Victory for Latvala last time out in the snow, coupled to Ogier’s disrupted run to sixth position, means it is the Finn that has taken an early lead in the World Rally Championship standings heading to the first gravel-based event of the season in Mexico.
Nonetheless, while Latvala has an indifferent record in Mexico, Ogier is looking forward to returning as last year’s winner, the Frenchman pointing out that the marginally more favourable running order is also likely to give him an early advantage.
“I like the Rally Mexico,” he said. “The goal for this year is obviously to repeat last season’s victory. The special stages in Mexico, some of which are very long, are always a big challenge for us. As the second car out, we start in the knowledge that the road conditions will improve with each car.
“My starting position is definitely better than that of my team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala, but the guys behind us will have even better conditions. As such, we will have to perform as well as possible on the opening day, in order not to throw away any hopes of victory early on.
Reflecting on the effect of high altitude on the cars, Ogier believes the Polo R WRC is well-equipped to deal with the conditions.
“One of our strengths last year was the engine in the Polo R WRC. We had fewer problems with the conditions, the thin air and the ensuing loss of performance than our rivals did. However, we all start from scratch again in 2014.”
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