Sebastien Ogier Set to Return to WRC Action in Latvia After Reconnaissance Crash
In a surprise turn of events, eight-time World Rally Championship (WRC) champion Sebastien Ogier has been declared fit to compete in the upcoming WRC rally in Latvia, following a reconnaissance crash that forced him to withdraw from Rally Poland last month.
Ogier, along with his co-driver Vincent Landais, was involved in a road traffic accident while preparing pacenotes for Rally Poland, which resulted in the Frenchman spending a night in the hospital and wearing a neck brace upon his discharge. Fortunately, both Ogier and Landais escaped serious injury.
Toyota has now confirmed that Ogier and Landais are fit to compete in Latvia, which was recently added to the 40-year-old’s partial WRC campaign. The news comes after Ogier underwent further medical checks and was seen back behind the wheel of a Sebastien Ogier edition GR Yaris road car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last Thursday.
WRC 2023: Ogier’s Return Boosts Toyota’s Chances in Latvia
Ogier expressed his relief and excitement about returning to the WRC fold, saying:
“It was quite unfortunate what happened during our preparations in Poland. Now, after some rest and some good help from my medical team, I could recover pretty quickly and I’m looking forward to being back in a rally car in Latvia. The challenge of a new rally is generally something I like, and that’s one of the reasons we added this event to our programme.”
With Ogier’s return, Toyota will field a strong four-car line-up for the WRC’s first visit to Latvia, which includes full-time drivers Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta, as well as Kalle Rovanpera, who filled in for Ogier in Poland and went on to win the rally.
A total of 10 Rally1 cars are set to take part in the Latvia WRC rally, with Hyundai represented by championship leader Thierry Neuville, Ott Tanak, and Esapekka Lappi. M-Sport will enter three Ford Pumas, driven by Adrien Fourmaux, Gregoire Munster, and home hero Martins Sesks.
The WRC calendar 2023 continues to heat up, and with Ogier’s return, the competition is expected to be fiercer than ever. Stay tuned for the latest WRC news and updates from the Latvia rally.
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