#RMC #2023 🇵🇱 🌏🧡⭐️💯🔝🧡 OGIER, NEUVILLE AND TÄNAK READY TO PUNCE! 🇵🇱 🌏🧡⭐️💯🔝🧡

#RMC #2023 🇵🇱 🌏🧡⭐️💯🔝🧡 OGIER, NEUVILLE AND TÄNAK READY TO PUNCE! 🇵🇱 🌏🧡⭐️💯🔝🧡

Présentation de cette 91e édition
Ogier, Neuville and Tänak ready to pounce!
Introduction of this 91st edition
Three undisputable headliners of the 91st edition of Rally Monte-Carlo kicked off this Thursday morning at the “shakedown” between Sainte-Agnès and Peille (2.29km): Frenchman Sébastien Ogier (Toyota), an 8-time World Champion, in search of a 9th record success in the Principality, Belgian Thierry Neuville (Hyundai), the multiple vice-World Champion, often placed, never crowned, and Estonian Ott Tänak, the 2019 World Champion, back at M-Sport Ford, in the team that allowed him to burst on the rally scene.
One rally driver is missing, the legendary Sébastien Loeb, who won last year at the respectable age of 47, but he could not reasonably follow up, in such a short time, a superb 2ndplace in the Dakar rally-raid, Sunday, with such a demanding rally as the Monte-Carlo. Even if the weather conditions are expected to be mild, with almost completely dry asphalt roads. And this regardless of the outside temperature when the crews will leave the Port of Monaco Service Park early in the morning.
We will also have to follow closely, of course, the youngest world champion in the history of the World Rally Championship (WRC): Finnish star Kalle Rovanperä, 22, crowned at the end of 2022 at the end of an incredible season for a driver with so limited experience. His calm is already legendary. It will serve him well during this 91st edition which, like all previous ones, will be tricky, difficult and complicated to manage.
For the second season of hybrid cars in the Rally1 category, inaugurated last year at the same time, the first stage times of 2023 will be known this Thursday evening in Col de Turini (SS1, 15.12km) and Col de Castillon (SS2, 24.90km), so close to Monaco. They will give an initial trend on the potential of the forces involved this year. With a special mention for another young driver: Pierre-Louis Loubet, starting his first full season at M-Sport Ford, the family team of Malcolm Wilson, alongside Tänak. Very promising!
Ogier sets the tone!
The time is dizzying from the outset: 1:44.6 over 2.29km between Sainte-Agnès and Peille, on the third pass this Thursday morning, much quicker than 1:50.4 last year on the same route, in similar conditions, by the same driver in the same car, well almost… Each time, the best shakedown time for Sébastien Ogier (Toyota Gazoo Racing), eight-time world champion in search of a record 9th victory in the Principality, on Sunday.
That is almost six seconds better, or three seconds per kilometer, which gives an idea of the spectacular improvements of Ogier’s Toyota Yaris, one year after its official debut in January 2022. In the first pass, Ogier was already four seconds faster than last year, an improvement – thanks to the maximum utilisation of the hybrid boost – of two seconds per kilometer. « It’s hard to know what to expect. The conditions changing from the recce to the rally can make it very exciting and, of course, the tyre strategy can spice things up on the race compared with other events. “
Just behind Ogier, the gaps also make you dizzy: 7 drivers grouped together in just one and a half second, between 1:44.6 for the Frenchman and 1:46.1 for Ott Tänak (M-Sport Ford), the 2019 world champion (7th), four tenths behind his new teammate, young Frenchman Pierre-Louis Loubet (6th).
Last but not least, the reigning World Champion, Kalle Rovanperä, is ready to go. He clocked the 2nd time this morning, three tenths only behind his glorious team-mate at Toyota Gazoo Racing. Can’t wait for the first two special stages on Thursday evening!
SEE YOU FOR THE START!
Photos: #ACM_Media 🇵🇱 🌏🧡⭐️💯🔝🧡
19th January #2023

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