WRC - Sébastien Ogier Strikes 10 at Rallye Monte-Carlo

Frenchman triumphs on the WRC’s season opener for a record-extending 10th time.

Sébastien Ogier has once again made motorsport history, securing a record-extending 10th victory at the legendary Rallye Monte-Carlo, the opening round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship.

Piloting a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, Ogier triumphed by an 18.5-second margin over teammate Elfyn Evans after an intense final day through the French Alps.

Sunday’s High-Stakes Drama
The rally’s decisive leg brought unpredictable conditions that tested drivers’ strategies. Ogier and Evans gambled on a mixed-tyre setup of studded Hankooks and super-soft slicks, an approach that worked on icy roads but proved challenging on the drier penultimate stage.

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Adrien Fourmaux, debuting with Hyundai, capitalized on his full-slick tyre choice during this stage, setting the fastest time and briefly threatening the podium order. However, icy conditions on the final Wolf Power Stage leveled the field. Ogier seized the opportunity, claiming another stage win, while Evans fended off Fourmaux’s late charge by just 7.5 seconds despite a near-miss with a rock face.

Ogier’s Reflections
“What a weekend,” Ogier said. “I feel like my lucky star was with me, especially my uncle, who we lost a year ago. This victory is for him. Whether this is my last Monte-Carlo remains to be seen, but it would be a great place to stop.”

Further Down the Field
The treacherous conditions wreaked havoc beyond the podium battle. Toyota’s Sami Pajari and Takamoto Katsuta, along with M-Sport Ford’s Grégoire Munster, suffered off-road incidents during Sunday’s stages.

Hyundai’s Ott Tänak lost fourth place to Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä due to a tyre miscalculation, finishing just 4.7 seconds behind. Defending champion Thierry Neuville endured a series of setbacks, including suspension damage, a deflated tyre, and electrical issues, ultimately finishing sixth.

M-Sport Ford’s Josh McErlean impressed with a seventh-place finish in his Rally1 debut, while Yohan Rossel’s dominant WRC2 performance earned him an early championship lead.