Ogier: 2019 looks set to be his last year in WRC

As far as the World Rally Championship is concerned, the end is nigh for five-time title winner Sebastien Ogier.

OK, it’s near, but not quite here. If the Frenchman signs a new deal to stay in rallying next year it will, he says, be his last.

Ogier has made single-season deals with M-sport to lead its Ford-based attack for the past two years, and the Cumbrian firm remains at the forefront of his negotiations for 2019. But Citroen’s bid to bring back a driver once seen by some in Versailles as the black sheep of the flock is gathering pace.

Some of the service park’s wilder speculation in Germany last weekend even priced a potential Citroen deal at €10million, an agreement that would top anything the firm paid for Sebastien Loeb.

Predictably, nobody in red was willing to confirm numbers – or even that there had been an offer made to Ogier. All team principal Pierre Budar would say is that Citroen’s in the market for a driver to help it take the title in 2019. “I cannot tell you anything,” said Budar. “We are talking and the discussions are still going on [with Ogier] and that’s all I will say.”

Ogier, who handles his own negotiations, wouldn’t be drawn on specifics either.

“It’s clear that I’m coming towards the end of my career,” he said, “and if there’s another contract it’ll be the last one. I’m lucky to have had good years with some good victories – it’s not about the money for me. Like always, the first priority will be the performance and the chance to chase more wins next season.”

Autosport understands that Hyundai and Toyota are putting more weight on re-signing their current stars than trying to attract the 43-time world rally winner.