WRC Monte Carlo: Final stage performance set as Ogier takes lead

The World Rally Championship Monte Carlo opener is set for a final stage showdown with 22.2 seconds to go, with the leaderboard shaken up due to changing weather conditions.

Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier is seeking a record-extending 10th Monte Carlo victory and managed to avoid tricky snowy conditions on the morning’s two stages, but his team-mate has seen his lead cut to 18.1. elfyn evans,

However, Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux remains in the hunt for victory by just 22.2 seconds, but the Frenchman’s tire gamble to take four slicks could prove crucial. The Frenchman used his Hankook rubber to blitz Stage 17 Digne-les-Bains/Chaudon-Norante, taking 23.9 seconds off leader Ogier on winter tyres.

If the final stage of the afternoon is dry and not covered in snow as forecast, he could be in the box seat to claim the WRC’s first victory, as his nearest rivals opted for more snow tires than slicks. Has chosen the option.

Hyundai’s oat tanak Briefly climbed to third after Stage 16 but dropped back to fourth (+45.5 seconds) after struggling on winter tires on Stage 17.

Two-time world champion Calle Rovanperä opted for the same tire call as Fourmox, taking four super soft and only two snow tyres. After avoiding snow patches in stage 16, the Finn was the only driver in the same time bracket as Fourmaux, only 4.5 seconds slower than the Hyundai.

Rovanperä’s pace put the Toyota driver firmly in the battle with Tanak for fourth place overall, leaving him 3.1 seconds behind in the final stages.

current world champion Thierry Neuville Jumped from eighth to sixth overall (+5m28.4s) after drama on the extremely difficult Stage 16 put the Toyota pair Takamoto Katsuta And sami priest In retirement.

Katsuta, who was sitting in sixth place, first ran into trouble when he slipped on the stage 1.8 km from the road. Onlookers attempted to push the GR Yaris back onto the road but their efforts were not successful.

Moments later Pazari misjudged the bridge entering the concrete, resulting in a major impact and he promptly retired. priest and co-driver Marco Salminen Was declared fine after the accident.

The misfortune continued on stage 17 when M-Sport-Ford’s gregoire munster Became the third Rally1 car to be retired. Luxembourger drove low into the rockface, causing his car to go into a violent turn and his Puma partially blocking the road.

M-Sport Ford Rally1 debutant Josh McErlane survived the conditions to take seventh overall (+9m33.3s), while WRC2 leader Yohan Rossell dropped to eighth ahead of Nikolay Gryazin, who suffered a puncture. And Gus Greensmith,