WRC Monte Carlo: Ogier extends lead, Fourmaux overhauls Evans

Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier moved a step nearer to a record-extending tenth Monte Carlo Rally win after growing his lead on the World Rally Championship season-opener on Saturday morning.

The eight-time world champion managed to extend his in a single day benefit to 17.2s over Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux, who leapfrogged Toyota’s Elfyn Evans [+20.0s].

Kalle Rovanpera nearly hung onto fourth after coming beneath intense stress from Hyundai’s Ott Tanak, the hole between the pair down to at least one second.

Takamoto Katsuta [+1m35.2s], Sami Pajari [+3m50.1s] and Thierry Neuville [+5m06.2s] crammed sixth by eighth, whereas WRC2 class chief Yohan Rossel moved to ninth forward of M-Sport’s Rally1 debutant Josh McErlean.

Ogier picked up from the place he left off on Friday, producing a shocking drive to increase his rally result in 16.8s. Ogier confronted extremely soiled and damp street situations being the final Rally1 automotive into the stage, however one way or the other he managed to ship a blistering effort to be 4.2s sooner than rivals Evans and Fourmaux, who posted similar instances.

However Ogier could not prime the timing screens as M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster, beginning first on the street, recorded his maiden WRC stage win. Ogier reached the stage end 0.8s slower than the Ford driver which triggered celebrations for Munster and co-driver Louis Louka. The triumph arrived after a suspected electrical fault compelled the pair to retire on the finish of Friday.

“Congrats to Munster. Large street situation distinction. Nicely carried out, he did already some good instances yesterday. He’s on an excellent path. It is a good begin for us, I’m glad,” stated Ogier.

Rovanpera maintained his maintain of fourth total forward of Tanak after posting the third-fastest time.

There was nevertheless but extra drama for Neuville who misplaced greater than a minute when his i20 N all of a sudden slowed which necessitated a stoppage to conduct a full reset earlier than he may proceed.

“I needed to do a reset. The automotive went after which I misplaced the ability like in Japan, we thought the turbo was gone,” stated Neuville.

“Within the scenario we had been in, let’s attempt to do a reset, and we had been advantageous since. No thought, no alarm, nothing. Now it’s working.”

For security causes, stage 11 (Aucelon/Recoubeau-Jansac, 15.48km) was shortened by 5.37km with the place to begin moved.

A continuation of the dry street surfaces with damp patches greeted the crews, however street situations deteriorated after each cross.

Munster was unable to repeat his stage-winning tempo however reeled that he selected to “maintain his ft on the bottom” after the success.

“Actually good feeling for profitable the earlier stage, everybody was a bit gutted yesterday however I feel it is a massive thanks for them, all of the staff that labored actually onerous final night time,” stated Munster.

“Years of dedication and work to lastly get a reward, it’s a very good feeling. I did not need to do an excessive amount of on this one as a result of it is advisable to maintain your ft on the bottom, however it’s a difficult one.”

It was Tanak who set the tempo within the take a look at as he minimize the hole to fourth-placed Rovanpera to 2.9s.

There was additional motion on the leaderboard as Ogier was surprised by how soiled the street had change into, and will solely submit the fifth quickest time. The Toyota driver was slower than each Fourmaux and Evans, which means his lead was diminished to 12.3s.

That benefit was now over Fourmaux, who overhauled Evans for second regardless of shedding time to a stall at a sq. proper. Evans stated he was caught out by the quantity of cuts required within the stage.

Mild rain in the direction of the top of stage 12, the ultimate of the loop, made the difficult situations even worse.

Katsuta managed to tame the slippery street floor the perfect to win the stage by 1.3s from the recovering Neuville.

Ogier was solely 2.4s shy of the tempo however was nevertheless faster than his nearest rivals Fourmaux and Evans, which allowed the Frenchman to get well the time loss from the earlier stage.

Tanak took one other 1.9s out of Rovanpera because the battle for fourth total got here all the way down to solely a second.

The crews will full a second cross by the trio of levels this afternoon.