Makinen: Ogier was right to turn down Toyota

Ogier won the last four WRC title with Volkswagen but, after his team decided to quit the series, he was forced to look for a new drive for 2017.

Shortly after the season finale in Australia, Ogier was allowed to test the Toyota and M-Sport's Ford.

Makinen reckons Ogier's test with the Toyota was not fully representative - but insists that, if the Frenchman was not "totally satisfied" with that he saw in the test, he was right not to join the Japanese manufacturer.

"He did a little test but he had other plans," said Makinen on Ogier, who ended up joining M-Sport.

"I can say, when he tested with us, we did it on a particularly misleading piece of asphalt.

"I don’t believe it was a proper test and the car did not demonstrate what it is capable of.

"Sebastien has chosen another path and he has done the right thing if he was not totally satisfied with what he saw with us. If he was not convinced, it’s good also for us."

Toyota has recently named Ogier's former teammate Jari-Matti Latvala as its driver alongside Juho Hanninen.

Toyota will make its return to WRC in 2017, which will see the introduction of new regulations to the category.

Additional reporting by Giacomo Rauli