WRC part-timer Sébastien Ogier tops 2023 championship table
Victory in Rally Mexico means Ogier now leads the 2023 WRC title race — despite already missing a round
Ogier put the boot into his WRC rivals in Mexico
Toyota gazoo racing
Sébastien Ogier reminded the World Rally Championship what it’s missing out on by his insistence on only competing part-time as he dominated to score a record-breaking seventh victory on Rally Mexico.
The result has lifted the eight-time WRC king to the top of the points standings, despite Ogier having only competed in two of the three rounds this season. He also won the Monte Carlo Rally in January for a record ninth time.
The Toyota ace is three points ahead of Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, who caught and beat Elfyn Evans to second place in Mexico. But is there any hope Ogier might be enticed to pitch for a ninth title and equal the tally set by former nemesis Sébastien Loeb? After his win, he revealed he’ll also compete on the asphalt stages of Rally Croatia on April 20-23, which wasn’t expected. Ogier vs Neuville vs reigning champion Kalle Rovanperä vs M-Sport Ford’s Rally Sweden winner Ott Tänak, across a full season, would be a juicy prospect.