Suspense on the Monte-Carlo, everything will be played in Turini!

Suspense on the Monte-Carlo, everything will be played in Turini!
Suspense on the Monte-Carlo, everything will be played in Turini!

The last morning of the Monte-Carlo rally did not lack salt this Sunday, when there were three stages to compete. The first, run at night and very early on the last 14 km in the Hautes-Alpes, reserved extremely complicated conditions, not to say precarious.

Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari also paid the price by being forced to abandon, in this start of the cataclysmic day for Toyota. The Japanese lost grip and has embedded in a hedge without being able to come out, while the Finn has swerved on a small deck. Fortunately, the crews came out unscathed.

The key to this last day is however pneumatic at the forefront, with very varied choices between the contenders for victory and the podium. We had to play riddles, especially in anticipation of the ultimate special whose arrival will be judged at the Turini pass in very uncertain conditions: will ice and snow await competitors at the top? Unless the rise in temperatures by mid-day changes the situation …

Sébastien Ogier and in favorable tank, but without a net!

Photo de: Red Bull Content Pool

Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans, themselves, bet on the studded tires in anticipation of this last act. This is what cost them dearly in ES17, very humid and slippery at the entrance to the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

The two Toyota pilots respectively let out 17 “8 and 23” 9 on an Adrien Fourmaux who, he made the opposite pneumatic bet and took the opportunity to sign his second scratch of the weekend. Ott Tänak, in a situation similar to that of leaders, lost the podium he had temporarily chips French in the ES16.

But we will have understood, nothing is played at all before the justice of the peace of this Monte-Carlo. If the conditions are right to Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans, the tenth victory of the octuple world champion on the event will be at hand, but there are 17.92 km to go. And, at this stage, the five leading men are held in less than 50 seconds!

The Power Stage, which will start at 12:15 p.m., will be competed with three less competitors in the Rally1 category since in the ES16 it is Grégoire Munster who came out of the road and had to abandon in turn.

Sunday morning scratch
Es16 13,97 km Avançon / Notre-Dame-du-Laus 2 France S. Ogier
Es17 19,01 km Digne-les-Bains / Chaudon-Norante France A. Fourmaux

Monaco Monte -Carlo rally – Ranking after ES17

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In this article

Basile Davoine

WRC

Toyota Racing

M-Sport

Hyundai Motorsport

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