Sebastien Ogier pays tribute to his co-driver Julien Ingrassia and to the career they had together admitting that the last one played a crucial role in their WRC success.
The French co-driver announced his retirement from rallying at the end of this year which means that he will not continue alongside Ogier next season as a partial navigator.
Therefore Benjamin Veillas will step in as a replacement of Ingrassia in 2022 who is doing all pre-event tests alongside Ogier the last years.
Ogier and Ingrassia are the second most successful crew in the history of WRC having clinched seven titles in their career while they are close to become WRC Champions again this season.
"First of all, I respect the decision of Julien and I wanted to thank him for the amazing job he has done on my side during all these years", Ogier said.
"I know that we mention often that it’s a team sport and we achieved that together, and I also mentioned that who knows what will have been my career without him because he was the right guy to give me the confidence and to do very, very little mistake in 15 years in the car.
"It was a pleasure working with him and a chance that I have found him obviously.
"But now it will be a big challenge, of course, to have someone else, and I think it will be a very big task for anybody to try to reach the level that Julien has.
"In my eyes Julien is the best co-driver out there.
"Like I say from his professionalism and from the way he’s giving me the notes in the stage, always very clear and very nice.
"I think he’s anyway a role model for a lot of co-drivers I believe, and now I wish him the best for the rest of his life and we will find out how it works for me with somebody else in the car".
Source: DirtFish.com
Photo Credits: Toyota
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