Reigning World Rally champion Sébsatien Ogier is yet to decide whether he’ll remain in the World Rally Championship next season.
Ogier has competed part-time with Toyota in the world championship since 2022, winning 14 rallies and an unprecedented ninth title during that time.
The WRC is set for a technical regulation change in 2027 with Rally1 cars pared back in-line with Rally2 in terms of cost and performance.
While Elfyn Evans, Oliver Solberg, Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari – as well as test driver Ott Tänak – have all driven Toyota’s test car, Ogier isn’t understood to have got behind the wheel yet.
He told DirtFish ahead of this week’s Rally Japan he is yet to decide on his WRC future.
Ogier remains focused on his 2026 season, with a decision on 2027 still to come
“I don’t really have a plan yet for next year,” said Ogier.
“If you take a scale and you weigh what is the plus and the minus, those ones [new events like Rally US] will be on the plus, and are the motivating things.
“But the truth is, you know, I’ve been there for a while now and, yeah, there is also more and more things coming on the other side of the scale, so I have to assess that and we will see.
“But at the moment, the focus is to try to enjoy this season with the last one with the Rally1. I’ve said recently that I give myself a bit more time to decide about next year.
“I haven’t really worked on it,” he added, “[but] the truth is, yeah, I start discussing and checking a bit the options and things, but at the moment I’m relaxed.
“Like I say, the focus is still very much on this season. You know, recently we’ve been able to still perform very well. Unfortunately, some bad luck [has meant we] could have some very good results. But yeah, we will see about the future.
“But for sure, family is important, like everybody knows. And yeah, that’s definitely important in all my decisions.”
When Ogier first scaled back his WRC commitments in 2022, he went enduracing racing with a view to eventually compete for Toyota’s World Endurance program.
While that never materialized, Ogier – who turns 43 in December – hasn’t given up on circuit racing.
“Dakar, I’ve never been really interested in it,” he said. “I’m still not, honestly, even if it seems to be the natural way for rally drivers and the category where you will have the most chance to adapt quickly.
“But I like challenges, like you just said. So challenges will be more on circuit racing for me and more difficult, but that’s what I like, you know, pushing myself to something new.
“And yeah, it’s more, let’s say, the vision I have so far.”
