Sébastien Ogier

Lore & Background

Ogier started his rally career in France in 2005 and won the Peugeot 206 Cup in 2006. He won the title in his first season in the Junior World Rally Championship, driving a Citroën C2 in 2008. He debuted in the World Rally Championship at the 2008 Rally Mexico and scored a point in his first race after finishing eighth. He drove a World Rally Car for the first time, a Citroën C4 in 2008 Rally GB and was promoted to a full-time drive for the next season with the Citroën Junior Team. He got his first podium in the 2009 Acropolis Rally after securing a second-place finish. He drove select races for the Citroën World Rally Team in the 2010 season and took his maiden WRC win in the 2010 Rally de Portugal. Ogier secured a full time drive with the Citroën factory team for the 2011 season. Ahead of the 2012 season, he joined the Volkswagen team and drove a Škoda Fabia S2000. He drove The Volkswagen Polo R WRC for the first time in the 2013 season, in which, he won his first WRC Drivers title with nine rally victories from 13 events. He won a further three consecutive titles in 2014, 2015, and 2016. He won a further two titles in the next two seasons, driving the Ford Fiesta WRC before finishing third in the lone season back with the Citroën team. He moved to Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT before the 2020 season and won the two titles in 2020, and 2021 season while driving a Toyota Yaris WRC. Since the 2022 season, he has been competing in select rallies with the Toyota team.

Reader's Guide

Ogier's rally career began in 2005 when he won the French Federation's Rallye Jeunes and was rewarded with a place in the Peugeot 206 Cup for the following season. Teamed with co-driver Julien Ingrassia, he claimed a podium at Terre des Cardabelles and sixth place in the championship along with the Best Rookie award. In 2007, Ogier won the Peugeot 206 Cup with four victories (Diois, Langres, Causses, Touquet) and two second places (Alsace-Vosges, Limousin). He also won the Rallye Hivernal des Hautes-Alpes. In April 2007, he took part in his first regional rally (Rallye du Quercy) placing third overall in a Peugeot 206 XS. Ogier received the Espoir Echappement de l’année award, an honorific prize from professionals and fans, joining past winners Didier Auriol, François Delecour and Sébastien Loeb. In the 2008 season, Ogier moved to compete a full Junior World Rally Championship program, driving a Super 1600-class Citroën C2 for the Equipe de France FFSA team. Ogier debuted in the World Rally Championship at the 2008 Rally Mexico, winning first in the JWRC class, and becoming the first JWRC driver to take a WRC point thanks to his eighth place overall finish. He won again in Jordan: after a four-minute loss due to mechanical failure, he stormed back, eventually taking the victory when the leader went off the road. After this second successive win, Ogier retired from Rally Sardinia with a broken steering rod. However, he restarted thanks to the SupeRally rule and finished fifth. Ogier went on to take further junior category victory in Germany. He then dominated his class at Rally Catalunya scoring most of the best times, but went off the road during the last leg. After a cautious start at his home event, the Tour de Corse, Ogier clinched the Junior world champion title by placing second. After winning the JWRC title, Ogier was rewarded with his first World Rally Car drive in a Citroën C4 for Rally GB. He surprised the more experienced drivers by winning the first stage on the ice and taking a shock lead for his first WRC rally. With the advantage of his road position, he kept the lead until the fifth stage, before losing time with a mechanical trouble. He eventually crashed out from eighth place on day two. In January 2009, Ogier made a one-off appearance in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, contesting the Monte Carlo Rally.

Breakthroughs That Forged a Champion

Ogier's path to the summit was punctuated by moments that revealed his raw talent early. In 2008, driving a Citroën C2 in the Junior World Rally Championship, he became the first junior-class driver to score a WRC point, finishing eighth at Rally Mexico. That same year, he clinched the JWRC title by finishing second at his home Tour de Corse. His first taste of a full World Rally Car came at Rally GB, where he stunned the paddock by winning the opening stage on ice and leading the race until mechanical trouble forced him off. The 2009 Acropolis Rally brought his first WRC podium, a second-place finish behind Mikko Hirvonen. Then in 2010, at the Rally de Portugal, Ogier claimed his maiden WRC victory, a breakthrough that signaled his arrival among the sport's elite. By 2013, driving the Volkswagen Polo R WRC, he converted that momentum into his first world title, taking nine wins from just 13 events.

A Career Spanning Eras and Manufacturers

Ogier's professional journey stretches from his 2005 debut in French regional rallying to his current role with Toyota Gazoo Racing. He began by winning the French Federation's Rallye Jeunes, which earned him a seat in the Peugeot 206 Cup. In 2007, he dominated that series with four race wins and collected the Espoir Echappement de l'année award, joining the ranks of Didier Auriol, François Delecour, and Sébastien Loeb as recipients. His factory career has taken him through Citroën, Volkswagen, Ford, and Toyota, making him one of only two drivers in WRC history to win the world championship with three different manufacturers. With Citroën he built his foundations, with Volkswagen he achieved his six-year title streak, with Ford he added two more championships before a third-place finish in a return season, and with Toyota he captured back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021 in the Yaris WRC. Since 2022, he has selected individual rallies with the Toyota squad, extending a career that began nearly two decades ago.

Beyond the Gravel: A Multi-Discipline Athlete

Ogier's competitive appetite extends well beyond the WRC paddock. He has competed in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, where he claimed victory at the prestigious Monte Carlo Rally in 2009, and has also taken part in the Porsche Supercup. In 2011, he drove a Ferrari F430 Scuderia in the French GT Championship and appeared at the Race of Champions. His curiosity led him to the cockpit of a Red Bull Racing RB7 Formula One car for a test session in 2017, a rare crossover between the two motorsport disciplines. In 2022, he entered three races in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Richard Mille Racing Team, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. These forays into single-seaters, GT racing, and endurance sport illustrate a driver whose talent and hunger for competition are not confined to a single category, but span the full breadth of motorsport.

Gallery