Julien Ingrassia (born 26 November 1979) is a retired French rally co-driver. Working with Sébastien Ogier, he became World Rally Champion in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 with Volkswagen Motorsport, 2017 and 2018 with M-Sport World Rally Team, and in 2020 and 2021 with Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT.

Julien Ingrassia
Ingrassia in 2013
Personal information
NationalityFrance French
Born (1979-11-26) 26 November 1979 (age 44)
Aix-en-Provence, France
World Rally Championship record
Active years2008–2021
TeamsToyota
M-Sport World Rally Team
Volkswagen Motorsport
Citroën Total World Rally Team
Citroën Junior Team
Rallies168
Championships8 (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021)
Rally wins54
Podiums91
Stage wins631
Total points2537
First rally2008 Rally Mexico
First win2010 Rally de Portugal
Last win2021 Rally Monza
Last rally2021 Rally Monza

Rally career

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While starting his professional life as a salesman, Julien Ingrassia discovered rallying and made his debut as a codriver in 2002 in France's Critérium des Cévennes. For several years, he gained experience in regional rallies, and then competed in the Peugeot 206 Cup in 2004.

At the end of 2005, he attended the Rallye Jeunes selection organised by the French Federation and discovered Sébastien Ogier, winner that year. They teamed up for the 2006 season in the Rallye Jeunes FFSA team and Julien codrived Sébastien for his first rallies and his first wins in the Peugeot 206 Cup. Together, they learnt their work in regional and national rallies and then quickly entered the international scene.

J-WRC World Champion (2008)

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In 2008, Julien Ingrassia reached the world level through the Junior World Rally Championship with the FFSA French team. Winner of three of the season's six rallies, he won the JWRC title with Sébastien Ogier. Seen as the new generation of French rallying talents, the crew only contested one season in JWRC before moving up to the WRC.

WRC (2009-2021)

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Citroën (2009-2011)

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Joining the Citroën Junior Team in 2009, Julien Ingrassia scored his first podium finish at the Acropolis Rally together with Sébastien Ogier. A first win came the following season, in Portugal. Promoted in the official Citroën Total World Rally Team for the last gravel rallies of the 2010 season, the crew took a second win in Japan, a rally that they were discovering.

Despite his late arrival in motorsport, it only took Julien Ingrassia two seasons in the WRC class together with Sébastien Ogier to star at the highest level of rallying. In 2011, the Ogier/Ingrassia crew was full-time part of the factory Citroën team, winning as many rallies as their team-mates Loeb/Elena (5), despite team's orders in favour of Loeb at the end of the season.

Volkswagen (2012-2016)

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After their departure from Citroën, Julien Ingrassia and Sébastien Ogier linked up with Volkswagen Motorsport in 2012, choosing the German manufacturer instead of Ford: this meant skipping the 2012 WRC championship in order to fully develop the new Polo R WRC, but they indeed experienced a very busy year in 2012, competing in almost the entire season at the wheel of a Skoda Fabia S2000 while developing the new car for 2013. The Polo R WRC was ready at the end of the year and was on the start line at the 2013 Rally Monte Carlo. First special stage and first win! Ogier and Ingrassia ended the weekend on the podium, and then went on to win Rally Sweden, a real accomplishment given the Scandinavians' hegemony on their home ground. Now leaders of the season, the French crew consolidated their domination rally after rally: they scored 9 victories, 111 fastest times and no less than 290 points, a record in WRC! They secured their first WRC title in the first stage of Rallye France, while Volkswagen took also the manufacturers title on the following round in Spain.

In 2014, the reigning World Champions got off to a perfect start by winning Rally Monte Carlo. After already winning this prestigious rally when it was part of the IRC championship in 2009, this was the first time they achieved this success in the WRC class. Also victorious in Mexico, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Australia, Spain and Wales, Julien Ingrassia and Sébastien Ogier clinched their second title on the penultimate round of the season. Ingrassia became the first French co-driver to have won two WRC titles. With a total of 24 victories in five seasons, he was also at that time the third most successful co-driver in the WRC (tied with Luís Moya, who retired in 2002), behind Timo Rautiainen (30) and Daniel Elena (78).

The French pair remained with Volkswagen in 2015 and won again the championship, thanks to eight rally wins and nine Power Stages maximum points taken during the season, this despite new rules that made it difficult for the championship leaders to open the road during the first two legs of each rally.

With unchanged regulations for 2016, Julien Ingrassia and Sébastien Ogier made it four titles in a row with six new wins to their credit. They won the championship in Spain and went on to celebrate Volkswagen's manufacturers' title in Wales, before the German manufacturer's surprise announcement that it was withdrawing from WRC.

M-Sport (2017–2018)

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Ogier & Ingrassia at 2017 Rallye Deutschland.

A month later, the World Champions were announced at M-Sport for 2017. They began that new challenge with a victory at Rallye Monte-Carlo and then confirmed their leadership with nine podiums and another win in Portugal. They won the title at the penultimate rally of the season, beating rivals Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak in the championship.

The duo remained another year with M-Sport. Yet again, they kicked off the championship with a victory at Rallye Monte-Carlo, the sixth for them and fifth in a row, which is a record for this legendary rally. After winning also in Mexico and France, the rest of the season was less successful for them, to the point that they were only third in the championship three rounds from the end, behind Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak. But Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia won Wales Rally GB, regained the championship lead in the following rally and then ended Rally Australia with their sixth title.

Return to Citroën (2019)

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Seven years after their collaboration ended, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia were back in Citroën for 2019. For the sixth time in a row, they began the season with a win at Rallye Monte-Carlo, after an intense duel with Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul and a gap of just 2.2 at the end, the smallest in the event's history. After a more complicated Rally Sweden, the pair put in a strong performance on the first gravel rally of the season, in Mexico, collecting the maximum possible points with the rally win and the best time in the Power Stage. Despite another win in Turkey, it was a season of ups and lows with the C3 WRC and they ended third overall. The crew then left Citroën and signed up with Toyota Gazoo Racing for 2020.

Toyota (2020-2021)

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For the first time in six years, they were beaten at Rally Monte Carlo, but scored their first win in the Toyota Yaris WRC in Mexico, which took place in early March. While the Covid-19 pandemic began to break out, the event was cut short and the championship went into an enforced six-month break. As the season resumed with new events, Ingrassia and Ogier won the Monza Rally that rounded off a shortened season and clinched their seventh world title, all of them set with three manufacturers.

The French pair re-signed for a final year, this time more complete. The first half was very strong, with four wins in six rallies, including a successful first visit to the legendary Safari Rally.

On 7 October, Julien Ingrassia announced his decision to end his career as a co-driver at the end of the 2021 season after 16 seasons alongside Sébastien Ogier.

Stats

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Titles

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Season Title Car
2007 French 206 Cup winner Peugeot 206
2008 Junior World Rally Champion Citroën C2 S1600
2013 World Rally Champion Volkswagen Polo R WRC
2014 World Rally Champion Volkswagen Polo R WRC
2015 World Rally Champion Volkswagen Polo R WRC
2016 World Rally Champion Volkswagen Polo R WRC
2017 World Rally Champion Ford Fiesta WRC
2018 World Rally Champion Ford Fiesta WRC
2020 World Rally Champion Toyota Yaris WRC
2021 World Rally Champion Toyota Yaris WRC

Victories

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WRC victories

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 #  Event Season Driver Car
1   44th Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2010   Sébastien Ogier Citroën C4 WRC
2   6th Rally Japan 2010   Sébastien Ogier Citroën C4 WRC
3   45th Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2011   Sébastien Ogier Citroën DS3 WRC
4   29th Jordan Rally 2011   Sébastien Ogier Citroën DS3 WRC
5   57th Acropolis Rally 2011   Sébastien Ogier Citroën DS3 WRC
6   29th ADAC Rallye Deutschland 2011   Sébastien Ogier Citroën DS3 WRC
7   2nd Rallye de France-Alsace 2011   Sébastien Ogier Citroën DS3 WRC
8   61st Rally Sweden 2013   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
9   27th Rally Guanajuato México 2013   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
10   47th Rally de Portugal 2013   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
11   10th Rally di Sardegna 2013   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
12   63rd Neste Oil Rally Finland 2013   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
13   22nd Rally Australia 2013   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
14   4th Rallye de France-Alsace 2013   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
15   49th Rally RACC Catalunya – Costa Daurada 2013   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
16   69th Wales Rally GB 2013   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
17   82nd Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo 2014   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
18   28th Rally Guanajuato México 2014   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
19   48th Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2014   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
20   11th Rally di Sardegna 2014   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
21   71st LOTOS Rally Poland 2014   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
22   23rd Coates Hire Rally Australia 2014   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
23   50th Rally RACC Catalunya – Costa Daurada 2014   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
24   70th Wales Rally GB 2014   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
25   83rd Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo 2015   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
26   63rd Rally Sweden 2015   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
27   29th Rally Guanajuato México 2015   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
28   12° Rally d'Italia Sardegna 2015   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
29   72nd LOTOS Rally Poland 2015   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
30   33rd Rallye Deutschland 2015   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
31   24th Rally Australia 2015   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
32   71st Wales Rally GB 2015   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
33   84th Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo 2016   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
34   64th Rally Sweden 2016   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
35   34th Rally Germany 2016   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
36   60th Rally France 2016   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
37   52nd Rally RACC Catalunya – Costa Daurada 2016   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
38   72nd Wales Rally GB 2016   Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC
39   85th Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo 2017   Sébastien Ogier Ford Fiesta WRC
40   51° Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2017   Sébastien Ogier Ford Fiesta WRC
41   86th Automobile Rallye Monte-Carlo 2018   Sébastien Ogier Ford Fiesta WRC
42   32nd Rally Guanajuato México 2018   Sébastien Ogier Ford Fiesta WRC
43   61ème Tour de Corse – Rallye de France 2018   Sébastien Ogier Ford Fiesta WRC
44   74th Wales Rally GB 2018   Sébastien Ogier Ford Fiesta WRC
45   87ème Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo 2019   Sébastien Ogier Citroën C3 WRC
46   33rd Rally Guanajuato México 2019   Sébastien Ogier Citroën C3 WRC
47   12th Rally Turkey 2019   Sébastien Ogier Citroën C3 WRC
48   34th Rally Guanajuato México 2020   Sébastien Ogier Toyota Yaris WRC
49   ACI Rally Monza 2020   Sébastien Ogier Toyota Yaris WRC
50   89ème Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo 2021   Sébastien Ogier Toyota Yaris WRC
51   45th Croatia Rally 2021   Sébastien Ogier Toyota Yaris WRC
52   18th Rally Italia Sardegna 2021   Sébastien Ogier Toyota Yaris WRC
53   68th Safari Rally 2021   Sébastien Ogier Toyota Yaris WRC
54   ACI Rally Monza 2021   Sébastien Ogier Toyota Yaris WRC

JWRC victories

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# Season Rally Country Driver Car
1 2008   22nd Rally Mexico Mexico   Sébastien Ogier Citroën C2 S1600
2 2008   26th Rally Jordan Jordan   Sébastien Ogier Citroën C2 S1600
3 2008   27th Rally Germany Germany   Sébastien Ogier Citroën C2 S1600

IRC Victories

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 #  Event Season Driver Car
1   77th Rallye Monte-Carlo 2009   Sébastien Ogier Peugeot 207 S2000

Other victories

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# Season Rally Country Driver Car
1 2010 26th Rallye della Lanterna Italy   Sébastien Ogier Citroën C4 WRC
2 2011 26th Rallye National Vosgien France   Sébastien Ogier Citroën DS3 WRC

World rally championship records

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  • Win with the slightest margin: 0.2 seconds on Jari-Matti Latvala at the Rally Jordan, 16 April 2011
  • Stage wins rate in one season: 46.25% (111 wins out of 240 stages)
  • Stages as a leader in one season: 62.92% (151 SS as a leader out of 240 stages)
  • Points scored in one season: 290 pts in the 2013 World Rally Championship
  • Most codrivers' championship points overall: 2511 (2008–)

Rally records

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WRC results

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Complete WRC results

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Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 WDC Points
2008 Equipe de France FFSA Citroën C2 S1600 MON SWE MEX
8
ARG JOR
11
ITA
22
GRC TUR GER
19
NZL ESP
Ret
FRA
20
JPN 21st 1
Sébastien Ogier Citroën C2 R2 FIN
35
Equipe de France FFSA Citroën C4 WRC GBR
26
2009 Citroën Junior Team Citroën C4 WRC IRE
6
NOR
10
CYP
Ret
POR
17
ARG
7
ITA
Ret
GRE
2
POL
Ret
FIN
6
AUS
5
ESP
5
GBR
Ret
8th 24
2010 Citroën Junior Team Citroën C4 WRC SWE
5
MEX
3
JOR
6
TUR
4
NZL
2
POR
1
BUL
4
GER
3
FRA
6
ESP
10
4th 167
Citroën Total WRT FIN
2
JPN
1
GBR
Ret
2011 Citroën Total WRT Citroën DS3 WRC SWE
4
MEX
Ret
POR
1
JOR
1
ITA
4
ARG
3
GRE
1
FIN
3
GER
1
AUS
11
FRA
1
ESP
Ret
GBR
11
3rd 196
2012 Volkswagen Motorsport Škoda Fabia S2000 MON
Ret
SWE
11
MEX
8
POR
7
ARG
7
GRE
7
NZL FIN
10
GER
6
GBR
12
FRA
11
ITA
5
ESP
Ret
10th 41
2013 Volkswagen Motorsport Volkswagen Polo R WRC MON
2
SWE
1
MEX
1
POR
1
ARG
2
GRE
10
ITA
1
FIN
1
GER
17
AUS
1
FRA
1
ESP
1
GBR
1
1st 290
2014 Volkswagen Motorsport Volkswagen Polo R WRC MON
1
SWE
6
MEX
1
POR
1
ARG
2
ITA
1
POL
1
FIN
2
GER
Ret
AUS
1
FRA
13
ESP
1
GBR
1
1st 267
2015 Volkswagen Motorsport Volkswagen Polo R WRC MON
1
SWE
1
MEX
1
ARG
17
POR
2
ITA
1
POL
1
FIN
2
GER
1
AUS
1
FRA
15
ESP
Ret
GBR
1
1st 263
2016 Volkswagen Motorsport Volkswagen Polo R WRC MON
1
SWE
1
MEX
2
ARG
2
POR
3
ITA
3
POL
6
FIN
24
GER
1
CHN
C
FRA
1
ESP
1
GBR
1
AUS
2
1st 268
2017 M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC MON
1
SWE
3
MEX
2
FRA
2
ARG
4
POR
1
ITA
5
POL
3
FIN
Ret
GER
3
ESP
2
GBR
3
AUS
4
1st 232
2018 M-Sport Ford Ford Fiesta WRC MON
1
SWE
10
MEX
1
FRA
1
ARG
4
POR
Ret
ITA
2
FIN
5
GER
4
TUR
10
GBR
1
ESP
2
AUS
5
1st 219
2019 Citroën Total WRT Citroën C3 WRC MON
1
SWE
29
MEX
1
FRA
2
ARG
3
CHL
2
POR
3
ITA
41
FIN
5
GER
7
TUR
1
GBR
3
ESP
8
AUS
C
3rd 217
2020 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Yaris WRC MON
2
SWE
4
MEX
1
EST
3
TUR
Ret
ITA
3
MNZ
1
1st 122
2021 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Yaris WRC MON
1
ARC
20
CRO
1
POR
3
ITA
1
KEN
1
EST
4
BEL
5
GRE
3
FIN
5
ESP
4
MNZ
1
1st 230

Complete JWRC results

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Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 JWRC Points
2008 Equipe de France FFSA Citroën C2 S1600 MEX
1
JOR
1
ITA
5
FIN GER
1
ESP
Ret
FRA
2
1st 42

Full results in WRC

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Season Team Starts Victories Podiums Stage wins DNF Points Final result
2008 Private 8 0 0 1 1 1 21st
2009 Citroën Junior Team 12 0 1 13 ** 4 24 8th
2010 Citroën Junior Team 10 1 4 27 * 0 124 4th
Citroën Total WRT 3 1 2 10 1 43
2011 Citroën Total WRT 13 5 7 56 ** 2 196 3rd
2012 Volkswagen Motorsport 12 0 0 1 2 41 10th
2013 Volkswagen Motorsport 13 9 11 110 * 0 290 1st
2014 Volkswagen Motorsport 13 8 10 94 1 267 1st
2015 Volkswagen Motorsport 13 8 10 95 ** 1 263 1st
2016 Volkswagen Motorsport 13 6 11 72 **** 0 268 1st
2017 M-Sport 13 2 9 22 1 232 1st
2018 M-Sport 13 4 6 38 1 219 1st
2019 Citroën Total WRT 13 3 8 24* 0 217 3rd
2020 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 7 2 5 26* 1 122 1st
2021 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 12 5 7 43***** 0 230 1st
Total 168 54 91 631 15 2537

(*) including one ex-aequo stage win
(**) including two ex-aequo stage wins
(****) including four ex-aequo stage wins
(*****) including five ex-aequo stage wins

IRC results

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Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 WDC Points
2009 BF Goodrich Drivers Team Peugeot 207 S2000 MON
1
BRA KEN POR BEL RUS POR CZE ESP ITA SCO 8th 10
2010 Sébastien Ogier Peugeot 207 S2000 MON
Ret
BRA ARG CAN ITA
Ret
BEL AZO MAD CZE ITA SCO CYP 0

References

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