Best time in the shakedown and in the first two stages of the Monte-Carlo Rallyas well as in four of the six races scheduled for the second day: the leadership of doesn’t really seem to know any stops Sebastien Ogier in the most ‘glamorous’ round of the 2023 world championship, the first of this season. The Frenchman from Toyota made use of all his experience and his eight world titles conquered by establishing an impressive lead over his direct pursuer in the general standings. Kalle Rovanperäeven equal to 36 seconds.
The Finnish reigning world champion really tried everything to try to counter Ogier’s dominance, with a series of ups and downs almost completely compromised by an accident during the SS4, thanks to a slight impact against barriers which did not however prevent him from being able to proceed regularly to the finish line. The other Toyota home driver was decidedly more unfortunate: Elfyn Evans. The Welshman, almost always 2nd and immediately behind Ogier, in fact suffered a heavy loss of time during the SS5 due to one puncture. An unexpected event that even demoted the number 33 to 22nd position at the end of the stage, forcing him to make a comeback in the general standings that will continue tomorrow and Sunday from his current 5th place.
The couple Ogier-Evans was presented at the top of the ranking in almost all the internships: SS3, SS4, SS6 and SS7. The only two exceptions occurred in the first afternoon session, in this case with Evans leading ahead of the Frenchman. Lastly, an ‘atypical’ ending in the SS8, this time with the best time from Rovanperä in front of Neuville and Ogier, the latter for the first and only time away from the first two positions. Speaking of the bottom step of the podium, the second day of the Monte-Carlo Rally saw above all the fight between Rovanperä and the Hyundai of Thierry Neuvillewith the latter in third place provisionally in the general classification, and with Ott Tanak in the role of ‘great excluded’. The Estonian of Ford has in fact finished several tests outside the top-5, as evidenced by the current 4th place, favored mainly by the problem Evans accused with the puncture. The activity in the Principality of Monaco will return to normal tomorrow, Saturday 21 January, starting at 08:24 and with two live appointments on Sky Sport F1 and in streaming on Sky Go and NOW TV: the SS10, at 10:05, and the SS13, at 4.05 pm. In both cases, the riders will be engaged in the Malijai / Puimichel section.
WRC | Rallye Monte-Carlo: classification after SS8 – Top 10
POS. | PILOT | CAR | TIME/GAP |
1 | S. OGIER | Toyota | 1:26:39.4 |
2 | K. ROVANPERÄ | Toyota | +36.0 |
3 | T. NEUVILLE | Hyundai | +37.9 |
4 | O. TÄNAK | Ford | +54.2 |
5 | E. EVANS | Toyota | +1:02.3 |
6 | D. DEAF | Hyundai | +1:30.2 |
7 | K. KATSUTA | Toyota | +1:33.1 |
8 | E. LAPPI | Hyundai | +1:57.7 |
9 | N. GRYAZIN | Skoda (WRC2) | +4:12.8 |
10 | Y. ROSSEL | Citroën (WRC2) | +4:42.5 |
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