
Sébastien Ogier has claimed a record-extending 10th victory on the Rallye Monte-Carlo as Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Group scored a one-two end to launch their 2025 FIA World Rally Championship marketing campaign with a most factors haul.
The victory is Ogier’s third Rallye Monte-Carlo win with TGR-WRT and his second with co-driver Vincent Landais. It brings Toyota’s all-time file on the occasion to 6 wins.
As regular, the rally introduced changeable circumstances throughout the weekend, with dry asphalt phases within the French Alps, icy sections and loads of mud and gravel being dragged onto the street. It was a difficult season-opening occasion for the groups and drivers working with the revised technical bundle for 2025: the highest class of Rally1 vehicles now not use hybrid programs and had been operating on Hankook tyres for the primary time.
Regardless of these challenges, the battle for victory remained tight all through the weekend and went all the way down to the final stage throughout the Col de Turini on Sunday afternoon. Ogier had eked out a lead of 20.3 seconds over team-mate Elfyn Evans going into the ultimate day, with the Hyundai pair of Adrien Fourmaux and Ott Tänak shut behind, however an early begin mixed with chilly and moist circumstances made for a tough final tyre alternative.
Ogier and Evans each took a bundle of 4 studded winter tyres plus two supersoft slick tyres, which paid off within the icy first stage previous to dawn. With the 4 studded tyres fitted they had been round 20s faster than Fourmaux, however that benefit swung the opposite manner on a drier second stage, the place Fourmaux might match his 4 slicks and shut again to inside 4s of Evans and 22.2s of Ogier.
The rally-ending Energy Stage featured a real mixture of circumstances, with a largely dry ascent and descent however with some ice atop the well-known Col. The highest three drivers all opted for a mixture of slick and studded tyres and it was Ogier who set the very best time, simply 0.215s faster than Evans – who ran huge and brushed a financial institution on the fast descent to the end.
Ogier’s win can be his 15th for TGR-WRT, drawing him stage with team-mate Kalle Rovanperä and their fellow two-time champion Carlos Sainz because the drivers who’ve achieved probably the most WRC victories for Toyota.
Evans and co-driver Scott Martin begin their season strongly, additionally topping the Tremendous Sunday classification to earn 5 further bonus factors, 1.1s in entrance of Rovanperä and 1.8s in forward of Ogier.
With a special tyre technique, Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen had been constant throughout all circumstances on the ultimate day and beat Ott Tänak to fourth general, securing a stable haul of 18 factors from a difficult weekend.
Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari constructed their confidence and tempo by way of the rally. Katsuta gained a stage and was third-quickest throughout Saturday, whereas Pajari gathered helpful expertise on his first Rallye Monte-Carlo in Rally1 equipment. Beginning the ultimate day sixth and seventh, each would sadly slide off the street in Sunday’s first stage.
Group quotes
Jari-Matti Latvala (Group Principal): “We couldn’t have had a greater begin to the season: we scored the utmost 60 factors as a workforce, a one-two-four general and the tenth victory for Sébastien Ogier on Rallye Monte-Carlo, which is a tremendous achievement. The circumstances had been very tough till the tip and the tyre alternative was tense on Sunday morning as a result of the street was freezing after the route-note crews had handed by way of. Sadly, Sami and Taka went off, and maybe I ought to have pushed them to make a safer alternative, however this rally was all in regards to the expertise for them. With our different drivers it labored out properly ultimately, so thanks to them. On the similar time, it was a really entertaining rally. I believe we’ve an thrilling season forward.”
Elfyn Evans (driver automotive 33): “This was a typical Rallye Monte-Carlo, a bit extra excessive than in recent times and it was a correctly difficult weekend. I’m very completely happy to be right here on the finish with an honest haul of factors. At present began off with some very tough circumstances. We made a change on the final second to take 4 studded tyres and I wasn’t certain it was the best name. In the long run it appears there wasn’t quite a bit between the 2 selections and we had a fairly thrilling Energy Stage to complete. We had an in depth second just a few corners from the tip, however we managed to get away with it.”
Kalle Rovanperä (driver automotive 69): “Rallye Monte-Carlo is all the time powerful and it was particularly so this 12 months. For me it was a fairly tough weekend. We didn’t have the end result or the tempo that we wished however we’ve to be completely happy to have gotten some fairly good factors. At present was not a nasty day for us, we simply tried our greatest, stored constant and it paid off. A giant due to the workforce, now let’s see what we will do in Sweden.”
Sébastien Ogier (driver automotive 17): “It’s wonderful to win this rally for the tenth time: it makes me extremely completely happy and proud. This rally is the one which gave me the dream to be a rally driver, so if I might choose just one to win in a season, it could all the time be this one. This 12 months it’s been an enormous struggle up till the final stage. We had altering circumstances, tough tyre choices and strain proper till the tip so I’m glad we managed to maintain it below management. We undoubtedly had some moments however to win this rally I believe you all the time want a little bit of luck too. It’s an ideal begin to the 12 months for the workforce so we couldn’t ask for something extra.”
Takamoto Katsuta (driver automotive 18): “This morning within the first stage we knew that the circumstances might be fairly tough, however we got here to 1 right-hand nook that was frosty the place we didn’t have that info in our pacenotes. We had been fairly sluggish going into the nook, however the automotive went huge and bought caught in a small ditch which we couldn’t get out of. Till then it had been fairly a great rally, particularly Saturday when the tempo was good. It’s a pity however I simply must refocus on the subsequent rally in Sweden and attempt to do a great job for the workforce there.”
Sami Pajari (driver automotive 5): “The method for at this time was the identical as earlier than and we weren’t planning to push significantly exhausting. There was only one surprisingly icy braking level which simply caught us out. It was an unlucky finish to our rally, because it had been going in response to plan till then. On Saturday particularly we noticed that the instances had been getting higher and our confidence was rising. Every little thing felt below management so it’s a pity to finish the rally like this, however we’ll attempt to study from what occurred and look ahead to Sweden.”
PROVISIONAL FINAL CLASSIFICATION, RALLYE MONTE-CARLO
1 Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) 3h19m06.1s
2 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +18.5s
3 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +26.0s
4 Kalle Rovanperä/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +54.3s
5 Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +59.0s
6 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +5m44.2s
7 Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) +10m15.1s
8 Yohan Rossel/Arnaud Dunand (Citroën C3 Rally2) +10m26.8s
9 Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +11m40.7s
10 Eric Camilli/Thibault de la Haye (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) +13m14.6s
Retired Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1)
Retired Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1)
(Outcomes as of 14:30 on Sunday, for the most recent outcomes please go to www.wrc.com)
2025 FIA World Rally Championship for drivers after spherical 1:
1 Sébastien Ogier 33 factors
2 Elfyn Evans 26
3 Adrien Fourmaux 20
4 Kalle Rovanperä 18
5 Ott Tänak 11
6 Thierry Neuville 9
7 Josh McErlean 6
8 Yohan Rossel 4
9 Nikolay Gryazin 2
10 Eric Camilli 1
2025 FIA World Rally Championship for producers after spherical 1:
1 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Group 60 factors
2 Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Group 36
3 M-Sport Ford World Rally Group 11
What’s subsequent?
Rally Sweden (13-16 February) is the one full winter occasion of the season held on snow and ice. Steel studs inserted into the tyres chew into the floor to offer grip and permit for among the highest speeds of the 12 months.
ENDS