WRC preview: Ogier faces a stern test in title defence

Anthony Fernandes 14:45 15/01/2014
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  • Tough test: Reigning champ Ogier faces stern challengers in his title defence.

    Sebastien Ogier will open the defence of his title when the first round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) begins in Monte Carlo on Thursday, and while he will battle it out with the usual suspects he also faces untested challengers with several new faces in the fray.

    Unpredictable weather is without doubt the biggest challenge that crews face in Monte Carlo, and although all the stages are run on asphalt, conditions from one kilometre to the next on each stage can change in the blink of an eye.

    Volkswagen is the only team that remains unchanged during the pre-season driver market upheaval which saw debutants Hyundai Shell WRT emerge as the team that benefitted the most.

    The two most talented drivers in Belgian; Thierry Neuville and Spaniard Dani Sordo left Qatar M-Sport WRT and Citroen Total Abu Dhabi respectively to drive for the South Korean car-maker.

    Neuville had a memorable season with the Qatar-sponsored team, finishing runner-up to Ogier, while Sordo had a miserable first half but returned energised after the midyear break and ended the season fifth overall. Neuville was never going to continue with his former employers and it came as no surprise that Hyundai picked him up.

    Sordo, on the other hand, would have stayed back at Citroen but was disgruntled after the Abu Dhabi-backed team sat him out following a miserable round in Sweden.

    And while both have the talent and potential to give Ogier a run for his money, we will have to wait and see how the untested Hyundai i20 performs against the known consistency of the Citroens and Fords.

    Ogier also faces a serious threat from two veterans in the business – Mikko Hirvonen, formerly of Citroen but now with M-Sport, and Mads Ostberg, once of Qatar MSport but now with Citroen.

    Hirvonen and Ostberg are like wounded animals having both been considered potential champions in last year’s championship.

    But while Hirvonen ended up a respectable fourth overall, Ostberg endured a forgettable season and could manage just sixth in the final standings.

    With a new team and new car, the two have a point to prove because their careers could be at stake this season if they fail to check Neuville and Sordo.

    Yet another promising youngster in Elfyn Evans could give Ogier some anxious moments this season. The 25-year-old Welshman is a winner of the WRC Academy award in 2012 and finished the WRC2 class in seventh last season driving for Qatar M-Sport.

    Following the departures of Neuville and Ostberg, a promotion to the senior level was a foregone conclusion. Evans’ lack of experience may go against him in his debut season, but the Welshman has the potential to challenge even some of the best in the business.

    Then there is the dark horse in the shape of former Formula One driver Robert Kubica. His WRC2 victory with Citroen in only his maiden season last year impressed M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson so much that he decided to give the Pole a full WRC programme behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta this year.

    A full programme in a world rally car represents a big step up for the 29-year-old Pole, who ended 2013 with his first event in a world rally car, driving a Citroen DS3 WRC on Wales Rally GB accompanied by new co-driver Michele Ferrara.

    As is evident, Ogier will have his hands full come 10:28am (UAE time) tomorrow when all will face a stern test at the opener in Monte Carlo, with the picture getting somewhat clearer around midnight (UAE time) on Saturday night of the final day.

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