The 2021 Safari Rally winner made a bold decision to take only one spare wheel, instead of two, for Friday’s six stages at a rally renowned for being rough on tyres.
The call proved to be an inspired move as Ogier used his lighter GR Yaris to good effect, winning four of the six stages to head into Saturday with a 22.8s advantage over team-mate Kalle Rovanpera.
It was a calculated risk from the eight-time world champion, who elected to only push on the smoother stages of the loop.
“At first people thought it was a risky choice but in the end it was a calculated one after seeing the conditions this morning of the first two stages of the loop were not that rough in terms of tyre risk,” Ogier told Autosport.
“I was basically making a calculation that can allow myself to drive even more clean and don’t be hard on the tyres, and then really try to stay away from punctures by only having one spare and being lighter. It was basically my idea and I’m glad it worked.”
Source: Autosport