RallySport Magazine November 2016

an interview and I will try to make sure
we get the good table, maybe a table
in the window. But he’s not interested
in that. To him, it doesn’t matter. It’s
a table. He’s not interested in the
superstar thing.
“When you are out with him, you
would not think you were out with the
best driver in the world. It’s crazy how
good he is and, in the team, you can
see he’s an inspiration for those around
him.”
And an inspiration to the sport at
large. “Watch him on the Power
Stages,” says de Jongh, “you can
watch his lines from the helicopter. He
doesn’t go deep into the cut of a corner;
he doesn’t let the car run wide to outside
on the exit. Unless it’s absolutely
necessary, he doesn’t drive the car
sideways. He looks after the car and he
looks after the tyres. He has a feeling
for the tyres and for the grip, which you
don’t see in all drivers.
“I’ll be honest, I think I have one of the
easiest jobs in the service park. I trust
Sebastien in his feedback – I know that
he knows how to make the car fast.
When he’s happy and confident, my
work is done.”
Hassenpflug agrees completely, “We
all work for him.”
Francois-Xavier Demaison is
Volkswagen’s technical director and a
like-minded countryman to Ogier. “I
think he and I are a little bit the same,”
says Demaison.
“We are both mountain men, so
we have a little bit the same attitude.
Nothing was given for Ogier, he has
had to fight for everything and now he’s
there, he won’t settle for anything less
than 100 per cent.
“He works all of the time and he
demands everybody do absolutely their
best for him – because that’s what he
does for them and for the team. He
never gives anything less. He’s a special
guy.”
And in Spain, he became a little bit
more special again. Before the finish,
there were three drivers, three heroes
of world rallying who had won four
or more titles: Sébastien Loeb, Juha
Kankkunen and Tommi Mäkinen.
Today, there are four.
“When he’s happy
and confident, my
work is done.”
NOVEMBER 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 75