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WRC
Seb Ogier: Finishing second in Japan was almost like a win for me
Eight-time WRC champion Sébastien Ogier completed his campaign with second in Japan and uses his latest blog post to reflect on why he’s happy with his results this season.
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Rally Japan was a really positive way to close the 2023 season for Toyota GAZOO Racing. Standing on a podium dominated by our team and giving our chairman Akio Toyoda a champagne shower – that’s cool!
Like I told you before, I'm always passionate to win rallies, but finishing second in Japan was almost like a win for me. Last year was a tough one for the team at home, and this was why I wanted to come to this rally, to help to make this result possible.
Ready to race
© Justin Neumann
It was so nice to see the smile on Akio’s face – he was really hoping for victory this time and the chance to stand on the podium with us. To make it a one-two-three was more than expected. This made a very special memory in my head and in my heart from my career.
Looking back on the season, I have to say I'm happy.
This year I feel I've found a good balance. I’ve done eight races and I’ve been able to disconnect and make nice time with my family between the races. And I’m happy for the results as well.
Sébastien Ogier in action in Japan
© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
I always target more, that’s my nature, but three wins and a second place in eight starts? Really, I cannot say this is a bad result. I was also surprised a little bit when I saw I was leading for the highest number of stages from anybody this year. It showed that even when we didn’t win the rallies, we still had the speed and we were able to be often in the lead. With some more luck, we definitely could have had more victories.
Like I said, everything feels good right now and this is why we plan for more or less the same next year.
Could Japan have been another win? It’s hard to say.
Vincent Landais joined Ogier as co-driver for the first time in Japan
© Justin Neumann
For me, just to come out of the first day was like a victory. This rain, these conditions? It was too much in the morning. Managing the changes in grip is what we do in rallying, but this was about much more than that. The rain made Rally Japan’s first morning a lottery.
When you come to a corner and there’s basically a river running down the middle of it, what can you do? The car is aquaplaning beneath you and you are already like a passenger.
I can never be fully satisfied without the win, but this time to escape from Friday and still be on the road was like a victory.
Driving between the stages in Japan, is such a cool experience
It’s a little bit frustrating that the authorities didn’t make a decision to cancel this first loop. Basically every single weather forecast was talking about such heavy rain in the morning, there was no surprise at all in what we saw. Sometimes I’m surprised that we still wait until it’s too late to make a decision in rallying.
The weather, of course, was not the fault of the rally and I don’t want it to detract from what was a fantastic event. The atmosphere in Rally Japan is right up there among the best now. Last year the event was back for the first time and maybe people were still remembering about the WRC and the rally was establishing itself. This year was amazing – so many people came! We started even to have some difficulties on the road section with the traffic.
The season concluded with Ogier taking 133 points from 8 events
© Justin Neumann
The French driver was popular with fans in Japan
© Justin Neumann
Driving between the stages in Japan, is such a cool experience. The fans are everywhere. Basically, you spend the whole weekend waving in the car on the road section! But they’re different here. They are so deeply involved in the sport, they take the time to personalise the signs and to organise the national flag. You see this guy at the side of the road with my flag and my message and you think: “Wow, this guy is really my fan!” But when you pass, you see already he is putting away your flag and getting the flag ready for the next driver.
The people just love the sport out there and I love their passion and emotion from them. I look forward to going back next year.
For me now, it’s time to take a break. We have some more celebrations planned with the team, but otherwise we plan to go to our family home in the mountains in Austria and make some time for skiing with my son.
I look forward to seeing you all next year and thank you for the support through 2023 – it means a lot!
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