Ingrassia not giving up on WRC title dream

Sebastien Ogier’s co-driver Julien Ingrassia has said their victory on ADAC Rallye Deutschland two weeks ago has given them hope that they can still capture their first world championship title this season.

Ogier and Ingrassia are now 25 points behind Citroen team-mates Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, who finished second in Germany, with four rounds remaining, starting with next week’s mainly gravel-based Rally Australia in Coffs Harbour.

Speaking to WRC.com following their victory in Trier, Ingrassia said: “We are not fixated by the championship but mathematically it’s still possible so we will try. We love it on gravel because there is so much good feeling. It’s a new event so everything is in our hands. We know that on new events we are not so bad so this is an opportunity to continue.”

Ogier, whose victory was his first on asphalt at world level, said: “We are still quite far away from Seb, who still has a very comfortable lead, but with four rallies to go, there is still a mathematical chance, and as long as the chance is there, we will keep fighting.”

Loeb’s has only won once in Australia, triumphing in 2004 at the wheel of a Citroen Xsara WRC when the event was based in Perth. He crashed out of the lead in 2005 but was a non-starter in 2006 after he broke bones in his right shoulder falling off his mountain bike while training.

He was first on the road in 2009 in a C4 WRC but was demoted to second when he was handed a time penalty when post-event technical checks revealed an infringement. Ogier has only competed on Australian soil on one previous occasion when he claimed fifth overall in 2009 after going fastest on all six runs through the asphalt superspecial in Murwillumbah.

Rally Australia takes place from 8-11 September and counts as round 10 of the 13-event WRC season.