Sebastian Ogier suggests that World Rally Championship leader Thierry Neuville should “stop complaining” and “focus on improving his driving skills on the road” after an eventful first day at the Acropolis Rally.
Ogier’s remarks towards the Hyundai driver came after the eight-time world champion won three of the six stages on the day, starting second behind Neuville. Ogier is now seen as Neuville’s main challenger for the championship title, just 27 points behind.
Competing in a limited schedule this season, Ogier will now participate in the remaining rounds to support Toyota’s manufacturers’ title aspirations and contend for his ninth drivers’ title.
Ogier’s strong performance on the rough gravel roads of Greece positioned him as the rally leader at midday ahead of Adrien Fourmaux from M-Sport-Ford, with Neuville in fifth place due to engine trouble in his i20 N Rally.
Although Neuville faced difficulties, Fourmaux’s retirement after stage four gave Ogier an 11.7s lead over Ott Tanak from Hyundai.
Ogier seemed on track to finish the day with the rally lead until his GR Yaris encountered a turbo failure similar to that of his teammate Elfyn Evans on the first stage.
As a result, Ogier dropped to fourth overall, trailing Tanak by 2m26.4s and Neuville by 1m41.2s.
While Ogier has previously spoken out about the challenges of opening the road, this season saw Neuville reignite the debate after leading the championship since the Monte Carlo opener.
Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Photo by: Toyota Racing
When asked about Evans’ turbo issue and whether the team considered changing the component on his car at midday, Ogier had some strong words for his rival.
“I didn’t know about Elfyn’s turbo issue, I just drove my race normally and felt good in the car until then. We did the best we could,” said Ogier.
“We showed that the championship leader is not as fast as expected, as he was first on the road and we were second, yet we gained 45 seconds in four stages. Maybe he should focus on improving his driving skills before complaining.
Toyota is still investigating the cause of Ogier’s turbo problem, which might be similar to Evans’ issue. Evans had to finish the first stage and the two following morning tests in road mode, losing nearly 10 minutes altogether.
Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Photo by: Toyota Racing
“With Elfyn, we know the root cause, but with Seb at the moment, we assume it’s something similar. Until we have the parts, we can’t be certain. It appears to be a turbo charger issue,” said Toyota technical director Tom Fowler.
“It’s a major disappointment because after a strong performance in Finland, we were unable to capitalize on it. Similarly, it seems like we won’t capitalize on the potential performance of both the car and the drivers here,” he added.
Team principal Jari-Matti Latvala is uncertain if the failure is due to faulty components, but he revealed that the team couldn’t change Ogier’s turbo during midday service due to delays caused by accidents.
“This morning, we changed the turbo for Elfyn Evans, but we couldn’t do the same for Seb due to time constraints. Unfortunately, it broke down,” Latvala explained.
Despite Hyundai’s strong position (1-2-3) heading into Saturday, Latvala emphasized the need for patience, as unexpected issues can arise. The challenging conditions of heat and rough terrain put a strain on the cars.
