Sébastien
Ogier
France
·
WRC
Date of birth | 17 December 1983 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | Gap, France |
Age | 42 |
Nationality | France |
Career start | 2008 |
Disciplines | Rally WRC |
Sébastien Ogier had his first major international success in 2008 when he won the Junior World Rally Championship title with three victories. But it was in 2011 that he came to the fore thanks to an intense battle for the title with Sébastien Loeb, eventually settling for third overall. Later in the year, he defeated WRC and F1 opposition to win the famed Race of Champions event.
For 2012’s World Rally Championship he joined VW Motorsport and drove a Škoda Fabia S2000, achieving six top-10 points-scoring results and often threatening to upset many runners in faster WRC machines. Together with co-driver Julien Ingrassia, Ogier drove the new Polo R WRC to its first victory at Rally Sweden in 2013.
World title wins
He capped off his inaugural season with Volkswagen with a much-celebrated World Championship title on the first day of his home Rallye de France and he wrapped up the year with a win at the Wales Rally GB.
Ogier repeated his world champion feat in 2014, becoming the fifth driver to win back-to-back titles in the championship, and again in 2015, before going to write his name in the rally history books with a fourth consecutive World Rally Championship title in 2016, an incredible feat that only fellow rally legends Loeb, Juha Kankunnen and Tommi Mäkinen had matched.
Ogier took on a new challenge in 2017 with a move to Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport team. He wasted no time in bringing success to the British team, winning the first rally of the championship in the roads and forests around Monte-Carlo behind the wheel of the new Ford Fiesta WRC.
A series of consistent performances followed – including victory at Rally de Portugal – and third place at Wales Rally GB in 2017 was enough for Ogier to add a brilliant fifth title to his career record.
Yet more awe-inspiring driving throughout the 2018 WRC season helped Ogier win a sixth title, with victories at Monte-Carlo, Mexico, France, and Wales Rally GB helping him become only the second driver in history to claim a double-hat-trick of WRC driver's titles.
Ogier returned to where it all started for the 2019 season and drove for the Citroën Total World Rally team. He and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia won the Monte-Carlo Rally, Rally Mexico and Rally of Turkey, and scored podium places at five other events in a C3 WRC car, but unfortunate crashes and resulting car problems at Rally Sweden and Rally Italia Sardegna put a dint in the duo's points total for the season and meant Ogier finished third overall.
The 2020 season saw Ogier switch to Toyota Gazoo Racing alongside Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanperä in an all-new driver lineup and he won his seventh WRC title in eight seasons with the team after snatching victory in the final rally of the season at Monza in dramatic fashion
Ogier’s one-year deal with the Japanese manufacturer for 2021 was to be his final full campaign before retiring from the WRC and he showed just why he's the second most successful driver in the WRC's history with an eighth Drivers' Championship crown secured with a masterclass driver in the final Monza round again.
Retirement plans put on hold
Despite initially announcing his decision to walk away from the sport at the end of the 2021 campaign, Ogier chose to remain in WRC but only contest selected events. He still managed to gain one victory and two podium finishes as he ended the season in sixth place overall.
2023 saw the Frenchman once again contest selected events, finishing in fifth place overall thanks to wins in Monaco, Mexico and Kenya. It was a similar story in 2024 as he ended the season in fourth position, winning three of his 10 races.
A record-equalling ninth world title
In 2025, Ogier once again chose to drive in select races. However, after a strong start to the season, with numerous victories and podiums, he decided to drive all the remaining rallies and chase the title. The decision paid dividends as the Frenchman secured his ninth world title, equalling the mark set by compatriot Sébastien Loeb.
For 2026, Ogier plans to contest 10 events as he bids to win a record-breaking 10th World Rally Championship title.
Celebrating winning title number nine
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Ogier has long been a fan favourite
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Ogier is a master of all terrains
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Not just skilled behind the wheel
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