Sebastien Ogier: Next World Rally Championship contract is my last
Reigning champion Sebastien Ogier will only make one more deal to drive in the World Rally Championship before he retires from the series
Ogier is in the middle of negotiations for next season and wants to conclude those talks before the end of next month.
The five-time WRC title-winner expects that deal will be his last in the series he has dominated for half a decade - and he may yet still choose to retire at the end of 2018.
"It's clear that I'm coming towards the end of my career, and if there's another contract, it'll be the last one," said 34-year-old Ogier.
"I'm lucky to have had good years with some good victories. It's not about the money for me.
"Like always, the first priority will be the performance and the chance to chase more wins next season."
Ogier appears to have three opportunities for 2019.
He could stay with the M-Sport Ford team for a third year, return to Citroen or walk away and retire from the WRC.
Beyond admitting the need for a driver capable of winning the championship, Citroen's Pierre Budar would not be drawn on 2019.
"I cannot tell you anything," he said. "We are talking [to Ogier] and the discussions are still going on and that's all I will say."
Citroen currently fields Craig Breen and Mads Ostberg as its primary drivers after dropping Kris Meeke mid-season.
The chances of Ogier moving to Hyundai or Toyota appear to have faded with both teams looking likely to retain their current line-ups.
Hyundai team manager Alain Penasse said keeping WRC points leader Thierry Neuville was the priority and he could not imagine pairing the current title rivals.
"We made it always very clear that Thierry is our first choice and to make Thierry stay we would be not so serious to talk about Ogier," Penasse told Autosport.
"For me, we are 99% done with Thierry and unless we see somebody coming with an offer to make him a multi-millionaire then I think it will be done."
Rally Japan gets go-ahead from WRC Promoter for 2019 event
WRC driver Sordo takes a podium on Rally Zlin in ERC one-off outing
Loeb to make WRC return at Acropolis Rally
Sebastien Loeb will return to the World Rally Championship to contest the Acropolis Rally for M-Sport in September.
WRC Finland: The Good, The Bad and an inspired Tanak
The World Rally Championship returned to rallying’s spiritual home in Finland where rally mad fans gathered to support their new home hero Kalle Rovanpera. While Rovanpera threw everything at trying to claim a home win, it was Hyundai’s Ott Tanak that delivered a stunning surprise win. Autosport reviews the highs, lows, turning points, close calls and heartbreak from Rally Finland
Gravel Notes Podcast: Rally Finland review and Tom's Toyota co-drive
Rally Finland produced a truly incredible World Rally Championship battle as Ott Tanak spoiled the homecoming for points leader Kalle Rovanpera.
Latvala: Hyundai WRC win on Toyota home soil a reminder to keep working
Ott Tanak's Rally Finland victory served a reminder that Toyota must continue to work on improving its World Rally Championship challenger, according to team boss Jari-Matti Latvala.
How Tanak spoiled Rovanpera’s Finnish homecoming
Kalle Rovanpera and Toyota went into Rally Finland as overwhelming favourites but came away as runners-up to a resurgent Ott Tanak and Hyundai. While it may have dampened the homecoming party, it still moved the Finn closer to the ultimate World Rally Championship prize
Inside Hyundai’s F1-spec mobile WRC home
Hyundai is one of the World Rally Championship's big three, and has a brand-new travelling facility befitting of that status. The team invited Autosport for a behind-the-scenes look at its state-of-the-art HQ, which comes complete with all the bells and whistles you'd expect of a top Formula 1 outfit
How Rovanpera's latest Estonia masterclass left his WRC rivals stumped
After trailing Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans for much of Rally Estonia's opening day, WRC points leader Kalle Rovanpera took advantage of a change in the weather and never looked back afterwards. Winning for a fifth time this year at the scene of his 2021 breakthrough, and with a breathtaking powerstage bonus for good measure, his advantage is already looking difficult to topple
How the WRC captures its stunning visuals
Whether it’s the mountains of Monte Carlo, the snow of Sweden or the Kenya Savannah, the World Rally Championship is able to beam some of motorsport’s most spectacular footage to television screens while operating in the harshest of environments. Autosport went behind the scenes to unearth the secrets that make this logistical challenge possible
Why WRC's Safari tour is more than just a rally
OPINION: A source of national pride in Kenya, the Safari Rally is also a sporting, cultural and economic phenomenon. And as last weekend's World Rally Championship round reminded us, it's a key driver in establishing Africa’s place in world motorsport
How Rovanpera tamed a wild Safari Rally
The Safari Rally acted as a brutal test of driver and car resolve as multiple retirements opened the path for a historic Toyota 1-2-3-4 triumph, headed by star Kalle Rovanpera. But keeping things clean was only half of the challenge, as a well-timed charge when conditions worsened allowed the Finn to take control
How Tanak turned the tables to deliver Hyundai a timely WRC triumph
The 2019 champion has been a bit-part player recently, but Ott Tanak ended a 15-month drought in fine style with a dominant win in Sardinia. On a weekend when championship leader Kalle Rovanpera struggled with cleaning the road, his Hyundai rival has made his belated arrival into the title race and given cause for those predicting a walkover from the Toyota star to pause
How Rovanpera overcame rallying royalty in Portugal to extend his WRC lead
Although the Rally Portugal entry list featured World Rally Championship royalty in Sebastiens Loeb and Ogier, victory was secured by rallying's rising star in Kalle Rovanpera. Here's the story of his 2022 hat-trick, as his key rivals faltered among the gravel and asphalt ahead of them