Ogier judges WRC rules too generous with guests like Loeb

The starting order of the first day of the WRC rallies being determined by the positions in the championship, the leaders often inherit the worst conditions on earth while the drivers not performing the full season take advantage of roads swept by cars preceding.

The Citroën partial program in 2016 with Kris Meeke, who had two wins, drew strong criticism for this reason, while Sébastien Loeb, legend of the discipline, won in the third of his three starts with the French manufacturer this year.

Sébastien Ogier qualified the WRC "the world's most welcoming mechanical sport to guests" and stated that his rules allowed them to "choose the rallies" that they have the best chance of winning. "I think all the top riders doing a full championship agree with that, it's frustrating to see guys come in for a few select rallies, where they know they have a huge advantage, and put us in I do not want to be in this situation. "

Ogier will return to Citroën next year with Esapekka Lappi as a full-time teammate. Loeb for his part expressed some enthusiasm about possible additional punctures after his success in Catalonia, and the mark at the rafters claimed that the door was open to him.

When asked what his position on the guest pilots meant to Loeb, Ogier replied: "Believe me, I'd be very happy to have him back full-time in the championship – it's not especially against him, he's just the best driver on the road, I do not think it is normal to give such a position to the guest I do not say anything against Seb, but I said [à Citroën] that I do not think it's normal to have riders doing only a few rallies. "

One of Ogier's rivals for the 2018 world title, Thierry Neuville, is on the same line and believes that the guest drivers should always open the road. "It's ridiculous: we're fighting for the championship but we look stupid when we go so fast but we always clean up, let them go first and do this job."

Citroën does not want to make its mission even harder

Citroën team manager Pierre Budar, for his part, stressed the importance of guests such as Loeb for the WRC, while recognizing that it created complications. "I do not think it should be said that they should not be allowed", he said to Motorsport.com. "We can see how positive it is for the championship to have star guests."

"We'll have a clear goal next year, and if we have drivers who come once in the championship, we have to make sure that it does not interfere with our top riders doing the full season. we will have to fight for a championship, it will be difficult and I do not want to make it harder. "

"If we come with pilots [invités]it will be necessary to carefully select the rally where they will come, maybe it will be on the asphalt. There are many ways to do it properly and it's something we have to manage. "