Yahoo Finance WRC Legend Sebastien Ogier Is Testing a Toyota Hypercar
Seven-time WRC champion Sebastian Ogier has had a busy year. He has already won four rallies for Toyota's GR Yaris program, putting him in a strong position to win his eighth world rally championship next month. While he will also continue with Toyota in the WRC next year, his ambitions for the future are even higher: Next month, he will test the company's Le Mans-winning GR010 Hypercar in Bahrain.
While the test does not necessarily mean he will ever race the car, a strong test and approval from Toyota would be enough to qualify Ogier for a jump straight to the top of the sports car racing ladder as soon as next year. That could mean a serious shot at winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans by June of 2022.
Ogier is the modern master of the WRC, a seven-time champion who will have a very favorable shot at eight this year and would in turn be the favorite to take his ninth title in the first year of hybrid rallying next year. That title would match him with fellow French driver Sebastien Loeb, the greatest rallying driver in history. Loeb, the winningest rally driver of all time, ran in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2005 and 2006, finishing an incredible second overall for Pescarolo in the 2006 race.
In addition to joining his fellow Sebastien as a WRC great to take a shot at the top class of sports car racing, Ogier would also not be the only crossover driver at Toyota. The team also currently employs Jose Maria Lopez, a three-time World Touring Car Championship title winner who has now won a FIA World Endurance Championship title and a 24 Hours of Le Mans with the team.
Ogier's test is part of the FIA World Endurance Championship young driver test on November 7. Charles Milesi, an LMP2 class winner in this year's 24 hour classic, will take the other Toyota. Both completed two days of running in the team's simulator earlier this summer.
You Might Also Like
