Sébastien Ogier wins his 9th Monte-Carlo Rally, a record

He may be semi-retired in the WRC (he is only playing a partial program this season), Sébastien Ogier remains for many the master of the category. The eight-time world champion won the opening round of the World Championship against competition that could only follow his Toyota from afar.

The Finnish world champion Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota, at 18”8) and the Belgian Thierry Neuville (Hyundai, at 44”6) have never been able to join the fight for victory against Haut-Alpin which engraves its name in the marble of the history of the oldest event of the WRC since it is now ahead of Loeb in the prize list with 9 crowns.

«It is enormous !. We need to take advantage of these moments and that’s why we are always here, to achieve victories like this. Winning a victory as famous as that of the Monte is priceless“, savored the winner on the finish line.

Ogier, who had taken over the lead in the general classification on Thursday, after the first two specials in the legendary climb of Turini, won 9 of the 18 times on the program. A demonstration of strength from the Frenchman and the Japanese manufacturer who even almost made it to the Slam with 17 best times in the end (Hyundai and Neuville won SS 12 and SS1).

On roads without snow but very tricky and slippery due to patches of ice in places, Ogier and his co-driver Vincent Landais above all sought to contain the competition after having widened a discouraging gap (Rovanperä, second, was clocked in at 36”) for the competition, Friday, after 8 specials at the end of the second leg.

A victory but a partial program that will not change in 2023

On the roads of his favorite rally, Ogier demonstrated that he certainly still had the potential to seek a new world crown allowing him to equal the record of Sébastien Loeb (9th). But this success will not divert the eight-time world champion from his firm and definitive decision to cover only part of the 13 rallies on the program this season, like last year (1 victory in five events).

Pierre-Louis Loubet chained the problems

Another committed French driver and the only tricolor representative to have a full program in 2023, Pierre-Louis Loubet has been collecting problems since Thursday. Victim of a power steering failure on Friday, he had hit the rear suspension of his Ford Puma on Saturday. An accident which had forced him to retire to return to the race on Sunday, without ambition for the general classification but with the hope of picking up points in the Power stage. But, victim of handbrake and water pump problems in the morning, he was forced to retire. A disappointment for the 25-year-old driver who will have the opportunity to redeem himself on the snowy roads of Sweden between February 9 and 12.

Final classification of the Monte-Carlo Rally:

1. Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (FRA/Toyota) in 3:12:02.0
2. Kalle Rovanperä-Jonne Halttunen (FIN/Toyota) à 18.8
3. Thierry Neuville-Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL/Hyundai) at 44.6
4. Elfyn Evans/ Scott Martin (GBR/Toyota) at 1:12.4
5. Ott Tänak-Martin Jarveoja (EST/Hyundai) at 2:34.9
…

Power Stage (ES18):
1. Rovanperä 5 pts
2. Thanks 4 pts
3. Evans 3 pts
4. Neuville 2 points
5. Ogier 1 pt

SEE ALSO – WRC: a couple filmed frolicking on the side of the Monte-Carlo rally road