Automotive: winner at the Croatia Rally, Sébastien Ogier takes his first victory in 2024 and takes his 100th world podium

L'octuple champion du monde Sebastien Ogier a remporté sa première victoire en 2024 en Croatie. MAXPPP – Manrico Martella

A 40 ans, le Français Sébastien Ogier s'est offert dimanche en Croatie une 59e victoire et un 100e podium en championnat du monde des rallyes.

"Who would have thought it fifteen years ago?"  Speed ​​and patience are often the keys in rallying, and Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) was once again able to combine the two to beat the Briton from Toyota Elfyn Evans (+9.7 sec) and the Belgian from Huyndai Thierry Neuville (+45, 8 sec), who remain respectively 2nd and 1st in the championship after four meetings.

First success of the year

This is the first victory for the eight-time world champion in 2024 in two appearances after his second place in Monte-Carlo. The pilot was stranded in Sweden and Kenya. Fast throughout the weekend, Ogier was however a little less so than Neuville and Evans before attacking the last stage on Sunday and was 11.6 seconds behind. So we had to be patient. And it was during the 18th special out of 20 that everything was decided. Evans then Neuville made a mistake. Exits from the road were enough to lose the rally: Ogier then had a lead of around ten seconds. Crippling.

A nice number

"Very happy", Ogier knew how to "never give up& quot; to "maintain the pressure" on his opponents, he emphasized before getting on his 100th world podium: "a great number, that's for sure, (…) who could have imagined it fifteen years ago? It's nice to see that we're still fast!".

After his incident, Neuville spent the last two stages on the defensive, shaking, with the sole objective of reaching the finish line in a damaged car. It was then a question of bringing back the 18 points won on Saturday and valid only if he finished the rally.

Rescue operation successful. For Evans, second in the championship six points behind Neuville, the calculation was similar. Even if it means, for both, letting their lifelong nightmare slip away towards a new symbolic success. Neuville and Evans are still aiming for a first title at 35 years old. For the first, five times vice-champion, as for the second, three times runner-up, the way finally seems clear in 2024: Ogier and Kalle Rovanpera, the double reigning champion, have only one partial program.

First of the outsiders, Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux (M-Sport Ford) preserved his third place overall despite a mechanical failure on Sunday in the decidedly cursed 18th special. He made up for it by winning the Power stage and is still ahead of Ott Tanak (Hyundai). Ogier had already won in Croatia, in 2021. Three years later, this time he avoided another road accident between two special stages, followed by a small hit-and-run which cost him a trip to the local police station and a fine.