Newly-crowned World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier is determined to help Volkswagen to secure the Manufacturers title at the 2016 Dayinsure Wales Rally GB.
Having secured the driver’s title last time out in Spain, Ogier shouldn’t have any pressure to achieve a good result on the rally which he has won the past three years.
Yet Ogier knows a top three finish result will secure VW’s fourth straight WRC Manufacturer’s Championship in a row.
To clinch the crown, VW needs a 43-point lead over nearest rivals Hyundai, who are currently 62 points off the top spot.
His team-mates, Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen will also play their part as VW aims for its eleventh title in three years.
Ogier and this event have a lot of history. He made his WRC début here in 2008 and led Rally GB after the first stage.
For the past three years, Ogier and the Volkswagen Polo R WRC have proven to be the winning combination in Wales and is delighted to be back at such an iconic rally.
“I am very happy to travel to the Rally Great Britain as world champion. However, I remain just as motivated, as we also want to defend the Manufacturers’ title for Volkswagen.
“The Wales Rally GB is one of the rallies that is the most steeped in history The fans are absolutely crazy, as thousands of spectators turned out to cheer us on every year, despite the poor weather. I am particularly looking forward to that.”
Despite his recent success, he admits that it is a very difficult rally to master.
“It took me a while to find my feet in Wales. The learning process was probably longer here than at any other rally. After everything I’ve been through in Wales, I can now say that I feel right at home here.”
The 2016 Wales Rally GB kicks off on Thursday 27 October and finishes on Sunday 30 October 2016.
