Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville fought back to beat the Toyota duo to win 2020 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) opener, Rallye Monte Carlo.
Neuville (with co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul) started Rallye Monte Carlo well abode his Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC, as he stayed on terms with the two new Toyota drivers Sebastien Ogier (co-driver Julien Ingrassia) and Elfyn Evans (co-driver Scott Martin).
A late charge from Ogier on his Yaris WRC debut, helped him to take the overall lead at the end of Friday, with wins in SS1, SS6 and SS7. Teammate Evans was a close second after wins in SS3, SS4 and SS5, with Neuville third after taking SS2 and SS8.
The Belgian had teammate Sebastien Loeb (co-driver Daniel Elena) just behind in fourth as the Hyundai were left with just the two cars after the heavy crash for Ott Tanak (co-driver Martin Jarveoja) in SS4, which ended the Estonian’s first rally as reigning champion.
The lead M-Sport Ford Fiesta was of Esapekka Lappi (co-driver Janne Ferm) in fifth as WRC rookie Kalle Rovanpera (co-driver Jonne Halttunen) slotted in sixth in his Toyota. The lead changed hands on Saturday when Evans got ahead of teammate Ogier.
The Welshman only won SS10 but was consistent as opposed to Ogier, while Neuville was third with wins in SS9, SS11 and SS12. Behind, Loeb steadied himself in fifth ahead of Lappi and Rovanpera. Like Friday and Saturday, the lead changed again on Sunday.
Neuville was the man on charge as wins in SS13 and SS14 helped him to lead Evans and Ogier, where the latter closed in on his teammate with a win in SS15. The Belgian just had to see-off the Power Stage to open the 2020 WRC season.
It was actually a tie with both Neuville and Ogier clocking a 9.39s time, but it was enough for the Hyundai racer to clinch Rallye Monte Carlo as Ogier’s improved run in last two stages helped him to topple Toyota teammate Evans, to finish second.
It was podium for the Welshman, though, as M-Sport’s Lappi ended up a fine fourth from WRC rookie Rovanpera. Hyundai’s Loeb dropped to sixth after going off on SS14, where the spectators came to his rescue and pushed him on the rally track.
Takamoto Katsuta (co-driver Daniel Barritt), in the privateer Toyota Yaris, was seventh ahead of M-Sport’s Teemu Suninen (co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen), while M-Sport’s Deividas Jocius (co-driver Mindaugas Varza) was 17th as a private entrant.
Here’s what happened with Ott Tanak
