COFFS HARBOUR (AUSTRALIA): Woven between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Coffs Harbour’s serene setting is an ideal destination for honeymooners. But it’s the time of the year the city, located halfway between Sydney and Brisbane on the New South Wales coast, sheds its tranquility and rolls out the red carpet for the mean machines of the World Rally Championship. The quite neighbourhood is bracing up for a rapturous party as Volkswagen gear up to celebrate their second successive manufacturers’ title.
If the German automobile giants bag just five points between their star drivers Sebastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala, it would be the earliest in a season with four rounds remaining that a WRC title has been decided in 25 years. The fact underlines the dominant run of Volkswagen who made history in 2013 by becoming the first to win both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles in debut season.
The team are already assured of the drivers' crown this season because only Latvala can collect more points over the remaining four rounds to catch the defending champion Ogier. The Frenchman has a 44-point advantage over the Finn. It is the same gap that separated the rivals before last round at Rallye Deutschland, where both the drivers crashed.
It would have been a fitting celebration had Volkswagen completed their formalities at Germany but the shocking retirements of Ogier and Latvala not just disappointed the home fans but also brought the team’s record-breaking run of 12 successive rally wins to an abrupt end.
After his retirement in Germany, Ogier said he lacked motivation and had other things on his mind apart from driving. On Thursday after a shakedown here, the Frenchman pledged to be back on form. “I was not so strong this summer. I let myself be disturbed by other things in the sport andthis definitely made me weaker. I was not focused enough on what I have to do, but I made work on it and I left it behind me. I am concentrated on what is now and you can count on me to be back 100 per cent here,” said Ogier who ended legend Sebastian
Ogier, chasing consecutive drivers’ titles, said he has positive memories of his last trip to Australia, which included one of his nine race wins in 2013.
“I love the layout of the special stages and always feel good down under. Last year was almost perfect for me with 19 best times on 22 special stages,” said Ogier.
“When you fight with your teammate, you know that you both have exactly the same material and only us in the car that will make the difference. I like to have a fair fight and fair battle,” Ogier added.
