The first round of the WRC World Rally Championship was won this Sunday by the Frenchman Sébastien Ogier. The Toyota driver dominated these four days of the 89th edition of the Monte Carlo Rally.
Beaten last year by Thierry Neuville, the driver from Gap reclaimed his crown as the master of the place. He managed to handle with an iron fist all the weather alterations that greatly impacted the course. Furthermore, despite mechanical issues, he managed to keep all his direct competitors at bay, including Elfyn Evans, who was the last one capable of dethroning him yesterday. Finally, he clinched the Power Stage, earning five additional points for the championship.
With his victory in Monte Carlo, Ogier further cements his place in history with an 8th success on his turf. However, it is his seventh time in the WRC. His co-driver Julien Ingrassia and he share this record with Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena. But what is extremely impressive about Ogier is that his victories on Monegasque soil were achieved with five different manufacturers (Peugeot, Volkswagen, Ford, Citroën, and Toyota). For his last fully contested season, he’s starting perfectly well and may target another world crown.
The eight-time winner in the Principality expressed his emotions upon arrival:
“It’s not a bad end to the weekend for us! The car was amazing, it was such a pleasure. I’m almost in tears, and I think it was a good decision to do another season.”
The next event of the season is scheduled in just a month in Lapland, for the Arctic Rally Finland. This round replaces the Rally Sweden.
