Defending champion Sebastien Ogier extended his lead of the World Rally Championship this weekend with a win at the second round of the season, Rally Sweden, in his Volkswagen Polo WRC.
But the win didn’t come easy for the Frenchman, title winner for the past two consecutive years, who only clinched victory in the final seconds of the event. Pressure came from Ogier’s Norwegian teammate Andreas Mikkelsen, who was leading the rally by three seconds going into the very final stage.
Unfortunately for Mikkelsen, who is still chasing his maiden WRC win, a mistake in the season’s only snow and ice event saw him plough into a snow bank 15 seconds from finishing. The 25-year old had to be pushed out by spectators to continue.
“We decided to go maximum on the last stage, really try to win. We started really well and then in the end I made a mistake, which was really devastating. We have never been so close to victory and I’m sure it won’t be too far away. The experience I got from fighting at the front and defending the lead was something completely new,” Mikkelsen admitted afterward.
Despite being stuck in the snow for a bit, Mikkelsen still managed to place third, rounding off the podium behind Belgian Thierry Neuville’s Hyundai i20 WRC. Overall, Ogier is now 23 points ahead of Neuville and Mikkelsen (who share second, for time being) in the championship standings.
“I arrived here with serious doubt that I could fight for the victory. I knew I would have to face difficult conditions so I decided to take all the risks and push from the first stage to the end. There were some small problems, of course, but we were driving at more than 100 percent all the time. I am incredibly proud of this win. It is certainly one of my best,” Ogier said.
The next round of the season happens from 5-8 March, Rally Mexico, It’s the first gravel event of the season and also the highest in terms of altitude.
