Fourmaux wins spectacular harbor stage – Solberg still in the lead
Monte Carlo – At the 94th edition of the Rallye Monte Carlo, Olivier Solberg remains the undisputed leader. Despite a major incident on the second-to-last special stage of the day, the Toyota driver maintained his clear lead in the overall standings.
The Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux provided a special sporting highlight. He won a special stage that, for the first time since 2008, was held on a section laid out in the harbor area of the traditional Formula 1 circuit in Monte Carlo, including the start and finish straight. The 13th special stage turned into a demanding task for the drivers due to heavy rain. Numerous teams misjudged their tire choice and opted for super-soft tires.
Fourmaux, on the other hand, showed controlled and thoughtful driving and set the fastest time in the narrow guardrail section. It was also the first special stage win for Hyundai at the start of the World Rally Championship season. On the 2.69-kilometer track, he beat Toyota driver Takamoto Katsuta by 0.7 seconds.
The race day in the principality was marked by several incidents. Ford driver Grégoire Munster spun and stalled his Puma Rally1 during the prescribed donut maneuver. The Luxembourger later admitted that his tire choice was not optimal. A super soft tire on the rear right wheel did not perform as expected during the tight circling.
Former world champion Thierry Neuville also experienced a spin when he accelerated too early in the same spot. Nevertheless, the Belgian in the Hyundai achieved the third-fastest time with a deficit of 4.4 seconds. Sébastien Ogier (+4.9 seconds) and Elfyn Evans (+5.5 seconds) completed the top five in the stage. Overall leader Olivier Solberg finished tenth in the stage.
Before the final and decisive loop on Sunday, Solberg continues to lead the overall standings by a margin of 59.3 seconds. Elfyn Evans follows in second place, 26 seconds behind.