Sebastien Ogier currently holds the runner-up spot on the World Rally Championship, but Petter Solberg is on a mission to take it from him on the final round of the year
Former World Rally Champion and four-time winner of Rally Great Britain Petter Solberg has warned the Citroen Junior Team’s Sebastien Ogier to watch out for his runner-up spot on the World Rally Championship in Britain next month.
Ogier is currently second in the series, 84 points behind Sebastien Loeb but only 11 points ahead of Ford’s Jari-Matti Latvala and 16 points in front of Solberg with just one round remaining.
“Ogier needs to be careful,” said Solberg after finishing second on the Catalunya Rally. “Myself and Jari-Matti are coming now, He’s not safe for second place in the championship, that’s for sure.”
The Frenchman missed the opportunity to consolidate his championship runner-up spot after breaking his suspension in Spain and coming home with just a solitary point for 10th.
Nonetheless, Ogier believes that he is still favourite to finish second in the final rankings. “All it means is that my job on Rally Great Britain has become a little harder, that’s all,” he said. “We’re still aiming to finish second in the championship and I think that’s an entirely realistic target.”
In Britain, Ogier will also be nominated to score manufacturer points for Citroen alongside Sebastien Loeb, but with the constructors’ title already wrapped up, there are unlikely to be any team orders.
Solberg will be bidding for his fifth victory on Wales Rally Great Britain, which he says is his best chance of wresting the championship runner-up spot from Ogier.
“Some people might laugh if I say that I absolutely think I can win the rally,” added the Norwegian. “But let them laugh. I have to think that way and believe I can still finish second in the championship.”