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Sébastien Ogier
2023 Central European Rally - Ogier 01 (cropped).jpg
Ogier at the 2023 Central European Rally
Personal information
Nationality French
Born (1983-12-17) 17 December 1983 (age 41)
Gap, Hautes-Alpes, France
World Rally Championship record
Active years 2008–present
Co-driver France Vincent Landais
France Benjamin Veillas
France Julien Ingrassia
Teams Citroën Junior Team, Citroën, Volkswagen Motorsport
M-Sport Ford
Toyota
Rallies 193
Championships 8 (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021)
Rally wins 61
Podiums 105
Stage wins 750
Total points 2958
First rally 2008 Rally Mexico
First win 2010 Rally de Portugal
Last win 2024 Rally Finland
Last rally 2025 Monte Carlo Rally
Last updated on: 24/1/2025.

Sébastien Ogier (born December 17, 1983) is a famous French rally driver. He races for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His current co-driver is Vincent Landais.

Ogier has won the World Rally Drivers' Championship eight times. This includes six wins in a row from 2013 to 2018. He also won in 2020 and 2021. He is the second most successful WRC driver ever, right after Sébastien Loeb who has nine titles.

Sébastien Ogier has won 61 rally events. He is one of only two drivers to win the World Championship with three different car makers. He holds many WRC records. These include the most championship points and the most stage victories in a single season.

Ogier began his rally journey in France in 2005. He won the Peugeot 206 Cup in 2006. In 2008, he won the Junior World Rally Championship in his first season. He drove a Citroën C2. He made his first World Rally Championship appearance at the 2008 Rally Mexico. He even scored a point by finishing eighth.

He first drove a powerful World Rally Car (a Citroën C4) at the 2008 Rally GB. He then joined the Citroën Junior Team full-time in 2009. He got his first podium (a top-three finish) at the 2009 Acropolis Rally, coming in second place. In 2010, he got his first WRC win at the 2010 Rally de Portugal.

For the 2011 season, Ogier became a full-time driver for the main Citroën team. In 2012, he joined Volkswagen. He drove a Škoda Fabia S2000 while they prepared a new car. In 2013, he drove the Volkswagen Polo R WRC for the first time. He won his first WRC Drivers' title that year, with nine rally victories. He then won three more titles in a row: 2014, 2015, and 2016.

After Volkswagen, he won two more titles in 2017 and 2018 with a Ford Fiesta WRC. He then returned to Citroën for one season in 2019, finishing third. Before the 2020 season, he moved to Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT. He won two more titles in 2020 and 2021 driving a Toyota Yaris WRC. Since 2022, he has been racing in some rallies with the Toyota team.

Besides rallying, Ogier has tried other types of racing. He tested a Red Bull Racing RB7 Formula one car in 2007. He also took part in the Race of Champions in 2011. He drove a Ferrari F430 Scuderia in the 2011 French GT Championship. In 2022, he raced in three events of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship, including the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Rally Career Highlights

Starting Out (2005–2007)

Sébastien Ogier's rally career began in 2005. He won a special competition called Rallye Jeunes. This win earned him a spot in the Peugeot 206 Cup for the next year. With his co-driver Julien Ingrassia, he finished on the podium at one event and was named "Best Rookie."

In 2007, Ogier won the Peugeot 206 Cup. He achieved four victories and two second-place finishes. He also won another rally called Rallye Hivernal des Hautes-Alpes. In April 2007, he competed in his first regional rally, finishing third.

Ogier received a special award called Espoir Echappement de l’année. This award is given by racing experts and fans. Past winners include famous drivers like Didier Auriol and Sébastien Loeb.

Junior World Champion (2008)

Sébastien Ogier - 2008 Rallye de France SS12
Ogier racing at the 2008 Tour de Corse

In 2008, Ogier joined the Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC). He drove a Super 1600-class Citroën C2.

Ogier's first World Rally Championship event was the 2008 Rally Mexico. He won the JWRC class there. He also became the first JWRC driver to score a WRC point by finishing eighth overall. He won again in Jordan. Even after losing time due to a car problem, he fought back to win.

After these two wins, he had to stop racing in Rally Sardinia because of a broken steering rod. But he was able to restart and finished fifth. Ogier then won another junior category event in Germany. He also did very well at Rally Catalunya, setting many fast times.

At his home event, the Tour de Corse, Ogier finished second. This was enough for him to win the Junior World Champion title!

First WRC Rally and Stage Win (2008)

After winning the JWRC title, Ogier got to drive a powerful World Rally Car for the first time. He drove a Citroën C4 at 2008 Rally GB. He surprised everyone by winning the very first stage on ice. He even led the rally for a short time! He later crashed out on the second day.

Joining Citroën (2009–2011)

First Full WRC Season (2009)

Ogier Ingrassia 2009
Ogier at the 2009 Monte Carlo Rally

In January 2009, Ogier took part in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) at the Monte Carlo Rally. He won this famous event in a Kronos Peugeot 207 S2000.

This was his only IRC race that year. For the 2009 WRC season, Ogier joined Citroën's junior team. He was supposed to race in the first six events. His good results led the team to let him race for the rest of the season.

At the 2009 Acropolis Rally, Ogier earned his first WRC podium. He finished second, right behind Ford's Mikko Hirvonen.

First WRC Win (2010)

In January 2010, Ogier raced in the Monte-Carlo Rally again. He had some bad luck but showed great speed.

His 2010 WRC season officially started in Sweden. He continued with the Citroën Junior Team. He finished fifth in Sweden. He then got his second podium in Mexico, battling closely with Petter Solberg. In Turkey, he led for many stages but had a puncture and finished fourth. At the Rally New Zealand, he was leading before the very last stage but spun, losing the win by a tiny 2.4 seconds!

Ogier finally got his first WRC victory at the next event, the Rally de Portugal. He drove perfectly and beat Sébastien Loeb by 8 seconds. He also won a smaller rally in Italy to gain experience on asphalt.

Because of his strong results, Citroën promoted Ogier to their main factory team for the last three gravel rallies. This was a good move, as he finished second in Finland. He then got his second WRC win in Japan after a close fight with Petter Solberg. He was very good at adapting to new rallies.

He was close to the championship title, but only scored a few points in the last three rallies. He finished the season in fourth place.

Rally Finland 2010 - EK 1 - Sebastien Ogier
Ogier at 2010 Rally Finland

Official Citroën Driver (2011)

In 2011, Ogier continued to improve. He became a full-time driver for Citroën's main team. Many fans expected a big battle between him and Sébastien Loeb for the title.

Ogier finished fourth in Sweden and was the first driver to win a "Power Stage" (a special stage where extra points are given). He won the next two rallies in Portugal and Jordan. In Jordan, he won by only two-tenths of a second, setting a record for the smallest winning gap!

He came close to another win in Argentina. He was leading but rolled his car, costing him the win on the last stage. He finished third. Ogier then won the Acropolis Rally. However, his relationship with Sébastien Loeb became difficult. There were some team orders and disagreements during races.

Ogier won the Rallye Deutschland after Loeb had a puncture. In Australia, he made a mistake but fought back. The team then asked him to slow down to let his teammate score a point. He also won the Rallye de France Alsace.

The championship was very close with two rallies left. But after some bad luck, Ogier finished the season in third place. He had five wins, just like Sébastien Loeb. His disagreements with Citroën led him to leave the team in November.

Ogier Surkee 2012
Ogier at 2012 Rally Finland.

Joining Volkswagen (2012-2016)

2012 Season

On November 23, 2011, Volkswagen announced that Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia would join their team. They would lead Volkswagen's entry into the WRC in 2013. In 2012, they raced a Škoda Fabia S2000 while helping to develop the new Volkswagen Polo R WRC.

Ogier's 2012 season started at Rallye Monte-Carlo. He was doing well but crashed on the 10th stage. He was unhurt, but his co-driver had a minor injury.

He scored his first points for Volkswagen Motorsport at the Rally Mexico, finishing eighth. He continued to score points and often battled with more powerful WRC cars. His best result was fifth place in Sardinia, which was the best finish for an S2000 car that year.

First World Championship Title (2013)

While racing in 2012, Sébastien Ogier also worked hard to test and develop the new Volkswagen Polo R WRC.

The car was ready for the first race of 2013, the Rallye Monte Carlo. Even though the car was new and the weather was tricky, Ogier finished second. This was a great start and showed the Polo's potential.

The 2013 season continued with Rally Sweden. Ogier became only the second non-Nordic driver to win this rally since 1950. This was also the first win for the Polo R WRC. He took the lead in the championship and never looked back. Ogier then won in Mexico and Portugal, showing his dominance.

In Argentina, he had a problem with his handbrake and lost the lead. He finished second, earning valuable points. In Greece, bad luck struck again with a puncture and fuel problem early on. But he managed to finish tenth and still got bonus points from the Power Stage.

2013 10 05 13-24Rallye France, Parc assistance Colmar, Sébastien Ogier
Ogier, newly WRC champion at the 2013 Rally France.

Sébastien Ogier returned to winning ways in Italy. He led the rally from start to finish. He also won the Power Stage again.

His winning streak continued in Finland, even with his co-driver's shoulder injury. He won his first rally in Finland, winning more than half of the stages. He extended his lead in the championship.

In Germany, Ogier had a chance to win the title early. But he broke his car's suspension. He fought back to 17th place and won another Power Stage. In Australia, he had a great race, winning 19 out of 22 stages. But he missed out on the title by just one point in the last stage.

Sébastien Ogier finally won the 2013 championship in the first stage of Rally France. He finished the season with an amazing nine wins, 11 podiums, and 111 special stage wins. He also scored a record 290 points in the championship.

Defending His Title (2014)

2014 rally sweden by 2eight dsc9422
Ogier at the 2014 Rally Sweden

Ogier knew defending a title is hard. But he started the 2014 season by winning the Rallye Monte-Carlo. This rally was part of the WRC again, making it very special. He overcame a wrong tire choice and climbed to win. The rally even started in his hometown of Gap!

In Rally Sweden, Ogier made a mistake and hit a snowbank, dropping to 20th. But he fought back to finish sixth. He got his revenge in Rally Mexico, taking a big lead and winning easily. He also won the Power Stage, putting him back in the championship lead.

Sébastien Ogier increased his lead over his teammate in Rally Portugal. He won the rally and the Power Stage. This was his fourth win in Portugal, getting him closer to Markku Alen's record of five wins. Rally Argentina was tougher, but he still finished second and won the Power Stage. He won again in Italy and Poland, giving him a 50-point lead in the championship.

In Finland, Ogier finished second and won another Power Stage. In Germany, both Ogier and his teammate crashed out. However, Volkswagen was sure that one of their drivers would win the title. The team secured the Manufacturers' title in Australia, where Ogier won again.

His first chance to win the championship in France failed due to a gearbox problem. But he finally secured his second title in Catalonia, winning the second-to-last event of the season. Ogier became the eighth driver to win two titles, and the fourth to win two years in a row. He finished the season with a win in Wales. He had eight wins, 10 podiums, and 94 stage wins, with a 49-point lead.

Volkswagen extended contracts for Ogier and their other drivers.

Third Title in a Row (2015)

Sébastien Ogier Rally Italy 2015 002
Sébastien Ogier at the 2015 Rally Italy.

In 2015, Sébastien Ogier continued with Volkswagen Motorsport, with Julien Ingrassia as his co-driver. They won the first rally of the season, the Rallye Monte-Carlo. The new Polo R WRC was very successful.

Ogier then won in Sweden and Mexico, making it three wins in a row to start the season. This was his fifth win in a row since 2014.

In Rally Argentina, mechanical problems forced him to stop. He finished 17th but still got three bonus points from the Power Stage. He won the Power Stage again in Portugal, finishing second overall despite a puncture. This helped him keep his lead in the championship.

Ogier returned to winning in Italy. He also won the Power Stage there. He won another rally and Power Stage in Poland. In Finland, he finished second but won his seventh Power Stage in a row. He left Finland with a huge 89-point lead. He led Volkswagen to a 1-2-3 finish in Rally Germany. He then won his third title at Rally Australia. Ogier and Ingrassia won all the remaining stages to get their 31st WRC win and their third title. Volkswagen also won the Manufacturer title.

Rally France was not good for Ogier due to a gearbox failure. He finished 15th but won three more stages, including the Power Stage. In Rally Spain, he crashed on the very last stage and had to stop. The season ended with a win at Wales Rally GB. They dedicated their victory to the victims of the Paris attacks.

Fourth Title in a Row (2016)

Sébastien Ogier 2016-07-30 001
Sébastien Ogier at the 2016 Rally Finland.

Still with Julien Ingrassia and Volkswagen, Ogier started 2016 with his third win in a row at Rally Monte-Carlo. He also won Rally Sweden, which was shorter due to lack of snow. In Mexico, he finished second and won his third Power Stage.

He finished second in Argentina, and third in Portugal and Italy. Rally Poland was difficult, and he finished sixth. A small mistake in Finland meant he scored no points.

He returned to winning in Germany, Volkswagen's home rally. He also won in Corsica, dominating the rally. He won again in Spain and secured his fourth World Champion title! His victory at Wales Rally GB also brought the Manufacturers' title to Volkswagen for the fourth year in a row.

Soon after, Volkswagen announced they would leave the WRC.

Joining M-Sport Ford (2017–2018)

Fifth Title (2017)

On December 12, 2016, Ogier announced he would drive the new Ford Fiesta WRC for M-Sport Ford in 2017.

At the first rally, Monte-Carlo, Ogier brought M-Sport Ford their first victory since 2012. This was his 39th career win and his fifth Monte-Carlo win with three different car makers.

The rest of the year had ups and downs. He had two wins and nine podiums. His second win was in Rally Portugal, where he matched Markku Alén's record of five victories. Thanks to his consistent performance, he won his fifth title in a row at Wales Rally GB. M-Sport Ford also won the manufacturers' title.

Sixth Title (2018)

2018 started well for Ogier. He won Monte Carlo and took the lead in the championship. But a low 10th place in Sweden allowed Thierry Neuville to take the lead for most of the year. Ogier won two more rallies, but a crash in Portugal gave Neuville an advantage.

The second half of the season was tricky. A big win for Ogier in Wales helped him gain points on Neuville. Three wins in a row for Ott Tänak made the championship very exciting. The title came down to the final race in Australia. Ogier stayed positive. His rivals had problems in muddy conditions, and Ogier won his sixth WRC Drivers' Championship! Ogier and Ingrassia had successfully defended their titles for the sixth year in a row.

Back to Citroën (2019)

On September 28, 2018, it was announced that Ogier and Ingrassia would rejoin the Citroën World Rally Team for 2019. This was their return after seven years. Ogier won his sixth Monte Carlo rally in a row, which was also Citroën's 100th WRC win. After a problem in Sweden, he won in Mexico and got on the podium in the next three races.

But even with another win in Turkey, Ogier was not happy with his car. In Spain, he could not defend his title. His car had hydraulic problems, and he finished eighth. Ott Tänak won his first WRC title, ending Ogier's chances.

On November 30, 2019, Ogier said he planned to leave Citroën for Toyota. He felt the car was not improving, and there was a lack of communication. Citroën then decided to leave the WRC immediately after Ogier's departure.

Joining Toyota Gazoo Racing (2020–Present)

Seventh Title (2020)

Despite talk of him retiring, Ogier signed with Toyota for the 2020 season. He finished second at his home event in Monte Carlo. He got on the podium four more times in the shortened seven-event championship. His teammate Elfyn Evans led for most of the season. But Evans skidded on ice at the final event in Monza, with only two stages left. Evans warned Ogier about the ice, which Ogier said saved his car from a similar crash. Ogier and Ingrassia won their seventh world titles at this event. His former teammate Jari-Matti Latvala became Team Principal at Toyota in 2021.

Eighth Title (2021)

In 2021, Ogier decided to continue with Toyota, but planned to retire at the end of the season. He started the season by winning Monte Carlo for the seventh time. This was also his 50th career victory! However, he had a tough time in the snowy 2021 Arctic Rally Finland, crashing and losing almost 10 minutes. He won rallies in Croatia, Italy, Kenya, and Monza. He also finished third in Portugal and Greece. He earned his eighth title, beating his teammate Elfyn Evans.

Part-Time Racing (2022)

Ogier had planned to retire fully at the end of 2021. But he decided to race in only some events of the 2022 season. Benjamin Veillas became Ogier's new co-driver, as Julien Ingrassia retired after co-driving Ogier since 2005.

The new Rally1 hybrid era started well for Ogier. At his first event, the 2022 Monte Carlo Rally, he fought closely with Sébastien Loeb. He took the lead but a puncture on the second-to-last stage dropped him to second. He then raced in 2022 Rally de Portugal, but it was a difficult weekend with punctures and going off the road. He finished 50th. In 2022 Safari Rally, he was leading but a puncture dropped him to sixth. He fought back to fourth, helping Toyota get a 1-4 finish. He finished second in 2022 Rally New Zealand behind the new champion Kalle Rovanperä.

Sébastien Ogier won the 2022 Rally Catalunya (World Rally Championship), giving Veillas his first win as a co-driver. He then hired a new co-driver, Vincent Landais, for 2022 Rally Japan. He had a puncture early but climbed back to fourth.

Sébastien Ogier finished sixth overall in 2022 with 97 points.

Continuing Part-Time (2023)

Ogier decided to race in selected events again in 2023, with Vincent Landais as his co-driver. Ogier won the 2023 Monte Carlo Rally from start to finish, despite a late challenge from Rovanperä. This was his ninth win at Monte Carlo, making him the most successful driver in the event's history. He also won 2023 Rally Mexico, leading from stage 11 after his main rival Esapekka Lappi had an accident.

Rally Statistics

Championships Won

Season Title Car
2007 French 206 Cup winner Peugeot 206
2008 Junior World Rally Champion Citroën C2 S1600
2013 World Rally Championship Volkswagen Polo R WRC
2014 World Rally Championship Volkswagen Polo R WRC
2015 World Rally Championship Volkswagen Polo R WRC
2016 World Rally Championship Volkswagen Polo R WRC
2017 World Rally Championship Ford Fiesta WRC
2018 World Rally Championship Ford Fiesta WRC
2020 World Rally Championship Toyota Yaris WRC
2021 World Rally Championship Toyota Yaris WRC

WRC Victories (61)

WRC Wins Per Rally

  • 9 wins:
    • Monaco Rallye Monte-Carlo
  • 7 wins:
    • Mexico Rally México
  • 6 wins:
    • Portugal Rally Portugal
  • 5 wins:
    • United Kingdom Wales Rally GB
  • 4 wins:
    • Italy Rally d'Italia Sardegna
    • Spain Rally de Catalunya
  • 3 wins:
    • Germany Rally Germany
    • Sweden Rally Sweden
    • Australia Rally Australia
  • 2 wins:
    • Finland Rally Finland
    • France Rally France-Alsace
    • Poland Rally Poland
    • France Tour de Corse
    • Italy Rally Monza
    • Kenya Safari Rally
    • Croatia Croatia Rally
  • 1 win:
    • Japan Rally Japan
    • Jordan Jordan Rally
    • Greece Acropolis Rally
    • Turkey Rally Turkey

Junior WRC Victories

# Season Rally Country Co-driver Car
1 2008 Mexico 22nd Rally Mexico Mexico France Julien Ingrassia Citroën C2 S1600
2 2008 Jordan 26th Rally Jordan Jordan France Julien Ingrassia Citroën C2 S1600
3 2008 Germany 27th Rally Germany Germany France Julien Ingrassia Citroën C2 S1600

IRC Victories

 #  Event Season Co-driver Car
1 Monaco 77è Rallye Monte-Carlo 2009 France Julien Ingrassia Peugeot 207 S2000

Other Victories

# Season Rally Country Co-driver Car
1 2010 26th Rallye della Lanterna Italy France Julien Ingrassia Citroën C4 WRC
2 2011 26th Rallye National Vosgien France France Julien Ingrassia Citroën DS3 WRC

World Rally Championship Records

  • Biggest points gap over teammate: 128 points over Jari-Matti Latvala in 2013 World Rally Championship.
  • Biggest championship points gap: 114 points over Thierry Neuville in 2013 World Rally Championship.
  • Smallest winning margin: 0.2 seconds over Jari-Matti Latvala at the Rally Jordan.
  • Most wins at Rallye Monte-Carlo: 9 wins (1 in IRC, 8 in WRC).
  • Most wins at Rally Mexico: 7 wins.
  • Most wins at Rally Portugal: 6 wins.
  • Shared record for wins at Wales Rally GB (5) and Rally Italia Sardegna (4).
  • Won Rallye Monte-Carlo with 5 different car makers: Peugeot (2009), Volkswagen (2014, 2015, 2016), Ford (2017, 2018), Citroën (2019), and Toyota (2021).
  • Highest stage win rate in one season: 46.25% (111 wins out of 240 stages).
  • Most stages led in one season: 62.92% (151 stages out of 240).
  • Most points scored in one season: 290 points in 2013 World Rally Championship.
  • Most drivers' championship points overall: 2958 points (since 2008).
  • Most Power Stage wins: 45 wins.
  • Most Power Stage wins in a season: 9 wins in 2015.
  • Highest Power Stage win ratio in a season: 69.23% in 2015 (9 wins out of 13 rallies).

Other Racing

Formula One

In July 2017, Sébastien Ogier tested a Red Bull Racing RB7 Formula one car at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

Race of Champions

  • 2011: He won the "Champion of Champions" title in his first time at the event. He beat Tom Kristensen, who had won the 24 Heures du Mans eight times.
  • 2012: He reached the finals of the Nations' Cup with Romain Grosjean.

Personal Life

Sébastien Ogier is married to German TV presenter Andrea Kaiser. Their son, Tim, was born on June 13, 2016.

Since 2014, Ogier has supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation in France. This charity helps children with serious illnesses. In 2021, he also gave €10,000 of his winnings from the 2021 Safari Rally to two charities. These were the Nakuru Children's Project, which helps with children's education in Kenya, and the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, which protects Kenyan wildlife.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sébastien Ogier para niños

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