Evans leads for the moment of the 1st special, Ogier nine seconds behind

Haut-Alpin Sébastien Ogier, tentatively fourth in the rankings some ten seconds behind Elphin Evans, is not surprised by his mixed result.

“It was a bit planned,” he explains on the WRC microphone.

“There were already a lot of gravel cuts for us on the road, so it’s not really a surprise,” he continues.

The first results of the special between Thord and Saint-Genies are starting to come in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

Elphin Evans finished 21.01 km in 12:12.9 to take provisional first place. followed by Ott Tenac (+5.2), Thierry Neuville (+8.3) and finally Haut-Alpin Sébastien Ogier (+9.8).

The first special of the evening may begin. 69 teams have just set off from Thord for the 21.01 km race. See you in Saint-Jeanies upon arrival later!

15 minutes atmosphere from the start of this Monte-Carlo rally. Here, on the side of the road between Thord and Sainte-Genies. Special starts in a few minutes.

Shortly before the special, the crowd moves through Beyonce’s legendary “Turnstile.”

Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia team up again… but not in a car. The eight-time WRC World Rally Champion reunited with his former co-driver with whom he won everything.

This was Monday, in a small restaurant in the Dignois region: “Les Vieux Casseroles”, located in Chabriers between Chateaureudon and Chaudon-Norante.

Miriam, the boss, says: “The Toyota team was testing at Corrobin Pass. And for two years, we have been privatizing our restaurant to accommodate this very friendly team.”

“It’s an old post-war restaurant, formerly called “Ma Petit Auberge,” Merriam recalls.

More than a hundred people turned up in front of the Digne-les-Bains convention center at 7:30pm to watch drivers change their tires. High-alpine pilot Sebastien Ogier was applauded.

The children are delighted, some came specially to the section for this show and other specials.

Earlier, the grand opening of the rally was done from the Place du Casino. From the crowd in attendance, one distinguished guest stood out: His Royal Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco.

“We have no problem with road deterioration,” assures Marcel Canat, vice-president of the Hauts-Alpes departmental council in charge of roads, regarding the passage of the Monte-Carlo rally.

On the microphone of BFM DICI, the manager promised that the safety of the pilots will not be compromised on the roads of the course.

Bas-Alpine, who has featured prominently this season in the African Rally Championship and the Alpine Trophy, assures that he will take part in Monte-Carlo “with great humility”. He will guide Belgian Armand Fumal on the Alpine A110.

“It’s Armand’s first time at Monte-Carlo. It’s a very long rally. We cover more than 1,200 km in the weekend. We have to respect the legend and start carefully. The goal is to preserve the mechanics. The podium will be a good one. The result. .”

Emmanuel Frisson and Christophe Ganguet always look good when they leave in their Skoda Fabia. The Gapense pair have high hopes for the coming days.

“Our partners are very serious. They follow us from the beginning of training. Then, we faced Monte-Carlo with our whole team: our instructors, our mechanical team. It is a great team effort that is the sign of a family project.”

The Southern Alps are at the heart of the 92nd edition of the Monte-Carlo Rally. Nicolas Ciamin’s co-driver Yannick Roche aims to top the rankings.

“We won the last event in WRC2. It would be wrong to say that we did not achieve a good result. We still know that it will be difficult to win, because our competitors are very sharp. A podium would be an excellent result. “

The second night will happen in the second half of the evening around 10 pm. Between Bayons and Bréziers turnstiles, the route is 25.19 km. Be careful if you want to see cars passing by.

The first special phase of the rally will start before 8:30 pm. The route will stretch from Thord to Sainte-Genés and promises to be the first highlight of the 92nd edition. The route is 21 km.

But before the matter got to the heart of the matter, the atmosphere turned heated. “There are many volunteers. We are there to entertain. This year is our arrival, (…) it is an opportunity for people to do something”, declares one of the managers of the refreshment bar.

“We have been coming for many decades, the atmosphere in the village is extraordinary,” adds another viewer on the microphone of BFM DICI.

The 92nd edition of the Monte-Carlo Rally was officially launched at the end of the day in Monaco. The 70 crew left in the evening to reach Digne-les-Bains.

The first special of the evening takes place in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence just 20 kilometers between Saint-Genies and Thord.

As the event approaches, the Automobile Club of Monaco (ACM) broadcasts a message of vigilance to spectators on its social networks.

ACM writes, “Enjoy the rally in complete safety only through areas reserved for the public, marked with green net or green tape.

Festivities will begin at 4:40 on the Place du Casino.

On the eve of the first specials, Sébastien Ogier finished fourth in the shakedown. The high-alpine pilot is now looking forward to “the start of serious things”.

“That’s why we’re here. I feel good. Reconnaissance went well, even the shakedown. First impressions with the car are good. I’m looking forward to the battle now,” he emphasized into the microphone of BFM DICI.

The eight-time winner of the Monte-Carlo Rally visited the fans in the Gap fan zone yesterday. “It would be an honor for me to try to shine the colors of the Hauts-Alpes this weekend, if I can,” added Sébastien Ogier.

The shakedown took place yesterday on the Route de la Garde north of the Gap. At the end of the first three timed runs (two mandatory) during this Monte-Carlo event, which does not count for race classification, it was Estonian Ott Tanak who set the best time over 3.28 kilometers.

Elfin Evans led Thierry Neuville and Sébastien Ogier in third and fourth respectively.

a fan zone The Monte-Carlo Rally was set up on Monday at Bernard-Givaudan Park, in Gap, to follow it live.

A huge screen has been installed, besides the chalets, entertainment has been planned.

The Fan Zone will be accessible till midnight every day.

With 14 passes to cross, 17 special stages and five sections to cross, the 92nd edition of the Monte-Carlo Rally promises to be intense.

This year, the route “has gone up in latitude – and therefore in altitude – (…) to hope for a snowier route than previous editions”, the organizers announced.

The first stage, at night only, will take the pilots directly over the Southern Alps.

On the menu: two timed specials totaling 46.2 km, with a segment between Thord and Saint-Genies at 8:35 pm and a second between Baynes and Bréziers at 9:58 pm.

Hello and welcome to this live broadcast dedicated to the 92nd edition of the Monte-Carlo Rally.

After two days of reconnaissance, followed by a shakedown session, the competition will begin at 4:52pm on the Place du Casino in Monaco.

70 crews will be on the starting line, including Sebastian Ogier, who is on home soil. The eight-time WRC World Rally Champion is aiming for another win.

Find our article summarizing everything you need to know about the 92nd edition of the Monte-Carlo Rally here.