Solberg drove the challenging opening stage of Sunday morning safely to the finish and continues to lead the rally by a clear 50.8 seconds ahead of his team-mate Elfyn Evans.
“Right now I don’t care about Sunday points, it’s a unique incredible position to be in. I just try to be clean and safe. It’s so easy to make a mistake, too risky to do anything,” Solberg summed up.
The fastest time on Sunday’s opening stage was set by Toyota’s Elfyn Evans and Hyundai driver Adrien Fourmaux. In the Super Sunday classification, the leading duo beat Hyundai’s Belgian driver Thierry Neuville by 7.2 seconds. Solberg was the fourth fastest, ahead of M-Sport Ford’s Jon Armstrong.
“Very difficult, the grip at the top here is completely nox-existent,” Evans said.
“There was much less slush and snow than in our notes. After that it was full snow. I tried to be efficient, but we have no grip. Every hairpin we were just stopped. It was not easy,” Fourmaux commented.
Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier, running third in the rally, was far off the leading pace. Ogier was only the sixth fastest, more than 15 seconds down on the stage-winning time. Ogier is already 41.9 seconds behind second-placed Evans.
Fourmaux continues in fourth place overall, ahead of Neuville and Armstrong.
On Sunday in Monte Carlo, three more special stages will still be run.
Rally Monte Carlo standings after SS14/17:
| POS. | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Oliver Solberg | Toyota | 3:30:37.9 |
| 2. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +50.8 |
| 3. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | +1:32.7 |
| 4. | Adrien Fourmaux | Hyundai | +5:54.5 |
| 5. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +7:21.7 |
| 6. | Jon Armstrong | Ford | +10:09.8 |
| 7. | Leo Rossel | Citroen | +10.54,5 |
| 8. | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota | +11:53.5 |
| 9. | Roberto Dabra | Skoda | +12.58,3 |
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
