Ogier to make WRC return at Rally Portugal in third Toyota

Toyota has announced that the eight-time world champion will resume his reduced WRC programme at the 19-22 May event, jumping in the third GR Yaris entry that the Frenchman is sharing with Esapekka Lappi this year.

Ogier kicked off the new WRC Rally1 hybrid era piloting the third Yaris at the Monte Carlo season opener, where he finished second behind nine-time world champion Sebastien Loeb's M-Sport Ford after a thrilling rally long scrap with his countryman that was only decided late on by a puncture for Ogier.

Confirmation of Ogier’s return comes a week after M-Sport announced Loeb will also rejoin the team for Rally Portugal, potentially setting up another duel between the the two WRC legends on gravel.

Ogier will head into his first gravel event in the new hybrid GR Yaris sitting eighth in the championship after competing in only one of the three 2022 rallies to date.

The 38-year-old had indicated earlier this year that Portugal could feature as part of his limited campaign. The rally holds special memories for Ogier, who scored his maiden WRC win there for the Citroen Junior Team in 2010.

The event has also been chosen by the WRC to mark 50 years of the championship with a host of activities planned to celebrate the milestone.

The remaining WRC events of Ogier’s 2022 WRC schedule have yet to be revealed, although it is anticipated that he could contest up to five rallies this year around his circuit racing commitments.

Ogier pushed Loeb all the way on his last WRC appearance on January's Monte Carlo Rally

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Ogier has inked a deal to contest the full World Endurance Championship with LMP2 squad Richard Mille Racing. His campaign began at Sebring last month, where he finished 12th in class alongside team-mates Charles Milesi and Lilou Wadoux.

He will rejoin the squad for the second round of the championship at Spa-Francorchamps on 5-7 May.

The 2022 WEC calendar has two clashes with the WRC schedule, which will rule Ogier out of selecting September’s Acropolis Rally in Greece and the season ending trip to Japan in November.