Rally Monte Carlo
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We're waiting for an official update on the state of proceedings in Monte Carlo. We'll bring you more as and when we receive it.
Stopwatch
Sordo drops 1m44.8s to Ogier, as he's almost certainly been held up by his crashed team-mate Paddon.
The stage has been stopped.
The stage has been stopped.
Elfyn Evans - returning to the WRC's top class with DMACK in 2017 - is sat on the startline of the stage. Talk about creating tension. The Welshman, waiting for his WRC return, is just sat, waiting.
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The Kiwi carried too much speed into a tight left hander and hit the bank on the outside. There appears to be a lot of ice there.
Hayden appears to be out of the car. The car is blocking the route.
Behind him on the stage are Sordo, Latvala, Tanak, Meeke, Breen and Lefebvre.
Hayden appears to be out of the car. The car is blocking the route.
Behind him on the stage are Sordo, Latvala, Tanak, Meeke, Breen and Lefebvre.
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Paddon is off.
Neuville goes 0.7s quicker through SS1 than Ogier then, despite being slower through the splits. Ogier's lost around four seconds in the last section of the stage.
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AND MORE EXCITEMENT! Neuville takes a chunk out of Sebastien Ogier at the last split and goes quickest!
"My car was very soft and it was moving around. In the last part I thought we were going too slow."
"My car was very soft and it was moving around. In the last part I thought we were going too slow."
Stopwatch
EXCITEMENT! Ott Tanak goes 0.7s quicker than team-mate Ogier at the first split. We'll certainly keep an eye on that.
We'll also keep an eye on Rally Finland winner Kris Meeke, who's into the stage.
We'll also keep an eye on Rally Finland winner Kris Meeke, who's into the stage.
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Ogier completes in 12m10.9s. Looking at the split, it appears top notch.
"Its difficult to find the limit in these conditions. We can go faster but its the first stage of the year. I hope that the time is not too bad. Lets wait and see."
The Frenchman sounds confident.
"Its difficult to find the limit in these conditions. We can go faster but its the first stage of the year. I hope that the time is not too bad. Lets wait and see."
The Frenchman sounds confident.
Stopwatch
Latvala's split arrived and the new Toyota driver is through 2.4s down on Ogier.
Stopwatch
Paddon is a touch adrift here, he's dropped 6.5s to the Frenchman at the second and final split.
Neuville has dropped another second at the split and is a net 3.1s down on Ogier at the final split.
Sordo has registered the time closest to Ogier in the first split so far, he's 1.8s adrift.
Can Latvala or Ogier's new team-mate Ott Tanak challenge his split times?
Sordo has registered the time closest to Ogier in the first split so far, he's 1.8s adrift.
Can Latvala or Ogier's new team-mate Ott Tanak challenge his split times?
Toyota is back in the WRC for 2017, and its leading Finn, Jari-Matti Latvala, is into the stage. Toyota is officially back.
Stopwatch
Paddon is further back from Ogier at the split, it's a good start for the Frenchman.
The Kiwi is 3.4s down.
Meanwhile the aforementioned Frenchman is through the second and final split, he reaches that in 7m20.2s. Now he's arrowing the Fiesta towards the end of the stage.
The Kiwi is 3.4s down.
Meanwhile the aforementioned Frenchman is through the second and final split, he reaches that in 7m20.2s. Now he's arrowing the Fiesta towards the end of the stage.
Stopwatch
Hayden Paddon joins our stage, with Dani Sordo up next shortly.
We're waiting for the first split time to compare Neuville and Ogier.
It's a good one for M-Sport fans. Neuville is 2.1s down on Ogier.
We're waiting for the first split time to compare Neuville and Ogier.
It's a good one for M-Sport fans. Neuville is 2.1s down on Ogier.
One manufacturer not taking the start in the WRC tonight is Volkswagen. After taking title after title since 2013, the marque announced its withdrawal last year.
However, there’s still a chance its 2017 Polo could compete this year, although chances of that took a step back when teams failed to agree on a private programme entry.
However, there’s still a chance its 2017 Polo could compete this year, although chances of that took a step back when teams failed to agree on a private programme entry.
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Thierry Neuville is also into the stage. He's second on the road.
Stopwatch
Ogier is through the first split, and it's just over three minutes.
There's something special about rallying in the dark in Monte Carlo. The Frenchman is carving his way through SS1. There hasn't been this much anticipation for the end of a first WRC stage of the year in a while.
Green flag
The first stage of the WRC's new era is underway with Sebastien Ogier and his new steed; a British-built M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC.
David Evans
Thanks to the weather, tyre choice is likely to play a key part on the results sheets over the weekend. Our man on the ground DAVID EVANS has all the details you need.
“Tyre choice for this evening’s first two stages is reckoned to be straightforward, with a soft-slick the preferred option. These two stages are further south and without anything like the snow coming on Friday and Saturday’s roads north of Gap.
“For those after for a real indication of where the pace is this season, the first part of the opening stage is a sensible place to look. The conditions there are about the most consistent and dry of the whole event, so times in the first split or two will be representative with everybody on the same rubber.
“As well as delivering plenty of value to the M-Sport World Rally Team, Sebastien Ogier is already costing his Cumbrian employer more money – the team has had to shell out on stronger barriers surrounding its corner of the service park. Fans were five and six deep at shakedown last night and the ropes being used did little to contain their enthusiasm.”
“Tyre choice for this evening’s first two stages is reckoned to be straightforward, with a soft-slick the preferred option. These two stages are further south and without anything like the snow coming on Friday and Saturday’s roads north of Gap.
“For those after for a real indication of where the pace is this season, the first part of the opening stage is a sensible place to look. The conditions there are about the most consistent and dry of the whole event, so times in the first split or two will be representative with everybody on the same rubber.
“As well as delivering plenty of value to the M-Sport World Rally Team, Sebastien Ogier is already costing his Cumbrian employer more money – the team has had to shell out on stronger barriers surrounding its corner of the service park. Fans were five and six deep at shakedown last night and the ropes being used did little to contain their enthusiasm.”
Joining us to take you through the first stage of Rally Monte Carlo this year is none other than Brit hopeful and Citroen team-leader Kris Meeke. This is the stage he span on last year, so he’ll be hoping to avoid that tonight…
SS1 Entrevaux-Ubraye (13.20 miles)
"Everybody knows this stage quite well, it’s been used a few times before – but the conditions change every time. In 2015 it was full ice and snow – we all remember that time Sebastien Loeb set – but then last year it was dry. This time around it’s going to mainly dry, but the last five or so kilometres will be really icy again.
"We had a spin at the first hairpin on this stage last year, so we’ll make sure we don’t make that mistake again! The road’s not too narrow, probably a car and a half’s width and it flows nicely. The icy bit comes after a hairpin left when we drop down and run alongside a river – there’s a lot of moisture in the air and when that freezes it’s really tricky. This section runs between a rockface and a drop."
SS1 Entrevaux-Ubraye (13.20 miles)
"Everybody knows this stage quite well, it’s been used a few times before – but the conditions change every time. In 2015 it was full ice and snow – we all remember that time Sebastien Loeb set – but then last year it was dry. This time around it’s going to mainly dry, but the last five or so kilometres will be really icy again.
"We had a spin at the first hairpin on this stage last year, so we’ll make sure we don’t make that mistake again! The road’s not too narrow, probably a car and a half’s width and it flows nicely. The icy bit comes after a hairpin left when we drop down and run alongside a river – there’s a lot of moisture in the air and when that freezes it’s really tricky. This section runs between a rockface and a drop."
We had a shakedown stage yesterday, and immediately it was difficult to judge who was on top. New M-Sport Fiesta driver Sebastien Ogier - who joined the squad after VW pulled out of the WRC for this year - topped the session. But the likes of Kris Meeke (Citroen) used slick tyres, to save winter tyres for the rally. Therefore many of the frontrunners' times were slower.
Here's a comprehensive rundown of shakedown thanks to our man DAVID EVANS.
Here's a comprehensive rundown of shakedown thanks to our man DAVID EVANS.
Lets start by giving you a start order for today's first stage, and then we'll get into some news and what to expect from the weekend. Here's the order the cars will cannon off the startline in less than 10 minutes time.
Sebastien Ogier (Ford Fiesta WRC)
Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20 WRC)
Hayden Paddon (Hyundai i20 WRC)
Dani Sordo (Hyundai i20 WRC)
Jari-Matti Latvala (Toyota Yaris WRC)
Ott Tanak (Ford Fiesta WRC)
Kris Meeke (Citroen C3 WRC)
Craig Breen (Citroen DS 3 WRC)
Stephane Lefebvre (Citroen C3 WRC)
Elfyn Evans (Ford Fiesta WRC)
Juho Hanninen (Toyota Yaris WRC)
Andreas Mikkelsen (Skoda Fabia R5)
Sebastien Ogier (Ford Fiesta WRC)
Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20 WRC)
Hayden Paddon (Hyundai i20 WRC)
Dani Sordo (Hyundai i20 WRC)
Jari-Matti Latvala (Toyota Yaris WRC)
Ott Tanak (Ford Fiesta WRC)
Kris Meeke (Citroen C3 WRC)
Craig Breen (Citroen DS 3 WRC)
Stephane Lefebvre (Citroen C3 WRC)
Elfyn Evans (Ford Fiesta WRC)
Juho Hanninen (Toyota Yaris WRC)
Andreas Mikkelsen (Skoda Fabia R5)
Hello and welcome to Autosport’s coverage of Rally Monte Carlo, the opening round of the World Rally Championship.
It’s the most exciting start to a WRC season in years, as a new rules package with more horsepower, downforce and tricky diffs mean tonight, you’ll witness the fastest cars ever to compete in the WRC. They look fantastic with more dramatic aero, to boot.
Fasten your seatbelts, we’re in for a rollercoaster of a weekend.
It’s the most exciting start to a WRC season in years, as a new rules package with more horsepower, downforce and tricky diffs mean tonight, you’ll witness the fastest cars ever to compete in the WRC. They look fantastic with more dramatic aero, to boot.
Fasten your seatbelts, we’re in for a rollercoaster of a weekend.
By: Geoff Creighton
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