How WRC legend Ogier will be remembered by his peers

Sebastien Ogier has earned plenty of plaudits during a period of World Rally Championship dominance that has now yielded eight world titles. But the Frenchman admits it’s the praise from his peers that “you cherish” the most.

Ogier signed off his full-time WRC career in style by winning Rally Monza last weekend, sealing his eighth title to add to triumphs in 2013-2018 and 2020. While the Frenchman is expected to compete in selected rallies next year, the familiar sight of him fighting for another world title will now be consigned to the history books.

PLUS: How Ogier emerged out of Loeb's shadow to form his own WRC legend

To understand the legacy Ogier will leave the WRC, and the secrets behind his success, Autosport spoke to those that have watched the 37-year-old’s career closely.

Sebastian Loeb - Nine-time WRC champion, Ogier’s 2011 Citroen team-mate

Loeb praises Ogier's Fangio-like ability to put himself in the right car at the right time

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

Statistically the WRC’s greatest, Sebastien Loeb is the benchmark for all wannabe rally drivers, having won a record nine world titles and 79 WRC rallies.

Ogier has been compared against his compatriot throughout his career, which can perhaps be unfair give they competed in largely different eras. Loeb won all his title in a dominant Citroen from 2004-2012, while Ogier’s success has come driving for three different manufacturers in Volkswagen, M-Sport Ford and Toyota.

Loeb believes Ogier developed his own style that has guided him to success, picking out his talent for consistency and shrewd decision-making in ensuring he had the best equipment possible as among the secrets of his success.

“I don’t think he learned from me,” says Loeb. “He has his own style, a very efficient style. When I started, it started to be like this [smoother, less oversteer], and now with the new cars maybe less. He has the style to do it properly.

“He changed teams and cars, but he still had all the time maybe the best car. I would say with Citroen I had also for a big part of my career the best car. That’s for sure important. He made some good choices. When he went to Toyota, it was not so clear that is the best car to go to, but he made the job and now he has won with them.

“What makes him consistent is I think he is also the best in the fact that he believes he is not leaving the rallies without points. Overall, at the end of the season, he is the best.”

Petter Solberg - 2003 World Rally Champion

Solberg considers Ogier "the complete package"

Photo by: Sutton Images

Like Loeb, Petter Solberg’s career only partially overlapped the beginning of Ogier’s spell in the WRC. The 2003 world champion competed against Ogier in his own private Citroen C4 and DS3 (2010-2011) and with Ford in 2012. In recent years, the Norwegian has remained close to the WRC watching on from the outside while assisting the rise of his son Oliver into the category.

Reflecting on Ogier’s achievements, Solberg argues the eight-time champion is the “total package”. He believes that Ogier can extract what he wants from cars, is motivated to succeed and has been partnered with the ultimate professional co-driver in Julien Ingrassia.

“He is super-motivated,” says Solberg. “When he wants something in the car or whatever, and it is easy to say things are shit or I want something else, he can explain really well why he wants things.

“He has a very nice driving style. The combination [is perfect] with his co-driver Julien Ingrassia, who is also really professional, fit and motivated. He has this winning feeling and is a kind person. The human being is as important as being a world champion, as you have a lot of young drivers looking up to you. He is the total package.

“He is demanding of course and not everybody likes it again when you are demanding. But you only want the best for the team to get the results. When Loeb was at Citroen, they were unbeatable. They were the best. I can see why, they had all the things to get there as a package with Sebastien.

“Who is the best? It is hard to say. I think both of them are just really good drivers and I must say the co-drivers are as important, we cannot forget them. Ogier won the world championship with different manufacturers, so there is a bit more credit towards Ogier.”

Michele Mouton - 1982 WRC runner-up

Mouton praises Ogier's savvy ability to know when to push and when to take it easy

Photo by: Sutton Images

Michele Mouton never won a world championship, but came close in 1982 by finishing as runner-up to Walter Rohrl. She will always have a place in rallying’s hall of fame for her achievements - driving for Fiat, Audi and Peugeot, during the 1970s and the fearsome Group B era of the 1980s.

Mouton has watched Ogier’s career with keen interest, as a regular of the WRC service park through her role as the championship’s safety delegate, and says the characteristic that places Ogier above the rest is his ability to know when to push and when to concede.

“He is a fantastic driver and you are not an eighth-time champion for nothing,” says Mouton. “He is a fantastic driver and he knows how to drive on all the surfaces.

“I think he has a clever way of analysing the situations for when it is important to push and when it is a case of limiting mistakes.”

Jari-Matti Latvala - former VW team-mate, rival and Ogier’s team boss at Toyota

Latvala, mid-champagne shower at Monza, believes Ogier lifted the level of everybody around him

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

Jari-Matti Latvala is perhaps among the best qualified to lift the lid of the secrets that make Ogier so special, having been his team-mate, rival and team boss. Latvala was pitched alongside Ogier for four years at Volkswagen, as Ogier took four consecutive championships with the marque from 2013-2016.

While Ogier enjoyed back-to-back titles for the semi-works M-Sport Ford squad in 2017 and 2018, the Finn then witnessed him from afar at Toyota, before taking over from Tommi Makinen as team boss at the Japanese marque prior to this season - admitting that watching the Frenchman from this different perspective made him realise why he never won a world championship.

He agrees with Loeb and Mouton's thoughts about Ogier’s impressive intelligence to analyse situations, which has proved crucial in winning title after title. Latvala also insists Ogier’s approach has helped his rivals lift their own skill sets over the years, making the championship even more competitive.

“For me, when you say the name Sebastien Ogier, the first thing that comes to my mind is that he is the hardest head-to-head fighter we have ever seen in the rally world,” Latvala says.

“He gets this spark when he is under pressure and, when he is fighting, he seems to get more energy for these moments. I would say he has lifted up the level of all the other drivers in the championship. If you can beat Ogier in a head-to-head fight, you have to be really really good.

“I would say he is really smart. He knows himself and he can listen to himself and if he feels the day is going to be a good day he can push to the limit.

“He also knows that if it is not going to be the best day he can accept it and take the fifth place or fourth place for the championship. That is what makes him really good because he is always thinking ahead about the whole picture.”

Richard Millener - Ogier's team boss at M-Sport Ford from 2017-2018

M-Sport holds fond memories of Ogier from his back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018

Photo by: Sutton Images

In the eye of M-Sport team principal Richard Millener, Ogier is the best driver to have ever driven in the WRC. That is a big claim to make. But like Latvala, Millener oversaw Ogier guide the 2017 generation Ford Fiesta to a world title in the first year of the new regulations, which he then backed up the following season.

Millener says Ogier’s success in the WRC will live long in the memory, having come through some of the championship's toughest title fights against the likes of Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak.

“The way he drives and his very consistent approach is partially responsible for why he is so successful,” says Millener. “In terms of his input in the championship, for me he is the best driver to have ever driven in the WRC.

“When you look at the fights he has had to win his championships, I think they have been some of the most difficult in the history of the WRC.

"It was a pleasure to work with the guy and be involved in two title fights with him, and for sure his memory will live on into a very long time into the future.”

Ogier's success means he will be regarded as a true WRC great

Photo by: Toyota Racing