OGIER: GUEST DRIVERS NOT WELCOME IN WRC
The new champion says one-off appearances must be rethought
World Rally Championship stars Sebastien Ogier and Thierry Neuville have called for changes to the rules to avoid ‘guest’ drivers taking points and potentially interfering with the direction of the title.
In recent years Kris Meeke and Sebastien Loeb have taken wins while not competing in the full year and Ogier feels that has to end.
Ogier told Motorsport News: “I have said this before, but I say it again: we are the most guest-friendly motorsport in the world. The guests enjoy to come with us and, most of the time, they select the rallies they come to [to win].
“Thierry said the same and I think all of the top drivers who are doing a full championship are in agreement about this.
“It is frustrating to see guys come to a few selected rallies where they know they have a huge advantage and put us in the shadow. That’s frustrating, for sure. I would just mention that I don’t want to be in this situation.”
There is, of course, an irony in that Ogier’s desire to put a stop to part-programmes would inhibit Citroen’s ability to bring Loeb back for a repeat of his three-round effort this year.
Ogier was quick to point out this is nothing personal against his countryman.
“Believe me,” said Ogier, “I would be very happy to have him with us full time in the championship again.”
Asked if he had discussed the matter of a Loeb programme with his future employer at Citroen, Ogier replied: “I haven’t said anything against Seb, but I told them I don’t think it’s normal that we have drivers doing only a few rallies. This is not especially against him [Loeb], it’s just that he is the best of the guest drivers. For sure, I mention I don’t think it’s normal to give such a position to the guest [driver].”
While Citroen team principal Pierre Budar is not in a position to confirm whether his team will run a third C3 WRC or not next season, he would not rule out a possible part-time programme for Loeb or another driver in 2019.
“I don’t think we should say they shouldn’t be allowed,” Budar told MN. “We can see how positive it is for the championship to have some guest stars coming in. On our position, we will have clear target next year and we have to make all the decision not to interfere with this target. If we have some drivers coming in one time during the championship, we have to make sure it will not interfere with our top drivers doing the full season. Next year, we have to fight for a championship, it will be difficult and I don’t want to make it more difficult for ourselves.
“If we bring drivers, we have to properly select a rally where they come in, maybe it’s on Tarmac. There are several ways to do this properly and this is something we have to manage.”
Budar categorically denied there was any kind of contractual issue with Loeb returning to drive a Citroen next season.
Neuville sympathised with Ogier, but put forward a more straightforward solution.
The Belgian said: “They should drive in the front, [on] Tarmac and gravel. If you come and you are not the driver doing all of the rounds of the championship then you should go first on the first day of the rally. For me in Spain, it would have been much easier for me to have been fighting with Ogier if we would have him [Loeb] and also [Ken] Block at the front. It’s ridiculous: we are fighting for the championship, but we are looking stupid when you are driving so fast, but just cleaning all of the time. Let them go to the front and do this job.”