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Sebastien Ogier says it is going to take time before he truly appreciates the magnitude of his second Safari Rally Kenya victory as a Toyota driver.
Ogier made it win number three in this season’s FIA World Rally Championship which he is only partially contesting to take his total victory count in the sport’s top division to 58.
At one point the Frenchman and co-driver Vincent Landais threatened to run away from his Rally1 challengers but the absence of hybrid power for a time on Friday, a total of three punctures on the Saturday, and an overheating engine on the deciding day that left him down on power all played into the hands of team-mate and eventual runner-up, Kalle Rovanpera.
He also lost the entire tailgate section and roof-mounted spoiler on the second Sunday morning stage after running wide on soft sand at a right-hander and kissing a tree before further damage was incurred on the closing Power Stage when the front splitter flicked a huge rock up onto the co-driver’s side of the windscreen.
Yet in spite of all this, it still wasn’t enough to deny him top spot and at the conclusion of 19 stages, the two GR Yaris Rally1 exponents were separated by 6.7s – the closest ever finish in the history of the African event.
“I think it was a hell of a weekend for sure, but some say a proper Safari Rally and I think the show was great and that is what people want to see,” said Ogier.
“There are many people I need to congratulate for this amazing result, obviously a 1-2-3-4 for Toyota again is amazing again and there are many people working for that behind us.
“I want to say hats off because this is the toughest rally of the season, and to be the top four two years in a row is really amazing. I want to thank my team-mates and of course Vincent [Landais, co-driver] who did a great job with me.
“Kalle and Jonne [Halttunen], second place just behind us and honestly, they kept us under pressure the whole weekend and again they showed why they are the new world champions and why they succeed in scoring top results all the time. Then, of course Elfyn [Evans] also on the podium.
“I think I am going to enjoy this one and it will take a bit of time to let it sink in because all of the elements I had to fight during this rally made it very exhausting, but it is also in adversity that you enjoy the wins the most.
“This one I will for sure count it as good one and a well-deserved one so I am a very happy man,” he added.
