claiming their first Drivers title. Now on to the Rally, and the big fight for victory.