Citroen team boss Olivier Quesnel has backed Sebastien Ogier to return stronger from the crash that cost him a shot at victory on Rally Guanajuato Mexico last weekend.
Ogier was dicing with seven-time world champion and team-mate Sebastien Loeb when he left the road on Sunday’s first stage and damaged his DS3 WRC’s suspension to the extent he was unable to continue. He had been leading by 10.5s prior to the start of the stage.
While Quesnel said his young charge’s mistake was “stupid”, he made it clear that he wants to draw a line under the incident and let Ogier focus on preparing for Vodafone Rally de Portugal, round three of the world championship from 24-27 March.
“If he wants to be world champion he will never succeed if he’s still down,” said Quesnel following the finish of Rally Guanajuato Mexico in Leon last Sunday. “I said you were stupid but told him it’s done now and that tomorrow I want him back at the top. I prefer to speak for tomorrow and Sebastien also.”
Quesnel continued: “I am disappointed for him because at the end he lost many points and this is his problem. For the manufacturers’ championship it’s only the second rally so I am sure it is not too big a problem, but, for him it already starts to be a big problem [for the drivers’ championship].”
Ogier accepted the blame for the crash, which Quesnel admitted could have been caused by the pressure he was coming under from the advancing Loeb.
“He told me the corner where he went off there was a lot of gravel and he went out a bit of the line, found a stone and broke the wheel,” said Quesnel. “It could be pressure [that caused the accident], it could be a mistake or it could simply be many things. But it’s the job of the driver to drive with pressure and there will be plenty of more occasions when he has the pressure like it was today. When you rally you have pressure and [Ogier] has to be used to that.”
Ogier’s crash cancelled out a Citroen one-two in Mexico, which means the French firm now trails Ford in the manufacturers’ championship by 26 points.
Credit: World Rally Championship (www.wrc.com)
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