Rally titan Ogier bows out with eighth world title

Many sequels fail to live up to their billing, but Sebastien Ogier versus Elfyn Evans for the World Rally Championship title at Rally Monza was a box-office hit. Almost 12 months ago, Evans suffered the heartbreak of crashing out in the snowy Italian hills to hand Ogier the 2020 crown. And, while the ultimate outcome was similar, this second instalment delivered one of the best duels in recent years. Ogier and Evans went toe to toe in a relentless three-day, 16-stage battle, where the lead swapped six times, the margin between the Toyota team-mates never more than 7.6 seconds in a thrilling no-holds-barred fight for victory.

While many would have welcomed Evans upsetting the odds to become the first British WRC champion since the late Richard Burns in 2001, few would begrudge Ogier edging Evans by 7.3s in Italy to lift an eighth world title at the end of his glittering full-time career in the WRC. Rarely do elite athletes bow out on such a high, which made Rally Monza a fairytale finish befitting rather than an , but it did mark the end of an era of dominance, stretching back to his first title in 2013 for Volkswagen. Only once in the past nine seasons (Ott Tanak in 2019) has he been beaten to the crown. It also signified the end of one of motorsport’s greatest partnerships, because Ogier’s trusty co-driver Julien Ingrassia is retiring for good.