Ogier eyes Japan Rally win, possibly his last asphalt race

Nine-time world rally champion Sébastien Ogier has entered the Japan WRC round with victory in mind. The Toyota star says he is treating this season as if it were his last, making the Japan event potentially his final asphalt rally.

Nine-time world rally champion Sébastien Ogier has taken the start of the Japan Rally WRC round with winning ambitions, treating the entire 2024 season as though it could be his last on the stages.

The Toyota factory driver, widely regarded as one of the greatest rally drivers in history, heads into the Japan event with a mindset shaped by the possibility that this asphalt round could mark the final chapter of his legendary career on tarmac.

Ogier has long maintained a selective approach to his WRC schedule in recent years, cherry-picking events rather than contesting the full championship. That approach has kept speculation alive about when, exactly, the French champion will finally hang up his helmet for good — and his own comments ahead of Japan suggest that moment may be drawing near.