Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Staff began the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship with a one-two end on Rallye Monte-Carlo yesterday (Sunday) as Sébastien Ogier claimed a document ninth victory on the occasion forward of team-mate Kalle Rovanperä.
Largely dry climate made this 12 months’s rally – the opening spherical of the 2023 World Rally Championship – extra a check of outright efficiency than ordinary. Ogier set the tempo from the beginning with 5 straight stage wins as he opened up a lead of half a minute by Friday lunchtime.
The GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid was quickest within the first 11 levels of the season, its streak solely ending on Saturday afternoon – by which level Ogier was centered on managing his lead. He carried a bonus of 16 seconds over Rovanperä into the ultimate day and proceeded to say his eighth and ninth stage wins of the weekend, ending with a profitable margin of 18.8s.
Ogier’s 56th WRC win can be the primary for his French co-driver Vincent Landais, in solely the second occasion because the pair started working collectively on the finish of final season. It is usually Toyota’s fifth Monte win with a fifth totally different mannequin of automobile: the GR YARIS Rally1 Hybrid received all however two of the 18 levels throughout the weekend.
With Ogier solely contesting chosen occasions this season, second place plus victory within the rally-ending Energy Stage is a perfect begin to Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen’s defence of their championship titles. Rovanperä grew in confidence and pace throughout the rally, taking six stage wins in complete on his solution to a primary Rallye Monte-Carlo podium.
Elfyn Evans displayed equally robust tempo to his team-mates all through the weekend and was second to Ogier earlier than dropping round 40s with a broken tyre in SS5 on Friday morning. He and co-driver Scott Martin fought again to complete fourth, 27.8s from the rostrum, regardless of a short spin on Sunday morning. He was additionally third within the Energy Stage, incomes three bonus factors.
TGR’s robust begin to the season was accomplished by Takamoto Katsuta in his WRC Problem Program-supported entry. He produced his strongest Rallye Monte-Carlo efficiency so far alongside co-driver Aaron Johnston, incessantly becoming a member of his team-mates within the top-four on stage instances and ending sixth general.
Staff quotes
Akio Toyoda (TGR-WRT Chairman): “Congratulations on the ninth victory for Seb and the primary victory for Vincent in Monte Carlo. It was the beginning of the second season for our GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid. The staff started the preparation for this season proper after Rally Japan final 12 months, made a number of updates to the automobile in a brief time period and made it prepared for this primary spherical. I actually admire the entire staff members who all the time work so exhausting with out having a lot day off even in vacation season. In response to their efforts, Seb and Vincent received the rally and the opposite crews accomplished all of the particular levels. It grew to become an incredible season opening as a staff. Thanks very a lot to all.
“There was one other huge change within the low season: the staff has turn out to be a brand new firm, Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Staff. With the brand new firm, we won’t solely purpose for victory in WRC but in addition tackle varied challenges together with product growth to make the game of rally extra wide-ranging and sustainable. Jari-Matti, the Chief Rally Sporting Officer (CRSO), Tom Fowler, the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) and all the staff right here love rallying and automobiles. We are going to proceed our challenges collectively to carry extra smiles to individuals’s faces via rally and automobiles.
“P.S. to the drivers and co-drivers: do not forget that we had enjoyable collectively filth driving after Rally Japan? That place was situated in a metropolis referred to as Gamagori, and now the town has curiosity in holding rally occasions and making it a metropolis like Monte Carlo. At this time, there was an occasion there and I participated as a member of Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Staff. I wore the identical overalls as you and had enjoyable making donuts. I feel individuals who noticed me had been capable of expertise the enjoyment of rally. Sooner or later, when the town turns into like Monte Carlo, please come again and drive there once more.”
Jari-Matti Latvala (Staff Principal): “We’re delighted with this end result, it’s a tremendous solution to begin the season. We had been anticipating powerful competitors this 12 months and we weren’t certain how this rally would go, however the entire work that everyone within the staff has put in has actually paid off. Coming right here to Monte Carlo I knew Sébastien was very motivated after coming so near victory final 12 months. You would see that starvation in his eyes from the beginning on Thursday night time and after that he did an ideal drive. On the identical time, I’m additionally very pleased to see the nice tempo of Kalle, Elfyn and Takamoto. Kalle improved step-by-step for his first Monte podium and I’m certain subsequent 12 months he will probably be able to win right here. We will see that the automobile is performing very properly however we all know now we have to maintain working.”
Kalle Rovanperä (Driver automobile 69): “I’ve to say we’re actually proud of this weekend. There was a bit extra highway cleansing for us to do early within the rally than I anticipated, so we misplaced lots of time there, however after that the tempo was actually good. After we had a clear highway, we had the identical tempo as all people else and had been combating for the highest instances. Lastly we had been capable of take full factors on the Energy Stage so now we have actually good factors to begin our season. The staff have executed an incredible job with the automobile; I feel all of us had been quick and fairly assured. Massive congratulations to Seb: he’s the grasp of Monte Carlo.”
Elfyn Evans (Driver automobile 33): “General the weekend has been a constructive one for us. It’s been a reasonably good one by way of tempo and we most likely had the potential to realize a bit extra. Some frustration on Friday put us out of competition for the rostrum however that’s rallying and the way in which it goes generally. After that, fourth was most likely the most effective we might have executed and the hole to 3rd was only a bit too huge. Nonetheless, it’s strong factors to begin the season and an honest efficiency. The automobile was working rather well; the staff have been working exhausting and it exhibits within the general end result right here.”
Sébastien Ogier (Driver automobile 17): “It has been an ideal weekend. This rally means quite a bit to me and to win it’s all the time one thing very particular, so I’m going to essentially take pleasure in it. I feel I might be pleased with myself and of my staff. It’s been fairly a dominant weekend for the staff. Toyota as soon as once more supplied us with incredible instruments so because of them. It’s a tremendous solution to launch the season with a one-two end and it was a robust efficiency from Kalle as properly. Yesterday was exhausting for my nerves; I knew I might go quicker however I didn’t wish to take dangers in any respect. At this time I knew it was extra about pure driving and will benefit from the finish of the rally. I’m so pleased for Vincent as properly. It’s his first WRC win and he deserves it a lot; he has executed an ideal job on my right-hand aspect in solely our second rally collectively.”
What’s subsequent?
Rally Sweden (9 – 12 February) is the one full winter occasion of the season happening on snow and ice. Steel studs inserted into the tyres chew into the floor to supply grip and permit for a few of the highest speeds of the 12 months.
PROVISIONAL FINAL CLASSIFICATION, RALLYE MONTE-CARLO
1 Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) 3h12h02m.0s
2 Kalle Rovanperä/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) +18.8s
3 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1 HYBRID) +44.6s
4 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) +1m12.4s
5 Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (Ford Puma Rally1 HYBRID) +2m34.9s
6 Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) +3m32.6s
7 Dani Sordo/Cándido Carrera (Hyundai i20 N Rally1 HYBRID) +3m47.5s
8 Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (Hyundai i20 N Rally1 HYBRID) +3m51.3s
9 Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +10m03.4s
10 Yohan Rossel/Arnaud Dunand (Citroën C3 Rally2) +10m07.9s
(Outcomes as of 13:30 CET on Sunday 22 January; for official closing outcomes please go to www.wrc.com)
ENDS
