Ogier will participate in WRC 2012 season

Sebastien Ogier won five rounds of this year’s World Rally Championship but was prematurely kicked out from the Citroen Total World Rally Team post his disagreements with the team with respect to team orders favouring eight-time champion Sebastien Loeb.

Immediately after leaving from Citroen the French driver signed a deal with Volkswagen for 2013. The Polo R WRC car is still in its development stages and will not be ready before the start of the 2013 season but Ogier will compete in all the 13 stages of the 2012 season with Volkswagen’s subsidiary Skoda in the SWRC class behind the wheel of a Fabia Super 2000. 

The plan is to do all [13] WRC events in a Skoda Fabia Super 2000. “It was the one negative knowing I won’t be able to fight for the world title [by driving a Super 2000 car] but I have to think beyond that and the future. But just to get the experience of all the events is still very important because I am still young and I am still learning,” said Ogier.

The Director of Volkswagen Motorsport, Kris Nissin, confirmed that the Germany based team was not looking to run on all events next year but due to Ogier’s insistence that he will continue to learn the rallies changed their mind in favour of the French driver.

Ogier made his first public appearance for Volkswagen this weekend at the Race of Champions and he did that in style by taking the top notch at the annual event. Along with the 13 rally events in the 2012 season, Ogier will also extensively test the new Polo R.