Rally: Jari-Matti Latvala starts Ogier’s fierce exit

The biggest talking point of the weekend was the legendary driver by Sébastien Ogier a violent exit, after which he and the map reader Julien Ingrassia was taken to the hospital for checks.

Toyota team manager Jari-Matti Latvala according to Ogier’s driving out was not due to a technical fault of the car, but rather a small driving error, as a result of which the car went off the road.

“There was no technical fault with the car. The situation was purely due to the speed. This is a very fast area,” says Latvala.

“I don’t think his line was quite right. The back end of the car drifted from the fairway to the loose gravel, and that’s when the car quickly goes out of control. He tried to correct the car, but there was too much speed. The line and the speed were just at the limit. It was a small precision error with big consequences.”

The news Ogier’s run out quickly reached Latvala. The team manager participated in the World Rally Championship in Jyväskylä as a driver and was the fastest Rally2 driver.

At the time of the accident, he was also taking a special exam.

“We were shown a red flag, so we immediately knew that everything was not well. When we arrived at the scene of the accident, there was an SOS sign, which means that it is a serious accident.”

“The car ahead of us had stopped to help, and the driver came to tell us that an ambulance was needed. There was only a kilometer to the finish line, and we took the information there. However, the matter had already been announced, and the medical helicopter was on its way.”

Latvala describes accidents as always unpleasant moments, especially when at first you don’t know how bad it has been.

“Yes, that kind of stops you, and it gives you time to think about many things. The most important thing was to get some positive news quickly. When we heard that Ogier had been conscious and able to speak, it immediately made it easier.”

“When I left for the next special test, what happened had to be pushed aside in the main compartment. It’s not easy when you start driving hard again.”

Ogier and Ingrassi were taken to the hospital for tests after the outing and spent one night there. On Sunday morning, the two were able to travel back to their homes.

Latvala has not yet been in contact with Ogier after the outing.

“We got word that they were in a stable condition and that they had made it home. I haven’t spoken to Ogier that much yet, because I had my own competition and a lot of other things to do. They probably want to be in peace now, so I haven’t gone to ask.”

The French champion said on Instagram on Monday that he will continue his pursuit of the tenth World Cup title, even though he is leading the World Series Elfyn Evans is far ahead of Ogier.

Since the beginning of the season, Ogier has been driving part-time and did not compete in the Swedish and Croatian rallies.

“After a great race, of course our Finnish World Rally Championship didn’t end as we hoped, and our championship dreams are more or less gone. Still, there are still four races left in the season. We are [regular map reader] By Vincent Landais with there, and we have only one goal: to win them all”, rally greatness wrote.

in Jyväskylä other dangerous-looking outings were also seen. According to Latvala, the main reason for them was the difficult conditions.

“I’ve driven the Jyväskylä rally 21 times, and in terms of the conditions, this was one of the most difficult. The rain, wetness and dryness meant that the grip varied a lot.”

Latvala reminds that the Jyväskylä rally is the fastest race in the series. According to him, several exits are not due to the excessive danger of the rally.

“It’s not that the race itself is too dangerous or too fast. This year, the conditions made driving exceptionally difficult.”

“With today’s cars, the speeds are fast, and you can no longer make the same changes to the tires as before. At the same time, the competition is so tight that no one wants to give up.”

However, he admits that the speeds of current Rally1 cars are starting to slow down.

“Rally1 cars are starting to be pretty much at their limits in terms of speed. When you go at such speeds, the car can go out of control really violently.”

There will be a big change to the cars in the World Championship next year. The current Rally1 cars will be removed, and replaced by slower and less efficient WRC27 rule cars.

In Latvala’s opinion, that is an absolutely good thing.

“We are taking a good step for next year. The aerodynamics and power of the cars will be reduced a little, so the speeds and especially the cornering speeds will decrease.”

“The cars are really safe, and a lot of effort has been put into it. However, the speed is starting to reach its limits. It is a good thing for everyone to take a step back in speed at some point. Even though I know that in principle the drivers would not want to switch to a car with less power.”