The Monte Carlo Rally gets underway this week, signalling the start of the 2014 World Rally Championship. This year sees the healthiest entry for many years, with VW, Ford and Citroen now being joined by the all new Hyundai WRC team. All the teams have been testing since December, VW will be determined to win this year's event, after dominating the 2013 World Championship (although they did get beaten in last year's Monte Carlo Rally by the Citroen of Loeb) With Loeb now retired, the new French superstar is Sébastien Ogier (when will those French give somebody else a chance!) Ogier Monte Carlo testing Entry List: http://www.acm.mc/documents/4/LISTE DES ENGAGES PAR LISTE DE PRIORITE.pdf .
Today's shakedown saw the cars run in front of the crowds, but not officially against the clock The UK and Ireland have two crews competing at top level. Not since the days of McRae and Burns have we had so much to cheer about. Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle Elfyn Evans and Daniel Barritt Thierry Neuville was a sensation in the Ford last year, this year he has switched to Hyundai Don't doubt Hyundai's commitment, this is their service area, not the local dealership! Once an F1 superstar, Robert Kubica has now switched disciplines to WRC, all eyes will be on him this weekend Although now 56 years old, Marc Duez is still thrilling the crowds, he has entered this 911 in the relatively new RGT class Slightly younger than Duez (just!) is François Delecour, he has entered in a full WRC car and will be out to shock the young guns Few would bet against the reigning world champion competing on his home event...
Neuville crashed out on stage 1, many of the drivers were caught out on slicks. Delecour also retired on stage 1. Dani Sordo was another retirement on day one with a battery/alternator issue. Not a good debut for Hyundai Positions at end of the first day: 1. B. BOUFFIER 2. K. MEEKE +38.8 3. R. KUBICA +39.5 4. S. OGIER +47.3 5. M. OSTBERG +1:20.7 6. E. EVANS +1:38.6 7. J. LATVALA +2:20.8 8. M. HIRVONEN +2:46.9 9. A. MIKKELSEN +4:06.2 10. O. BURRI +4:47.4 So, after the first day, Frenchman Bryan Bouffier leads, he won the event a couple of years ago when the Monte was part of the IRC, this year he is having a one off drive in an M-Sport Fiesta
Kubica is off, and out of the rally. As you can see, the stages are slightly tricky! Leaderboard at end of day 2: 1. Sebastien Ogier VW 3h14m51.3 2. Bryan Bouffier M-Sport Ford +51.1 3. Kris Meeke Citroen +1m38.6 4. Mads Ostberg Citroen +2m48.9 5. Jari-Matti Latvala VW +6m04.4 6. Elfyn Evans M-Sport Ford +6m14.5 7. Mikko Hirvonen M-Sport Ford +6m43.7 8. Andreas Mikkelsen VW +10m16.9 9. Jaroslav Melicharek Slovakia Ford +16m00.8 10. Matteo Gamba Balbosca Peugeot +20m01.4
Saturday was the third and final day of this year's Monte Two stages were to be run in daylight, the final two stages in darkness. Duez had worked his way up from 61st position, but was out with mechanical failure. Meeke was holding nicely onto third position Evans was in sixth, but by the end of the two daylight stages, he had been overhauled by his team-mate Hirvonen by a mere two seconds Going into the night stages, the penultimate stage was delayed, the course car, driven by French rally legend Gilles Panizzi got stuck in fresh, deep snow, the stage was eventually started, but was then cancelled when several of the top runners also got stuck in the snow. The final stage went ahead Meeke held his third position, the best result at WRC level for one of our boys, for more years than I can remember Final bit of drama came on the final stage, Hirvonen retired with battery / alternator issues. This handed sixth place to Evans Our boys did us proud! Final results:
