After five years, Ogier’s South American challenge resumes

The Frenchman’s last outing on the continent was his second-place finish on Rally Chile Bio Bío's 2019 debut in the series, driving a Citroën C3 World Rally Car (pictured below). He looks back fondly on his last visit to Concepción.

He said: “I didn’t go to Chile last year, but my memories from 2019 are of a nice event with stages that are enjoyable to drive, as well as a good atmosphere like we often have when we go to South America. So I’m happy to go back there.

“There will be a mix of some sections I know and some that will be new for me, but I’m never afraid of that challenge. Recently our pace has been pretty strong and we’ve been scoring higher than our rivals on average, and I hope we can carry that on.”

Looking back to EKO Acropolis Rally Greece earlier this month, Ogier admitted to frustrations at the Lamia-based event. He had been on course to finish second overall behind championship leader Thierry Neuville before rolling in the Wolf Power Stage.

“Our challenge in Greece didn’t end in the way we were hoping and the gaps in both championships moved in the wrong direction,” said Ogier. “But we won’t give up and we’ll keep giving our best in these last three rounds of the season because things can still turn around.”