SÉBASTIEN OGIER

Fotografija / Photo: Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool

GOSPODIN SAVRŠENI MR. PERFECT

Sedmerostruki svjetski relijaški prvak Francuz Sébastien Ogier pobjednik je prvog izdanja Croatia Rallyja Seven-time world rally champion, Frenchman Sébastien Ogier is the winner of the first edition of the Croatia Rally

Od 2004. reli je igra u kojoj uvijek pobjeđuju Francuzi, da parafraziramo legendarnu izjavu Garyja Linekera izrečenu nakon ispadanja Engleske u polufinalu Svjetskog prvenstva u nogometu. Izuzev 2019. godine kada je naslov osvojio Estonac Ott Tänak, posljednjih 16 od 17 titula svjetskog prvaka pripalo je vozačima koji se zovu Sébastien. Francusku je revoluciju započeo Sébastien Loeb s devet uzastopnih naslova, a potom je nastavio Sébastien Ogier. Since 2004, rally has been a race in which the French always win, to paraphrase Gary Lineker's legendary statement made when England footballers lost the World Cup semi-finals. Apart from 2019, when the title was won by Estonian Ott Tänak, 16 of the last 17 world titles went to drivers named Sébastien. The ‘French Revolution’ was started by Sébastien Loeb, who won nine titles in a row, and was continued by Sébastien Ogier.

Fotografija / Photo: Uroš Modlic

Kraljevsku disciplinu autosporta u travnju 2021. godine prvi je put ugostila i Hrvatska, a prvi pobjednik Croatia Rallyja postao je – pogađate, Sébastien Ogier. U intenzivnom finišu napetom poput trilera Francuz je osvojio hrvatski reli s nevjerojatnih 0,6 sekunda prednosti ispred momčadskog kolege u Toyoti Elfyna Evansa nakon tri dana spektakularne akcije na cestama u impresivnom krajoliku Karlovačke, Krapinsko-zagorske i Zagrebačke županije te Grada Zagreba. Čini se da je stvarno sve bilo blizu do nekoliko posljednjih metara. Možda nam je posljednja pogreška Elfyna donijela pobjedu, ali tijekom vikenda je cijela momčad napravila nevjerojatan posao. Završilo je jako blizu, ali pobjednik može biti samo jedan. Naravno, emocije su nam sada došle do izražaja, a vikend u Hrvatskoj je za nas bio poput ludog tobogana zbog puknute gume i problema uoči posljednjeg dana relija. Da budem iskren, bilo mi je drago ostati u utrci. Zbog emocija se i bavimo relijem, poručio je Ogier nakon pobjede u Hrvatskoj koja mu je bila 51. u bogatoj karijeri. Odlučan, nemilosrdan, taktički pronicljiv s hladnokrvnošću kirurga i refleksima kobre, 38-godišnji Sébastien Ogier je od djetinjstva bio 'zaražen' oktanima. Otac mu je bio veliki obožavatelj pokojnog Ayrtona Senne, a ujak vozač autocrossa, pa je mali Seb prvo redao krugove u kartingu, a potom je prešao u reli. Osvojio je FFSA Rallye Jeunes 2005., natjecanje za mlade talente, što mu je osiguFor the first time, the royal discipline of motor sport was hosted by Croatia in April 2021, and the first winner of the Croatia Rally became – you guessed it – Sébastien Ogier. In an intense and a nail-biting finish, the Frenchman won the Croatian Rally with a whopping 0.6 seconds ahead of Elfyn Evans, his teammate in Toyota, after three days of spectacular action taking place on roads in the stunning countryside of Karlovac, Krapina-Zagorje, and Zagreb counties as well as in the City of Zagreb. - It looks like it really went close, up to the last metres. Maybe the last mistake from Elfyn handed us the win, but over the weekend the whole team has done an amazing job. The finish was very close, but there can only be one winner. Of course, the emotion for us now is super-strong. This weekend in Croatia has been a crazy rollercoaster for us, between the puncture and the issue just before the start of the last day of the rally. I was glad to still be in the race, honestly. I guess we do this sport for these emotions, said Ogier following the win in Croatia, the 51st in his successful career. Determined, ruthless and tactically astute, with a presence of mind of a surgeon and reflexes of a cobra, 38-year-old Sébastien Ogier was bitten by a racing bug at an early age. His father was a big fan of the late Ayrton Senna, and his uncle was an autocross driver, so little Seb first did laps in go-karts and then crossed to rallying. He won the 2005 FFSA’s Rallye Jeunes, a talent spotting event, which

Fotografija / Photo: Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool

Glad za pobjedama, naslovima i općenito uspjesima teško se može smanjiti ili nestati kod vrhunskih sportaša. Kada je u vašem DNA ugrađena strast i želja za natjecanjem, borbom, kada ne volite gubiti, pokušavat ćete što dulje ostati na vodećoj poziciji.

In top athletes, the desire to win races and titles and to achieve success in general can hardly weaken or disappear. When passion and desire to compete and to fight is in your DNA, when you don't like losing, you will try to stay in a leading position for as long as possible.

ralo mjesto u Peugeot 206 Cupu u kojem je u roku od dvije godine osvojio francusko prvenstvo. Već 2008. u prvom izlasku na svjetsku scenu osvaja naslov u junior WRC-u, već iduće godine dobiva priliku među velikim dečkima – u pravom WRC automobilu. Od 2013. neprikosnoveni je vladar relija, osim već spomenute Tänakove 2019. godine. Ukupno sedam naslova u tri različita automobila priskrbila su mu epitet jednog od najboljih vozača svih vremena i kralja Monte Carla, relija na kojem je pobjeđivao rekordnih osam puta u pet različitih automobila.

Što je potrebno da biste bili konstantno uspješni u ovako konkurentnom sportu kao što je reli?

- Reli je prije svega momčadski sport. Dakle, trebate doći u priliku voziti za vrhunsku momčad koja može napraviti konkurentan automobil i među sjajno organizirane ljude koji će vam pružiti podršku za pobjedu. Vrlo je bitna ta sinergija momčadi i vozača jer momčad bez dobrog vozača ne postiže ništa, kao što ni sam vozač bez vrhunski posložene momčadi neće postati svjetski prvak. Važno je nakon svakog testa, nakon svake odvožene etape, svakog završenog relija zapitati se kako možeš biti još bolji. Uvijek si postavljam to pitanje. To je jednostavno moj način rada. secured him a driving seat in the Peugeot 206 Cup, where he won the French championship within two years. As early as 2008, in his world championship debut, he clinched the Junior World Rally Champion title, and the following year he was offered a place among the big boys – in a real WRC car. Since 2013, he has been the undisputed ruler of rally racing, except for the already mentioned Tänak’s win in 2019. A total of seven titles in three different cars scored him the epithet of one of the best drivers of all time and the title of King of Monte Carlo, the rally where he has won a record eight times in five different cars.

Fotografija / Photo: Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool

What does it take to be consistently successful in a sport as competitive as rally?

- Rally is first and foremost a team sport. It means that you need a chance to drive for a top team that can make a competitive car and to be among a group of highly organised individuals who will support you in your quest to win. This synergy between the team and the driver is very important because a team without a good driver will achieve nothing, just as a driver without a topnotch team will not become a world champion. After each test, after each stage, after every rally completed, it is important to ask yourself how you can be even better. I always ask myself that question. It's just the way I do things.

What is your motivation after seven championship titles?

- What I can tell you for sure is that you feel the greatest excitement when you are about to win your first title, but in top athletes, the desire to win races and titles and to achieve success in general can hardly weaken or disappear. When passion and desire to compete and to fight is in your DNA, when you don't like losing, you will try to stay in a leading position for as long as possible. A large number of rally races and wins gives you the possibility

Kako se motivirate nakon sedam osvojenih naslova prvaka?

- Ono što vam sigurno mogu reći je da najveće uzbuđenje osjećate kada ste u prilici osvojiti prvi naslov, no glad za pobjedama, naslovima i općenito uspjesima teško se može smanjiti ili nestati kod vrhunskih sportaša. Kada je u vašem DNA ugrađena strast i želja za natjecanjem, borbom, kada ne volite gubiti, pokušavat ćete što dulje ostati na vodećoj poziciji. S većim brojem relija i pobjeda stječete iskustvo koje vam pomaže da se nadogradite i postanete još bolja verzija sebe. Relijaška karijera je poput vina. Što ste stariji, to ste bolji jer ste proživjeli neke situacije i imate spreman odgovor na izazove koji vas čekaju.

Vi i vaš suvozač Julien Ingrassia na glasu ste kao perfekcionisti. Jeste li oduvijek bili 'Gospodin Savršeni'?

- Mnoge momčadi za koje sam vozio spominju taj aspekt. Ponekad znamo biti malo teški jer smo vrlo zahtjevni prema ljudima, ali smo isto tako zahtjevni i prema sebi. Želimo da svaki dio naše momčadi bude poput dobro uhodanog stroja. Isto tako, želimo imati najbolji mogući alat za pobjedu, a to znači da automobil mora biti vrhunski pripremljen. Da, što se toga tiče, Julien i ja smo perfekcionisti. Ništa ne prepuštamo slučaju ni nakon pobjeda, uvijek se trudimo raditi i vidjeti što možemo učiniti bolje za sljedeći reli to gain experience that helps you improve and become an even better version of yourself. A rally career is like wine. The older you get, the better you are because you have experienced certain situations and you are ready to rise up to the challenges that await you.

You and your co-driver, Julien Ingrassia, have a reputation of being perfectionists. Have you always been 'Mr Perfect'?

- Many teams I've driven for mention that aspect. Sometimes we can be a bit difficult because we are very demanding of people, but we are also demanding of ourselves. We want every part of our team to run like clockwork. We also want to have the best possible tool to win, and that means that the car must be at the top of its game. Yes, as far as that is concerned, Julien and I are perfectionists. We leave nothing to chance even after we have won a victory; we never stop working and we discuss what we can do better in the next rally, and I think this is the best way to stay on top and to remain competitive in world championships.

Ponekad znam biti malo težak jer sam vrlo zahtjevan prema ljudima, ali isto sam tako zahtjevan i prema sebi. Želim da svaki dio momčadi bude poput dobro uhodanog stroja. Isto tako, želim imati najbolji mogući alat za pobjedu, a to znači da automobil mora biti vrhunski pripremljen.

Sometimes I can be a little difficult because I'm very demanding of people, but I'm also demanding of myself. I want every part of the team to run like clockwork. I also want to have the best possible tool to win, and that means that the car must be at the top of its game.

Fotografija / Photo: Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool

Fotografija / Photo: Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool Fotografija / Photo: Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool

i mislim da je to najbolji način da ostanemo na vrhu i da ostanemo konkurentni na svjetskom prvenstvu.

Kada ste već spomenuli različite momčadi, imali ste priliku voziti za tvorničke momčadi Citroëna, Toyote i Volkswagena i za privatnike kao što je M-Sport Ford. Možete li to usporediti?

- Iako je prelazak iz tvorničke u privatnu momčad velika promjena što se tiče organizacije i resursa, svaka nova situacija u životu donosi neko novo iskustvo koje te na kraju obogaćuje. Upoznao sam puno novih ljudi i na kraju sam bio vrlo sretan što se to dogodilo, a s privatnom sam momčadi osvojio i dva naslova prvaka. Usput sam naučio neke potencijalno loše situacije preokrenuti u svoju korist. Sada vozim za Toyotu gdje imam priliku raditi sa svojim herojem iz djetinjstva Tommijem Mäkinenom, pa mogu reći kako mi se i taj san ostvario.

Što mislite o hibridizaciji koja dolazi u reli s novim pravilima 2022. godine?

- Volim prirodu i činjenica je da je svijet suočen s velikim problemima, a to znači da i automobilistička industrija mora poduzeti neke korake u tom smjeru. I to se događa. Uvode se nove tehnologije, a reli ovim potezom pokazuje kako slijedi promjene u društvu.

Najavili ste kako vam je ovo posljednja sezona u reliju. Znači li to da vaš imenjak Sébastien Loeb ostaje na vrhu s devet osvojenih naslova?

- Iskreno, taj podatak meni ništa ne znači. To je obična brojka. Postigao sam u karijeri i više nego što sam se ikada nadao da ću postići i radimo ono što volim. Naravno, uvijek želite više, no postoji još toliko stvari koje želim raditi u životu. Isto tako, dat ću sve od sebe da iz relija odem kao pobjednik. Trenutačno nemam nikakvih drugih planova, osim ove sezone. Istina je da sam oduvijek želio probati kružne utrke, a posebno Le Mans.  Speaking of different teams, you have had the opportunity to drive both for the factory-backed teams of Citroën, Toyota and Volkswagen and for privately run teams such as M-Sport Ford. Can you compare them?

- Although the transition from a factory team to a private one is a big change in terms of organisation and resources, each new situation in life brings a new experience that will eventually enrich your life. I met a lot of new people and in the end, I was very happy that this happened. I won two championship titles with this private team. Along the way, I learned to turn some potentially bad situations to my advantage. Now I drive for Toyota, where I have the opportunity to work with my childhood hero Tommi Mäkinen, so I can say that that dream has come true.

What do you think of hybridisation coming into rally with the new rules in 2022?

- I love nature and the fact is that the world is facing big problems, which means that the motor-racing industry has to take some steps in that direction as well. And that's what's happening. New technologies are being introduced, and by this move, the world of rally is showing that it is following the changes in society.

You've announced that this is your final season in rally. Does this mean that your namesake Sébastien Loeb stays on top with nine titles won?

- Honestly, that information means nothing to me. It's just a number. In my career, I've accomplished more than I ever hoped to achieve, and I do what I love. Of course, you always want more, but there are so many other things I want to do in life. Also, I will do my best to leave rally victorious. I don't have any plans at the moment, except for this season. The truth is, I've always wanted to try circuit races, especially Le Mans. 