Sebastien Ogier experienced some difficulty in his starting position on Friday morning’s first stage of Rally Monte Carlo, as the cars ahead had scattered dirt on the track from cutting the corners. However, the Frenchman drove very well on the next two stages.
On the final stage of the morning loop Ogier left his rivals in the dust. Setting the fastest time by a margin of 11.2 seconds over his teammate Elfyn Evans was a dazzling performance.
“I did not expect that,” Ogier admitted.
“The conditions were really challenging on the last three kilometres, with ice on the road.”
The difficulty of the section was also highlighted by an incident where Ogier’s ice note crew had rolled their Toyota onto its side earlier in the morning at that very place.
“I suppose I can talk about it now since everyone already knows,” Ogier chuckled.
“Simon (Jean-Joseph) went off, but fortunately, the spectators were able to help him. Without him, it would practically be impossible. The section was much icier for them than when I drove there a couple of hours later. It seems that I was able to interpret the changing conditions well and maintain a faster pace compared to my competitors. It’s great to be back in the game,” Ogier said.
At the end of the same stage, Ogier had an emotional moment. The French champion disclosed he had had a tough week and broke down in tears. Ogier mentioned he would share more about the matter after the event.
Three more stages are scheduled for Friday in Rally Monte Carlo. Ogier will start the afternoon loop from second place, 10.7 seconds behind his teammate Evans.
