Rallye Monte-Carlo 2024: Neuville takes rally lead but Ogier remains close
28th January 2024Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville has taken the Rallye Monte-Carlo lead, but Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier keeps the Belgian honest as the WRC heads into Monte’s final day.
Despite a spin on Friday, Neuville was on a charge to the front of the order as he claimed two stage wins across Saturday. The Belgian finished the day 3.3 seconds ahead of Ogier.
Toyota’s Elfyn Evans dropped down the order, the fight was clear between Neuville and Ogier for the overall lead. Heading into the penultimate stage, SS13 – Les Nonières to Chichilianne 2, Ogier had the lead by eight-tenths of a second.
When Neuville took his second-stage win, on the final test of the day, the Hyundai driver regained the rally lead. As a result of the new points system, it meant Neuville was guaranteed 18 points as long as he completed Sunday without issue.
In turn, this means Ogier will take 15 points and Evans, who dropped to third, will take home 13 points.
Ott Tӓnak (Hyundai), Adrien Fourmaux (M-Sport Ford) and Andreas Mikkelsen (Hyundai) remained in fourth, fifth and sixth respectively, remaining unchanged from Friday’s order.
Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta had recovered back into the top 10 following a five-minute time loss on stage three. The Japanese driver was the last Rally1 driver to occupy the top 10.
The remaining Rally1 driver, Grégoire Munster of Ford, had to call it a day after found himself stuck on the Oze 2 test, SS12.
The Luxembourg driver, alongside co-driver Louis Louka, lost the rear end of his Rally1 Puma as he skirted through a slow left-hander. The car beached itself between the road and the outside barrier. Thankfully, the crew were okay.
WRC2 competitors Nikolay Gryazin, Pepe López and Yohan Rossell occupied the final positions inside the overall top 10, in eighth, ninth and 10th respectively.
Only 6.7 seconds separate the top three in the WRC2 class, whereas only 0.2 seconds separate the top two, as they move into the final day of the rally.
That’s all for the article; Rallye Monte-Carlo 2024: Neuville takes rally lead but Ogier remains close!
Read more WRC here:
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- WRC: Where are they racing and when?
- Abiteboul takes up dual role as Hyundai Team Principal and President
- Toyota reveal striking new livery for their Rally1 Yaris
- Rovanpera takes part-time schedule for WRC 2024
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
