World Champ Rally Driver Sebastien Ogier Won’t Compete in Poland After Crash

Sebastien Ogier during the FIA World Rally Championship Monte-Carlo in Monte Carlo, France, on Jan. 27, 2024. (Massimo Bettiol/Getty Images)

Eight-time rally world champion Sebastien Ogier is on the road to recovery following a car crash in Włosty, Poland, that left him hospitalized.

On June 25, Mr. Ogier, his co-driver Vincent Landais, and four others were injured after a head-on collision with another car.

After being discharged from the hospital, the 40-year-old posted a photo of himself in a neck brace in a social media update.

“As you may know, Vincent and I had a road traffic collision yesterday during recce at Rally Poland. I had to spend the night in hospital, but I’m already feeling much better,” he wrote.

The two are part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team and were in the country ahead of this weekend’s World Rally Championship event.

“We’re not able to take part in this rally, which is a shame, but the most important is that everyone involved is safe,” said Mr. Ogier.

The French driver said he is grateful no serious injuries were sustained, and wished good luck to his fellow rally teammates, Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen, stepping in for the event.

“Thank you everyone for all the messages I have received. I’m now on my way back home to take some rest and make sure to be back in full strength soon,” he said.

“Good luck to @KalleRovanpera, @JonneHalttunen and the whole @TGR_WRC team, I'll be cheering for you!”

According to their racing team, Mr. Ogier and Mr. Landais were in a Toyota driving along a one-lane dirt road that will be used for the rally, while preparing their pace notes. The pair collided into a Ford with two people inside, as the road was not closed to traffic.

Inside the Ford were a man and woman unassociated with the rally, both in their late 60’s, who complained of back pain after the accident.

The drivers of the two vehicles were transported to local hospitals by helicopter, while the two passengers were taken by ambulance.

Exact details of the accident remain under investigation, but no official rally route tests were taking place at the time of the crash.

In a statement posted on X, Toyota Gazoo reaffirmed that the “safety and wellbeing of all involved remains the upmost priority of the team.”

The team added that GPS tracking shows that the speed of Mr. Ogier’s vehicle at the time of the head-on crash was “within the limits set.”

The four-day rally starts June 27 in northeastern Poland, in a rural area near the border with Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave.

Mr. Ogier is regarded as one of the greatest rally drivers in history, winning six straight world titles from 2013 to 2018. He has won 60 rallies so far, with his most recent title win back in 2021.

This weekend’s rally is the seventh round of the season and the first time in seven years that the country has hosted the event. Mr. Ogier has taken home the title in Poland twice.

Had they competed, this would have marked Mr. Ogier’s and Mr. Landais’ fifth round this season for their part-time campaign for Toyota. The two drivers won the Croatia Rally in April and the Portugal Rally in May.