Quote Originally Posted by Allez Andruet View Post
https://beta.is.fi/ralli/art-2000006325013.html
Finnish media IS reports that Toyota actually didn't have to pay anything to get Ogier released from his Citroen contract. The story claims Ogier handled that part himself, bypassing Budar and negotiated directly with Citroen's top management. If the story's true, Ogier had decided already in August that he would not drive for Citroen in 2020 and started to look for options. Allegedly Ogier convinced the Citroen bosses that they would save a huge amount of money by just releasing him from his contract and eventually that happened. Sounds silly but perfectly fits this silly season we're still living in.
That sounds like total BS. Meeke and Citroen went to court for way lower figures than in Ogier case so why on earth should PSA bosses be convinced to let Ogier go without any kind of compensation? Citroen extended for 2 years their WRC program with Ogier playing the central role in it; any court would force Ogier to pay them for breaking the contract. Besides, by signing Ogier PSA lost a major marketing asset like Loeb. For all this, that ‘you’re free to go’ version doesn’t make any sense; it’s probably a way to make us believe that Toyota/Makinen didn’t end paying a fortune to get Ogier and save their faces after Tanak leaving to Hyundai.