Kris Meeke fears challenging weather on the Monte Carlo Rally
Citroen's Kris Meeke is expecting some of the toughest Monte Carlo Rally conditions ever on his debut as a full-time World Rally Championship factory driver
While the WRC opener started in Monaco on Monday night, the competition gets underway in the French Alps on Thursday morning.
This coincides with a significant change in the weather. The Gap region has been bathed in sunshine on Wednesday, but heavy rain and snow is expected overnight.
"This blue sky can give you a false sense of security," said Meeke.
"Tomorrow the weather changes, but nobody knows whether it will rain or snow or at what altitude the rain turns to snow. It's a flip of a coin to know about the weather.
"When we did the recce, we didn't have any snow and just a few patches of ice. We just noted the road as we saw it and we will add the ice detail after our safety crew go through the stage before us.
"Tomorrow's stages are not so high, one goes up to 1300 metres, but the others are around 800. It depends on where the snow line falls."
Meeke was joint second fastest with his fellow DS3 WRC driver Mads Ostberg in shakedown on Wednesday morning.
"I felt comfortable in the car this morning," said Meeke. "And now I feel ready. I'm going to relax a little bit this afternoon and just get ready for the first stage.
"I feel at home here and I just want to get started. I want to get back to work."
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