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Sébastien Ogier claims fifth Monte-Carlo victory
The Frenchman eased through the final leg above Monaco to claim his fifth Rallye Monte-Carlo win.
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As the cars lined up outside Monaco's Casino Square to take the start of the Rallye Monte-Carlo, the curtain-raiser to the 2017 WRC season, it was clear that they all looked a little different. Like a spectating Mark Webber put it, "it's the closest I've seen to Group B, which is an era of rallying I love."
The usual well-worn metaphors between Monaco's rally and its roulette wheel were more valid than ever this year. Who would gel quickest with the new generation of car? How quickly would the changeable weather catch someone out? And what could be expected from the brand new Sébastien Ogier and M-Sport partnership?
All of these questions would quickly be answered as the crews headed north towards Gap, via two night stages to kick off the action.
Watch the best moments from a thrilling rally in the video below.
3 min
Recap of Rallye Monte-Carlo
WRC 2017: Watch the Rallye Monte-Carlo video recap
A sad start
The first stage came to an end shortly after it started. Hyundai driver Hayden Paddon went off, and following the accident a Spanish spectator died. Hyundai withdrew the New Zealander's car, and the crews continued on to the second stage.
Later, Paddon said, "I will take this chance to ask spectators at rallies to please be considerate where you stand and to respect the instructions of the marshals. We all want to enjoy a good show and go home to the family afterwards."
Neuville holds his nerve
Thierry Neuville was the clear leader early on
© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
By the time the second night stage was done, Hyundai's Belgian star Thierry Neuville was the clear leader in the brand new i20 Coupe WRC. He said he wasn't pushing too hard in the conditions, which were described by most drivers as the snowiest in years. With temperatures that dipped as low as -10c overnight, it was easy to believe.
As the first proper day of action started on Friday, Neuville began to extend his advantage. And by the time it was over, his lead was up to nearly a minute.
Last ditch efforts
It was a dream debut for the Frenchman
© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
In the slippery and icy conditions, there were a few unscheduled visits into the scenery. Surprisingly, one of them was made by local hero and four-time world champion Sébastien Ogier. "I just pulled the handbrake, and nothing happened," he explained. Luckily, only 40 seconds or so were lost, as there was no shortage of willing spectators to push him out.
Elfyn Evans, returning to the top level of theWorld Rally Championship, also had a brief excursion into a ditch with his identical Ford, but there was much worse in store for Kris Meeke.
He was just a little too fast over a crest and skidded into a patch of ice, smashing his Citroën's suspension against a bank. He retired from the day, only to join the definitive retirements list on Saturday evening when somebody drove into him on a road section.
Meeke's team-mate, Stephane Lefebvre, also faced a few misadventures so it was definitely not the sort of debut that Citroën was hoping for with the new C3 WRC.
Big in Japan
Jari-Matti Latvala finished second in a Toyota
© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
The most dramatic-looking cars to grace the stages were undoubtedly the new Toyota Yaris WRCs.
Think that small Japanese hatchbacks are mainly driven sedately by pensioners? Think again. Both Jari-Matti Latvala and Juho Hanninen were setting top three stage times with the all-new Yaris, which was beginning what its Japanese bosses described as only a development year.
All we can say is that the pace of development is clearly more rapid than most people think. Hanninen blotted his copy book slightly by interfacing with a tree, but Latvala headed into the final day in a remarkable third place overall.
Thierry Wallbanger
And what of Thierry Neuville? Well, it was all going swimmingly for the Belgian until a suitably unlucky stage 13 – the final stage of Saturday night. With a lead of nearly a minute, he made a mistake by sliding wide and clattering into bank, destroying his Hyundai's suspension and his hopes of victory.
Just like a film script, Ogier then sailed into the lead of his home event on his debut with the privateer M-Sport squad, a drive secured after team principal Malcolm Wilson practically mortgaged the family silver to sign him.
Behind Ogier was his young team-mate Ott Tänak. Could this be the start of a fairy tale M-Sport 1-2?
Not firing on all cylinders
Estonian Tänak worked furiously to make repairs
© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
In a word, no. Ott Tänak came out of Sunday's first stage with a Fiesta that sounded like a pile of bricks in a steel dustbin. The car had inexplicably lapsed onto two cylinders just when he needed them all.
The Estonian was distraught but worked on a solution, replacing spark plugs and resetting everything he could in order to make the car work. And it did, sort of. While a disbelieving Latvala passed him to claim second on Toyota's debut, Tanak at least managed to hold onto third place, making it a double podium for M-Sport on a day when they took their first overall win since 2012.
For M-Sport's last win on the Monte, you'd have to go back to 2006 and Marcus Gronholm. Betting it all on buying Ogier was clearly a sound decision by Malcolm Wilson.
Viva the underdogs
Craig Breen finished fifth in a Citroën DS3
© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
Everyone loves a story of plucky underdogs triumphing against adversity, and Monte Carlo delivered two this year. Firstly, Craig Breen,driving an old spec Citroën DS3 WRC that on paper is around one second per kilometre slower than the new generation cars.
Despite this considerable handicap, Breen not only finished fifth overall, but was also the top Citroën home. Whether that should be seen as a source of pride or embarrassment for the French manufacturer is really a matter for them.
The other underdog was Andreas Mikkelsen, the winner of the last round before Monte Carlo, in Australia 2016.
He was left high and dry without a drive after Volkswagen unexpectedly pulled out from the sport. Undeterred, he took a step back to the WRC2 class for this year's Monte, at the wheel of a Skoda Fabia R5. He absolutely annihilated the opposition, and also finished seventh overall among the World Rally Cars – the sort of place where a WRC2 machine really has no right to be.
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