A new documentary devoted to the final season of the eight-time world rally champion, Sébastien Ogier, has been available since February 1 on the Apple TV platform. “The Final Season” retraces the exceptional adventure of the Frenchman and takes the viewer behind the scenes of the WRC.
Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher or even Sébastien Loeb… All the greatest champions of motorsport have had the right to their documentaries. In 2021, a very young retiree from the slopes is the subject of an 80-minute feature film. ” The Final Season » retraces the key stages and the final season of Sebastien Ogier in the WRC through flashbacks. It is to be discovered from 1er February on the channel Explore available via subscription on the Apple TV platform (€3.99 per month).
TO READ. WRC 2022. Regulations, calendar, entries… The guide to the season
A season and a career traced
Like the successful series dedicated to Formula 1 ” Drive To Survive (available on Netflix), the documentary – directed by Vanessa Dumont and Nicolas Davenel – shows behind the scenes of the adventure of the 38-year-old Gapençais and successfully recounts the career of the French champion. According to the production, the challenge was to give a more cinematic take on the broadcasts than rally fans might have already seen.
A successful bet, since we take great pleasure in seeing and re-watching legendary rounds on gravel and asphalt. The 80 minutes of The Final Season » are intense, and the viewer has no time to get bored, thanks to the alternation between images of the 2021 season and flashbacks. Particular attention was paid to the soundtrack of this feature film. It accentuates the emotions conveyed throughout the documentary. For the eight-time world rally champion, this project was a challenge: ” You’re always afraid of not doing things well enough », he confided after the screening of the film. ” I don’t always want to show my private life, but somehow I want to play the game. It’s difficult to find the middle ground “. A reflection which clearly underlines the original character of certain scenes where the spectator plunges into the intimacy of Seb Ogier. We enjoyed rediscovering all aspects of the WRC, from the excitement of a team during a special stage to calm times such as the physical preparation of the drivers.
Unpublished interviews
The story is punctuated by interventions from key figures in Sébastien Ogier’s career. We particularly appreciated the testimonies of his wife Andrea Kaiser, his co-driver Julien Ingrassia and those of many drivers, such as Sébastien Loeb and Tommi Mäkinen. From his karting debut to his eighth crown with Toyota, including his first disagreement with the Alsatian champion at Citroën in 2011, “The Final Season » highlights the competitive soul of the Gapençais. His time in the M-Sport team has not been forgotten. It is also his favorite title, confided the pilot during the press conference at which The argus has assisted. As a reminder, this is the first time that a driver has won the world championship with a private team. Too bad the documentary was unable to include some images of the fantastic duel between the two Sebs (Ogier and Loeb) at the Monte-Carlo rally last January.
Today, Sébastien Ogier has new desires and is now setting out to conquer endurance racing. He, who has already participated in several tests of the Toyota GR010 hypercar, has just announced his participation in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and therefore in the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of an LMP2. He will not abandon the rally for all that. The driver plans to participate in a few rounds in 2022 and would like to take his revenge on Monte-Carlo in 2023. To be continued.
