Citroen star Sebastien Ogier says his last-gasp victory on the Jordan Rally on Saturday has put him firmly back in the race for this year’s world crown.
The Frenchman made it two wins out of two when he edged Jari-Matti Latvala by two-tenths of a second in a thrilling finish in the Middle East, the closest in the history of the WRC.
With 25 points for winning the event and a further three bonus points in the bag for his capture of the rally-closing Power Stage, Ogier is now just five points adrift of seven-time champion and Citroen team-mate Sebastien Loeb in the title standings in third overall.
“It’s hardly believable to win the rally by such a tiny margin, but we’ve bagged the maximum amount of points with the Power Stage bonus,” said Ogier, who had feared the title would be a tall order following his crash on Rally Guanajuato Mexico in March. “That’s put us back in the title hunt and it augurs well the rest of the season.”
Citroen Racing chief Olivier Quesnel said: “Sebastien Ogier continues to surprise us! Three weeks after Portugal this victory is a really exceptional performance to which we should associate the DS3 WRC, which again put on a stunning display both in terms of speed and reliability.”
Loeb had started the Jordan Rally equal first with Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen in the drivers’ classification but his third place finish on the Dead Sea-based event means he has moved ahead of the Finn in the table, albeit by a scant two points heading to the next round, the all-gravel Rally d’Italia Sardegna from 5-8 May.
“We’re also delighted with Sebastien Loeb’s performance as he was in a tricky situation because of his position on the road,” added Quesnel. “This podium has put him in the lead in the drivers’ world championship, and that’s the most important thing.”
Credit: World Rally Championship (www.wrc.com)
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