Elfyn Evans takes the lead while the Monte-Carlo rally plunges into chaos.

Elfyn Evans takes the lead while the Monte-Carlo rally plunges into chaos.
Elfyn Evans takes the lead while the Monte-Carlo rally plunges into chaos.

The Monte-Carlo rally offered a drama with high issues on Friday while Elfyn Evans took the lead during a tumultuous morning, marked by the misfortune of the rivals Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak. What started as a slippery step has been transformed into a day of survival while the road conditions sowed chaos in the peloton.


Evans takes advantage of the errors of his rivals

Although he did not make the best times at the start of the day, Elfyn Evans took the lead after a regular performance during the SS4 and avoiding the chaos that followed. The Welshman managed to manage the changing conditions on the sliding asphalt, taking 2.8 seconds ahead of Neuville to seize first place.

“You have to drive a little with your eyes,” said Evans, highlighting the challenge of inconsistent grip levels. “It’s hard to trust them when you go from shade to light.” His prudent but clean approach turned out to be decisive.


Catastrophe for Neuville and Tänak

Thierry Neuville’s Friday collapsed during the SS6. The reigning world champion, driving his Hyundai i20 N, slid out of the road in a downhill turn, falling into a ditch and torn off the left rear wheel. Rolling painfully until the arrival with almost two minutes late, Neuville recognized the challenge of changing grip:
“It felt like the tire was stable, and suddenly, I just lost braking efficiency.” Temporary repairs on the side of the road brought him back to the service, but his attempted victory took a severe blow, making him fall in the ninth place in the general classification.

Meanwhile, Ott Tänak also encountered problems. The Estonian widened a left turn, hitting an electric pole and torn off most of the rear body of its Hyundai. Miraculously, the car remained mechanically solid, allowing Tänak to stay in the running in fifth place in the general classification.
“There is a lot of things lacking,” he joked, referring to the shredded rear body, “but I’m happy to be here.”


Ogier at hand

Sébastien Ogier, targeting another triumph at Monte Carlo, maintained the pressure. The Frenchman hit an embankment during the SS6 but came out unscathed, finishing 2.5 seconds faster than Evans, remaining only 1.5 seconds in the general classification.
“There are still big changes of grip in there,” reported Ogier, highlighting the unpredictable conditions.

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Fourmaux and Munster shine during a chaotic morning

Adrien Fourmaux delivered the morning performance, achieving the fastest time on SS6 to climb to third place to the general. Its calm and clean conduct was greeted, Fourmaux declaring: “I had fun, I was clean and I made no mistakes.”

Grégoire Munster emerged as the surprise star, taking daring risks with an unconventional tire strategy. While most of the competitors remained with studded tires, Munster mixed them and finally abandoned them entirely, a bet that paid with two nearby victories.
“It was crazy,” said Munster, visibly shaken but delighted. “I pushed like crazy, but it was really at the limit.” He now finds himself fourth general, just 0.5 seconds ahead of Tänak.


Rovanperä plays security

The defending champion Kalle Rovanperä used his advantageous position on the road to claim the fastest time on SS4, but a conservative approach on SS6 saw him slide in the sixth place in general, just 0.1 second behind Tänak.
“It was a careful race,” admitted Rovanperä, saving his efforts for the long term.


The battle for the top 10 intensifies

Behind Rovanperä, Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari occupy the seventh and eighth place respectively. Pajari narrowly avoided the disaster in the same place where Ogier hit an embankment. Meanwhile, the damaged hyundai from Neuville leaves it ninth, while Nikolay Gryazin in the Rally2 car completes the top 10.


What comes next?

With the stages of Friday afternoon again to come, the Monte-Carlo rally remains widely open. Evans has a slight 1.5 -second advance on Ogier, while Fourmaux and Munster are close enough to strike. The unpredictable conditions and the high issues promise more drama while the pilots fight against the elements – and between them – for the supremacy of the rally.

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