Ogier celebrated his ninth career victory in Rally Monte-Carlo. Additionally, he has one win in Monte-Carlo from when the event was part of the IRC series. The victory was particularly special for Ogier, as he dedicated it to the memory of his late uncle, whose influence had played a key role in starting the Frenchman’s rallying career.
“What a weekend! I believe my lucky star, my uncle, was with me today, whom we lost a year ago. This victory is for him,” Ogier told.
Toyota secured a one-two finish with Elfyn Evans taking second place, 18.5 seconds behind Ogier. Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux finished third in his debut rally for the Korean manufacturer.
“I didn’t expect ice at that one spot a kilometre before the finish, but luckily, we made it through. It didn’t look good at that point,” Evans remarked, referring to a minor collision with a rock shortly before the finish.
“The podium is a very positive start to the season for us. It’s a good way to begin the year. I’m really happy with my first rally in the new team,” Fourmaux said.
Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä had an excellent Sunday, climbing to fourth place ahead of Hyundai’s Ott Tänak. Rovanperä was also the second fastest driver of the day, earning four WRC points. Additionally, his fourth-place finish in the Power Stage secured him another two points.
“If we manage to climb positions, that’s great, but it still didn’t feel good. Especially at the start, it was tough with the mixed tyres. The weekend was a disappointment. We couldn’t find the pace at any point. Let’s see in Sweden if we still know how to drive a rally car,” Rovanperä reflected.
Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville finished sixth, a significant disappointment for the weekend. Last year’s winner and defending champion ruined his chances on Friday with two off-road incidents on the same stage and in the same corner. Neuville managed to score just one bonus point on Sunday.
The Power Stage was won by Ogier, with Evans taking second. As Evans also finished first in Sunday’s standings, Toyota scored maximum points in the manufacturers’ standings, gaining an immediate 24-point lead over Hyundai. Ogier naturally leads the WRC standings but will not compete in the entire season. Evans is in second place, Fourmaux third, and Rovanperä fourth.
In the WRC2 category, Citroën driver Yohan Rossel claimed an overwhelming victory ahead of Hyundai’s Eric Camilli. France completed a podium sweep with Leo Rossel, the younger of the Rossel brothers, securing third place. For Leo, it was his first WRC event, and he immediately achieved a podium finish.
The WRC season continues on Sweden’s snowy roads in February.
The Rally Monte-Carlo Results:
| POS. | Driver | Car | Time |
| 1. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | 3:19:06.2 |
| 2. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +18.4 |
| 3. | Adrien Fourmaux | Hyundai | +25.9 |
| 4. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | +54.3 |
| 5. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | +58.9 |
| 6. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +5:44.2 |
| 7. | Josh McErlean | Ford | +10:15.0 |
| 8. | Yohan Rossel | Citroen | +10:26.8 |
| 9. | Nikolay Gryazin | Skoda | +11:40.7 |
| 10. | Eric Camilli | Hyundai | +13:14.6 |
| 11. | Leo Rossel | Citroen | +13:20.6 |
Power Stage top5:
| POS. | Driver | Car | Time |
| 1. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | 12:58.6 |
| 2. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +0.2 |
| 3. | Adrien Fourmaux | Hyundai | +3.7 |
| 4. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | +5.7 |
| 5. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | +13.4 |
Super Sunday top5:
| POS. | Driver | Car | Time |
| 1. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | 36:16.1 |
| 2. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | +1.1 |
| 3. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | +1.8 |
| 4. | Adrien Fourmaux | Hyundai | +3.2 |
| 5. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +28.5 |
Itinerary, Rally Monte-Carlo (CET):
Wednesday 22.1.
16.01 Shakedown: Route de la Garde (3,28 km)
Thursday 23.1.
18.05 SS1: Digne-les-Bains / Chaudon-Norante 1 (19.01 km)
19.53 SS2: Faucon-du-Caire / Bréziers (21.18 km)
21.06 SS3: Avançon / Notre-Dame-du-Laus 1 (13.97 km)
Friday 24.1.
09.31 SS4: Saint-Maurice / Aubessagne 1 (18.68 km)
10.34 SS5: Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes / La Bâtie-Neuve 1 (16.68 km) *CANCELLED
11.42 SS6: La Bréole / Selonnet 1 (18.31 km)
15.23 SS7: Saint-Maurice / Aubessagne 2 (18.68 km)
16.26 SS8: Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes / La Bâtie-Neuve 2 (16.68 km)
17.34 SS9: La Bréole / Selonnet 2 (18.31 km)
Saturday 25.1.
08.59 SS10: La Motte-Chalancon / Saint-Nazaire 1 (27.00 km)
10.05 SS11: Aucelon / Recoubeau-Jansac 1 (20.85 km)
11.08 SS12: La Bâtie-des-Fonts / Aspremont 1 (15.48 km)
14.59 SS13: La Motte-Chalancon / Saint-Nazaire 2 (27.00 km)
16.05 SS14: Aucelon / Recoubeau-Jansac 2 (15.48 km)
17.08 SS15: La Bâtie-des-Fonts / Aspremont 2 (17.85 km)
Sunday 26.1.
06.39 SS16: Avançon / Notre-Dame-du-Laus 2 (13.97 km)
08.32 SS17: Digne-les-Bains / Chaudon-Norante 2 (19.01 km)
12.15 SS18: La Bollène-Vésubie / Peïra-Cava (17.92 km) *Power Stage
