Ogier U-turn sees six-time rally champion continue at Toyota

Sebastien Ogier, the six-time French world rally champion, announced on Friday that he would drive again next year for Toyota in the WRC championship after having previously indicated that this season would be his last.

"I didn't want this short season to be my last one in #WRC. The performance is there with the #YarisWRC so I want to keep working with the team and fight for another title next year," the 36-year-old said on Twitter.

The 2020 season has been shortened by the coronavirus pandemic and has just seven events, one of which, the Monza rally, remains to be contested in early December.

I'm glad to confirm that I'll still be racing with @TGR_WRC in 2021!

I didn't want this short season to be my last one in #WRC. The performance is there with the #YarisWRC so I want to keep working with the team and fight for another title next year ????pic.twitter.com/oqgHobaDW1

— Sébastien Ogier (@SebOgier) November 20, 2020

Ogier is still very much in the frame for a seventh title. The Frenchman is currently second in the standings just 14 points behind Welshman Elfyn Evans, who also drives for Toyota.

Ogier won four titles with Volkswagen from 2013 to 2016 and two with Ford in 2017 and 2018. He then joined Citroen in 2019 before signing for Toyota as the French manufacturer decided to withdraw from the WRC championship.