Ogier remains optimistic about title bid

Ogier has spent longer on the podium than Evans this year, but the Welshman is the only driver to have won twice in 2020.

Ogier’s retirement from Turkey hit his title tilt hard but he’s only looking forward for the final two rounds of the season in Belgium and Italy.

“Two rallies to go,” said Ogier. “It’s easier to say than to do, but I just need to continue on this level of performance and confident some good things can still come for us.”

The Frenchman previously admitted he was frustrated by the last two rallies in Turkey and Italy, adding: “I feel at the moment a little bit [of] hard luck because that’s two rallies in a row where we are fastest.

“In Turkey we were leading the rally after five stages, three [stage] wins, and from that point unfortunately it turned out a lot of issues.

“Then in Sardinia we are best performer, but unfortunately we had to sweep the road for 40 per cent of the event and at the end of the weekend, let’s say the result doesn’t really show what we’ve done.

“Still, that’s why I feel quite OK, because, generally, I start to settle better and better into the Yaris. The performance is there, it’s just missed a little bit of luck to transform it into a great result, even though it’s not a bad result. So, a lot of positives to take from these last events.”

Ogier has been running second with two rounds remaining for the last couple of years. In 2018, he overturned a seven-point deficit to Thierry Neuville to lift title number six, but last year Ott Tänak’s 28-point advantage was too much and the Estonian ended the Frenchman’s run of success with one round remaining.