Citroen Total Racing World Rally Team’s Sébastien Ogier says he wants to show exactly what he and co-driver Julien Ingrassia can do after a tough Rally Sweden last month.
Rally Sweden last time out saw Ogier hit a snowbank on the Friday of the event before continuing to struggle with being the first car on the road thanks to his status at the time of being championship leader.
However, going into Rally Mexico next weekend, Ogier will have a more favourable position in the running order and the defending FIA World Rally Drivers’ champion wants to prove he is still one of the favourites for the title in 2019.
He said ahead of the gravel event: “After a tough Rally Sweden, where we weren’t able to express ourselves, I can’t wait to get started and realise our full potential. The stages are beautiful here but you do need to be careful on the afternoon loop, when it’s warmer.”
“The second passes are always hard on the cars, especially as the high altitude means not only reduced horsepower but can also cause issues with cooling.”
He added: “We had two good days of pre-event testing, on roads that were fairly representative of the kind of stages we’ll have to tackle this weekend. We were lucky with the weather during the tests, which was very warm, although obviously not quite as hot as in Mexico.”
Round three of the 2019 FIA World Rally Championship takes place next weekend between March 7-10.
