Ogier was 3.5 seconds quicker on the stage than his team-mate Elfyn Evans. Meanwhile, the rally leader, Toyota’s young sensation Oliver Solberg, conceded 20.5 seconds to Ogier’s benchmark time in snowy and icy conditions. Solberg nevertheless remains in control at the front, with a lead of more than 50 seconds.
“I didn’t really prepare my studs properly and there was no grip. It’s so tricky and slippery that the rally is over very quickly if you make a mistake. I expected a loss like this,” Solberg summed up.
Ogier is now third in the rally, but he closed the gap to Evans to just three seconds. Ogier’s deficit to the lead is now 54.4 seconds.
“The lead is too far away. Still, you have to do your best so we can fight for a podium. There was very little grip,” Ogier said.
“I’m a bit relieved. I had no idea how I was driving, because it felt so slow. The situation was surely the same for everyone,” Evans remarked.
Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux continues in fourth place, although his gap to the lead is already more than five minutes. Thierry Neuville is fifth, just under a minute behind his team-mate.
In sixth place is M-Sport Ford’s Jon Armstrong, ahead of Hyundai’s Hayden Paddon.
The difficulty of the conditions is underlined by the fact that, for example, Fourmaux was more than half a minute off the fastest time. Toyota’s Sami Pajari, meanwhile, took a very cautious approach and lost almost a minute and a half to the stage winner.
Three more special stages will be run on Saturday at Rally Monte Carlo. The event concludes on Sunday.
Rally Monte Carlo standings after SS10/17:
| POS. | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Oliver Solberg | Toyota | 2:39:01.4 |
| 2. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +51.4 |
| 3. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | +54.4 |
| 4. | Adrien Fourmaux | Hyundai | +5:18.8 |
| 5. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +6:06.1 |
| 6. | Jon Armstrong | Ford | +8:37.8 |
| 7. | Hayden Paddon | Hyundai | +9:14.6 |
| 8. | Leo Rossel | Citroen | +9:28.6 |
| 9. | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota | +9:53.6 |
| 10. | Gregoire Munster | Ford | +10:00.5 |
Rally Monte Carlo itinerary (CET):
Wednesday 21 January
14:01 Shakedown: Gap (4.25 km)
Thursday 22 January
16:05 SS1: Toudon / Saint-Antonin (21.90 km)
18:35 SS2: Esclangon / Seyne-les-Alpes (23.80 km)
20:35 SS3: Vaumeilh / Claret 1 (15.06 km)
Friday 23 January
09:04 SS4: Laborel / Chauvac-Laux-Montaux 1 (17.95 km)
10:32 SS5: Saint-Nazaire-le-Désert / La Motte-Chalancon 1 (28.70 km)
11:50 SS6: La-Bâtie-des-Fonts / Aspremont 1 (17.79 km)
13:25 Service (33 min)
15:16 SS7: Laborel / Chauvac-Laux-Montaux 2 (17.95 km)
16:44 SS8: Saint-Nazaire-le-Désert / La Motte-Chalancon 2 (28.70 km)
18:05 SS9: La-Bâtie-des-Fonts / Aspremont 2 (17.79 km)
Saturday 24 January
08:31 SS10: La Bréole / Bellaffaire 1 (29.93 km)
09:55 SS11: Vaumeilh / Claret 2 (15.06 km)
11:15 Service (33 min)
12:31 SS12: La Bréole / Bellaffaire 2 (29.93 km)
14:00 Remote service (20 min)
18:35 SS13: Monaco Circuit (2.69 km)
Sunday 25 January
08:05 SS14: Col de Braus / La Cabanette 1 (12.50 km)
09:35 SS15: La Bollène-Vésubie / Moulinet 1 (23.45 km)
11:09 SS16: Col de Braus / La Cabanette 2 (12.50 km)
13:15 SS17: La Bollène-Vésubie / Moulinet 2 (23.45 km) *Power Stage
