Frenchman rebounds from an early setback, overtaking rivals on icy Alpine roads.
Sébastien Ogier demonstrated his legendary rallying prowess on Friday at Rallye Monte-Carlo, surging from third to first overall despite early challenges. Chasing his 10th victory in the iconic event, Ogier capitalized on his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1’s capabilities and a series of missteps by his rivals.
After losing 20 seconds during Thursday’s third stage, Ogier clawed back time throughout Friday’s treacherous stages, ending the day 12.6 seconds ahead of teammate Elfyn Evans. Evans had taken the lead earlier in the day but suffered a costly half-spin on icy terrain, relinquishing the advantage.
Thierry Neuville, the defending champion, saw his rally hopes fade after suspension damage forced him out of contention. Meanwhile, Adrien Fourmaux, in his debut outing with Hyundai, secured third place, just 1.6 seconds behind Evans, following a strong performance that included a stage win.
Saturday’s stages promise even more drama as drivers tackle over 120 kilometers of challenging Alpine roads.
Top 6 Standings After Friday:
- Sébastien Ogier (Toyota GR Yaris) – 1h 27m 0s
- Elfyn Evans (Toyota GR Yaris) – +12.6s
- Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai i20 N) – +14.2s
- Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota GR Yaris) – +38.5s
- Ott Tänak (Hyundai i20 N) – +47.3s
- Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota GR Yaris) – +1m 37.7s
Source: WRC
This article was crafted with assistance from Chatgpt
