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The 2018 WRC begins in Monte-Carlo and here's everything you need to know
The 2018 World Rally Championship is ready to hit the road with the Rallye Monte-Carlo. Get up to speed with everything you need to know – including where to watch it.
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The 2018 WRC season kicks off with the classic Rallye Monte-Carlo. The action starts on the night of Thursday January 25 in the famous Casino Square, followed by two night stages as the action moves to the Hautes-Alpes department of France.
Friday and Saturday feature tests around the twisting roads around the town of Gap, a live stage on Red Bull TV and then the long journey back to Monaco. Sunday's finale runs in the Alpes-Maritimes mountains above the Principality, and the legendary Col de Turini.
Watch the video below for a full race preview:
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What you need to know about Rallye Monte-Carlo 2018
We're all set to start the World Rally Championship at Monte Carlo 2018. Get all the info here.
Rallye Monte-Carlo facts
Sébastien Loeb in the famous Casino Square
© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
- Surface: Mixed
- Stages: 17
- Distance: 394.74km
- 2017 winner: Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia – M-Sport World Rally Team
Useless fact: Against all the odds, the 1966 Rallye Monte-Carlo was won by a Mini Cooper. In fact, the little Minis took the top three steps on the podium, only to be controversially disqualified due to headlight irregularities.
Where to watch the action
The rally opens in the unique and splendid setting of Monaco’s Casino Square, bringing world-class motorsport to the principality a good four months before the Formula One guys. The opening day’s events are followed by two night-time special stages and, with it, a rare chance to see WRC machines up close, at speed and at night.
If you're lucky enough to find yourself watching the first round of the 2018 WRC in the flesh, head to the iconic Col de Turini, where you can see the world’s best drivers and fast-and-furious amateurs tackle the mountainous La Bollène-Vésubie. Expect to be surrounded by thousands of likeminded rally fans. Just make sure you take some thermal clothing!
On the final day, you can cheer home the winner by heading down to the palace in Monaco to see the champagne sprayed and find out if anyone's managed to wrest the win away from reigning champions M-Sport and Sébastien Ogier.
Competition: Fancy an unforgettable passenger ride aboard the world championship-winning Ford Fiesta World Rally Car at May’s Vodafone Rally de Portugal?
And if you can’t watch the action firsthand, catch it LIVE on Red Bull TV:
Rallye Monte-Carlo's lucky numbers
The first edition of the Rallye Monte-Carlo was held in 1911
© Branger/Roger Viollet/Getty Images
- First event: 1911 – it's the oldest event on the WRC calendar
- Driver with the most wins: Sébastien Loeb = 7
- Co-driver with the most wins: Daniel Elena = 5
- Manufacturer with the most wins: Lancia = 13
Did you know? Against all the odds the 1966 Rally Monte Carlo was won by a Mini Cooper. In fact, the little Minis took the top three steps on the podium, only to be controversially disqualified due to headlight irregularities.
Championship facts
- M-Sport World Rally Team are the defending drivers’ and constructors’ champions
- No more rallying in Poland for 2018 – Turkey returns for the first time since 2010
- The Return of Loeb – the nine-time WRC champ returns for selected rallies with Citroën
Get a full championship preview in the story below:
The WRC is 45!
Happy Birthday WRC! The World Rally Championship is 45 years old this year.
Check out this gallery looking at the last four-and-a-half decades of WRC action:
Sandro Munari was the first world champion back in 1973
© Getty Images
Ford is WRC's second most successful brand
© John Marsh/EMPICS via Getty Images
Audi Quattro was one of the most spectacular cars in Group B
© CityFiles/WireImage
Before Loeb and Ogier, there was Tommi Mäkinen
© Getty Images
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