307 WRC flies on debut

The new WRC season got off to a troubled start, as SS1 was cancelled because too many spectators were lining the stage. The event finally got going on SS2, the 20.18km Piegut-Urtis 1 run, which was covered in hard, packed ice.

Ford star Markko Martin was second fastest behind Gronholm, with Sebastien Loeb a further 1.3s back in his Citroen Xsara WRC. Francois Duval was fourth fastest.

Petter Solberg's first event as World Rally Champion got off to an inauspicious start, as he whacked a fence and subsequently stalled his engine. He dropped 36s to Gronholm, although remains in fifth overall.

Roman Kresta set a surprising sixth-fastest time in his privateer Hyundai Accent, as several other works drivers hit trouble. The second 307 of Freddy Loix completed the stage nearly a minute slower than Gronholm, while Mitsubishi works driver Gilles Panizzi and new Subaru star Mikko Hirvonen both dropped over a minute.

We'll have all the latest news from the Monte Carlo Rally throughout the weekend on autosport.com.