Rallying-Ogier eyes potential 10th WRC title in another partial campaign

PARIS, Jan 19 : Less than two months after clinching his record-equalling ninth World Rally Championship (WRC) title, Sebastien Ogier is set to embark on another partial campaign, starting with the Monte Carlo Rally on Thursday, and aims to maintain his "exceptional level of performance".

The Frenchman claimed his ninth title in November, despite skipping three of the 14 rounds, tying his compatriot Sebastien Loeb for the most championships in rallying history.

"This ninth title, probably due to the fact that it equalled Loeb's record, attracted more attention than the previous ones," Ogier told Reuters in an interview. "Those were enjoyable moments but when I wake up in the morning, it's not the first thing on my mind and it hasn't changed my life.

"I had a little bit forgotten the idea of winning another championship because when you do partial seasons, theoretically, it's not really feasible. It was clearly not one of my priorities," he said.

Ogier, who has raced part-time since the 2022 season, won six titles consecutively from 2013-18 and added two more in 2020 and 2021. He has found success with three different manufacturers - Volkswagen, Ford and Toyota.

Equalling the record has rekindled comparisons with Loeb, who won nine titles successively between 2004 and 2012 with Citroen.

"At first, it was flattering to be compared to him. Then, there was definitely a point in my career when it became a bit tiresome. And after that, there came a point when I didn't pay too much attention to it anymore," Ogier said when asked about the comparisons.

"Now we're both at the top. It's something France can be proud of, having two champions who have dominated a sport for so long.

"I always tried to be the best of my generation and I think