GRACIOUS IN DEFEAT

“WHAT A FIGHT AND WHAT A JOY TO MAKE THIS RALLY ONE WE WILL REMEMBER FOREVER”

Sebastien Ogier could easily have bemoaned the misfortune that denied him victory in Monte Carlo, but simply chose to take joy and pride in being part of one of the World Rally Championship’s greatest ever duels.

Ogier was hugely magnanimous in defeat to Sebastien Loeb and, like the hordes of fans watching on, even he had to marvel at what had unfolded. “What a fight and what a joy it was to make this rally one we will remember forever and one very special for me,” said Ogier. “OK, this weekend we have not come out as the winner, but I think we can definitely keep our head up and keep smiling because we have done the job and fate decided differently today.

“I’m still smiling and still enjoy this fight very much, so I have to say well done to Seb [Loeb] and [co-driver] Isabelle [Galmiche], it has been a pleasure to fight with them.”

Reflecting on his jumped-start penalty on the final stage, Ogier admitted: “Obviously they are the rules and if I moved before then I moved before. But maybe it is better I got the penalty because if I would have been 0.5s behind it would probably be harder to take.

“We gave everything we had right to the end. On the last start the engine started to sound differently like I was losing power on the line and I just moved the clutch a little bit and it moved the car a little bit. I think I really started with speed at the correct time but I moved before and that is the rules.”