Ogier aims to maintain momentum in Portugal
- 20 May 2021
Sebastian Ogier could find leading the standings is a handicap when the World Rally Championship gets its wheels dirty in Portugal this weekend with the season’s first race on gravel.
The Frenchman will open the road after taking the championship lead when he won the Croatia Rally on asphalt in his Toyota Yaris two weeks ago.
He chases a record sixth victory at Rally de Portugal in what could be his final appearance in the country where he scored his maiden world rally win 11 years ago.
“Generally in Portugal, the sandy surface on top of the stages can make it quite slippery for the first cars in the morning,” team principal Jari-Matti Latvala said on the Toyota web site.
“For Seb, it could be very demanding being the first car on the road as championship leader.”
Ogier is hoping for rain to damp down the dirt, although the forecast is largely dry for the weekend.
Warm weather in the run-up to Friday’s opening leg could dry roads left wet and muddy by rain. It would leave grip at a premium for the early starters on the sandy tracks and, as first in the order, the Frenchman accepts that chasing a sixth win will be far from simple.
“We know we will probably have to face tough conditions opening the road, but Portugal is a place where we can have rain at this time of year, and that is always what you hope for,” he said
The Frenchman had an eventful final day in Croatia where he was involved in a traffic accident driving to the start.
An amateur video showed him pulling into the right-hand lane and hitting a car that was overtaking.
“Croatia Rally was a real rollercoaster for us and managing to win it in the very last moment and score maximum points after such an eventful and emotionally demanding weekend was something special,” he wrote on social media.
Ogier won after team-mate Elfyn Evans lost control on the final corner.
It’s one of the most special rallies for me,” said the Toyota Yaris driver. “This time we know we will probably have to face tough conditions opening the road but Portugal is a place where we can have rain at this time of year, and this is always what you hope for in this situation,” Ogier said.
The one blemish for Toyota in Croatia came when Kalle Rovanpera, the early-season leader, crashed five kilometres into the opening stage.
“After Croatia, I think my approach will be a bit more sensible,” said the 20-year-old Finn.
Hyundai, which won the manufacturers title last season, was disappointed after Croatia.
“Our aim is to bounce back after a tricky and unrepresentative weekend in Croatia,” said Ott Tanak, who won the last time the Portuguese rally was raced in 2019.
The rally is known for huge and enthusiastic crowds especially round the Fafe special stage which ends in a spectacular leap.
While the national Directorate General of Health has acknowledged that the race will “inevitably be followed by a significant number of fans”, they asked the organisers to try to limit crowds and ensure social distancing rules are respected.
“Portugal is always special for me because it is so close to Spain,” said Spaniard Dani Sordo of Hyundai. “I have always enjoyed an extra boost from the many spectators. It is unlikely to be quite the same this year.”
