Citroën’s Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena claimed their 77th world rally victory and seventh Rallye Monte-Carlo win this evening, the multiple World Rally Champions claiming the silverware by one minute 39.9 seconds. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia finished a fine second in the debut competitive outing of the Volkswagen Polo R WRC and Dani Sordo and co-driver Carlos del Barrio rounded off the podium positions in another Citroën DS3 WRC, according to an FIA release on Saturday.

With the rally now based in Monaco, the crews headed out of the Principality this afternoon for some of the most famous stages of the event, which were scheduled to include three runs over the legendary Col de Turini and two through the Lantosque-Luceram stage. However, the final two stages of the rally were cancelled for safety reasons due to the huge volume of spectators and difficult access conditions.

The first run through Turini this afternoon proved to be the trickiest stage of the entire event, with a mix of conditions providing zero grip and almost un-driveable conditions. Here, third-placed Evgeny Novikov was forced to retire having hit a mountain wall and both Jari-Matti Latvala – in fifth – and Juho Hänninen, seventh, went off the road. While Loeb and Ogier maintained position at the head of the leaderboard, Sordo therefore moved up to third with Mikko Hirvonen climbing to fourth. Bryan Bouffier – winner of the opening stage – finished fifth and the top six was rounded off by Mads Østberg, who suffered with brake problems in the final stage.

The snowy scenery will certainly remain similar for the contenders as they now head to Sweden for the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship (7-10 February).

Wolfsburg, 19 Jan 2013: Absolutely “Monte”: Volkswagen showed an impressive debut in the FIA World Rally Championship. In one of the toughest editions of the Rally Monte Carlo in recent years, Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) managed to lead the Polo R WRC in its first competitive outing to second place. In difficult weather conditions with a mix of snow, ice, and wet asphalt next to bright sunshine, thick fog, and heavy rain Ogier/Ingrassa won two special stages on the classic through the French Maritime Alps. Behind the nine-time world champions Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (F/MC, Citroën), Ogier/Ingrassia achieved top times from the start, thus reaching the podium straightaway and on their own accord in the debut of the Polo R WRC.

Their team colleagues Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) were among the top five almost until the end of the rally. Because of the extremely challenging weather conditions with slush and pieces of ice, they were, however, forced to retire after sliding off in the legendary special stage over the Col de Turini.

Milestones: Fastest times for Ogier/Ingrassia

First special stage, first fastest time – for Volkswagen the Rally Monte Carlo began with a milestone achievement. On “Le Moulinon”, with 37.1 kilometers the longest special stage of the rally, Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia achieved the best time. On the second day, the French duo also secured their position with the best time in the fifth special stage, “La Batie D’Andaure”, in their home rally “Monte”. With other top results Ogier/Ingrassia consolidated their second position in the overall ranking. In total, Volkswagen managed to record top-three results in 14 of 16 special stages.

Extreme weather: premature end to the “Monte” for safety reasons

Extreme weather conditions and safety concerns resulted in a premature end of the Rally Monte Carlo. The organizers of the rally called off the remaining two stages on Saturday evening, including the final round over the Col de Turini. Heavy rain and the resulting unpredictable weather conditions in the night from Saturday to Sunday as well as traffic chaos around the mythical special stage caused safety concerns. Shortly before the cancellation of special stages 17 and 18, Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila had slipped from the track into the barriers with their Polo R WRC. Slush and pieces of ice had made the opening stage of last day of the rally unpredictable. Besides Latvala/Anttila, other top drivers crashed out in this special stage.

Tyre gamble and driving skills most crucial

Changing road textures and unpredictable weather: The conditions in the Rally Monte Carlo are unique in the WRC calendar. In no other rally is the skill of the driver as important as in the “Monte”. An additional success factor: the tyre choice. In the 2013 edition of the classic rally spike tyres turned out to be a rare commodity. No more than 20 pieces per car are permitted by the regulations. When which tyres are used, is a decision that the teams decide based on the information provided by weather crews along the stages and precise weather forecasts. Here, Volkswagen not only proved to be ready for the WRC with the Polo R WRC technically but also in driving and logistically.

The next round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) will take place in Sweden from February 07–10, 2013.

Quotes, day four of the Rally Monte Carlo

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“Second place in the first rally of the new Polo R WRC is more than we could have expected. The team did an exceptional job in the last four rally days and prepared the cars perfectly. The Rally Monte Carlo is the most complex event in the calendar and the team has here shown that they are ready for the World Rally Championship. There was no mistake, not the slightest problem. One cannot value the performance of Sébastien Ogier high enough. He drove the ‘Monte’ for in a World Rally Car the first time. There is no other rally in which the driver’s impact on the result is bigger. That is why we will not see where we stand with the Polo R WRC until after the upcoming events.”

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8
“I never was as happy about a second place as I was today. To reach the podium in our debut with the Polo R WRC is just great. These were probably the most difficult conditions in a Rally Monte Carlo I have ever experienced. Especially today, during the first run to the Col de Turini, it was extremely slippery, so that speeds of more than 20 kph were not possible. It was just about keeping the car on the road. The entire team worked very hard during the last year, and I am happy to give something back to them. I am sorry for Jari-Matti but I am sure that we will celebrate further victories together for Volkswagen in the future.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7
“I am very disappointed. There was more wet snow in the first run through the Col de Turini stage than I expected. I was too fast right in the beginning, the car did not turn as expected, and I crashed heavily. Another car had slipped there before I did and I hit the same lane. There was nothing I could do. It was my goal to gather lots of experience with the Polo R WRC. It is bitter to end the rally this way. I am sorry for the guys because they prepared the cars brilliantly. I really wanted to give them a points result.”

And then there was …

… the Volkswagen Group brand Audi, which got on board the World Rally Championship at the “Monte” in 1981 with the Quattro, winning, just like Volkswagen with the Polo R WRC, the very first special stage in its debut as a manufacturer. At the time, it was Hannu Mikkola who had a dream start; in 2013, it was Sébastien Ogier who started in a similarly spectacular way in the very first and longest special stage. The Quattro was revolutionary within the World Rally Championship in the early eighties and helped start the triumphant march of the four-wheel drive. This kind of transmission technology is indispensable in World Rally Cars today.

Rallye Monte-Carlo – Final Unofficial Results (subject to final scrutineering)

Citroën’s Sébastien Loeb has maintained his advantage at the head of the Rallye Monte-Carlo leaderboard, the Frenchman claiming two stage wins to marginally extend his advantage over second-placed Sébastien Ogier. After a trouble-free drive, Dani Sordo has climbed from fourth into third, according to an FIA press release.

Today’s second day of competition took the crews over two loops of three identical stages in the north Ardeche and also Haute Loire region. The 132.50 competitive kilometres provided another day of challenging conditions and crews had to contend with plummeting temperatures, biting winds, deep snow and hard-packed ice in the stages.

Volkswagen’s Sébastien Ogier once again kicked the day off with fastest time and it was to be his only scratch time as conditions in the stages began to favour those running further down the field. Evgeny Novikov set fantastic times in the following two stages, winning both to climb from sixth to fourth by the mid-day service. The Russian maintained his pace over the second run and is less than 20 seconds adrift of Sordo in third position. Loeb came into his own this afternoon, the Frenchman in a better position at the front of the running order as stages became more rutted after the first passage of cars. Fifth place is held by Mikko Hirvonen, the Finn running without problems but unable to match the pace of the leaders. He has dropped from third to fifth tonight. Similarly, Jari-Matti Latvala never quite got into the groove, the Finn always preferring consistent road conditions. He overnights sixth. Juho Hänninen notched up his first-ever WRC stage victory this afternoon, winning stage nine. He has moved up the leaderboard from ninth to seventh overall this evening.

Wolfsburg (17 January 2013). Impressive outing at the classic: Volkswagen once again made a good impression on day two of the Rally Monte Carlo. With the Polo R WRC making its competitive debut, Volkswagen duo Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia (F/F) added a second stage win and currently lie second overall after just over half the distance. Ogier and Ingrassia had previously won the very first stage of this year’s “Monte” on Wednesday. Having overcome extremely challenging conditions, with snow, ice and strong winds dominating the second leg of the rally, their team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) are sixth at the end of day two. In total, Volkswagen picked up five top-three results over the course of Thursday’s six special stages.

Tyre selection plays a major role at the Rally Monte Carlo. The extremely icy conditions at the 2013 event are making spiked tyres a hot commodity: no more than 20 are available for each car. As such, the teams are constantly faced with a strategic issue: how best to use the spikes. The question that just keeps on raising its ugly head is: when is the right time to use used material and when should they switch to new rubber? The closing stages of the “Monte” – including Saturday night’s classic on the Col de Turini – will reveal who played their cards right and used their tyres correctly.

Quotes, day two of the Rally Monte Carlo

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“The ‘Monte’ is our first rally with the Polo R WRC, and it is fantastic to see how well the team is already working with the car, and how smooth the processes have been from the word go during our services. This is just as important as the stage times themselves. We are obviously pleased that the cars have had absolutely no problems so far, and that the drivers have largely been returning to the service area with nothing more than a few scratches on their cars, despite the difficult conditions. All in all, the performance of the team at the halfway point has been absolutely excellent. What makes it all the nicer is that Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala have repeatedly been able to reward the good preparation and the great work put in by the mechanics at the rally in the form of top times. The guys have earned it.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7
“I tried a softer car set-up on the first three special stages of the day. Unfortunately that resulted in some edgy and inaccurate handling. On top of that, we picked up a puncture on the very first stage this morning after hitting a stone that we were unable to avoid at a very narrow point on the route. In doing so I stalled the engine briefly. That explains the lost time. After that we found a better rhythm. I have had an idea how we can adapt the set-up to better suit my driving style tomorrow.”

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8
“Today’s conditions on the ‘Monte’ were even more difficult than yesterday. The fact that once again won the first stage of the day in so much wind, ice and drifting snow was another welcome surprise. Although we took a cautious approach, we still had a spin in a left-hander on the second stage of the day. Despite that, the rally has been perfect for us so far. It will be even more perfect when we reach the finish on Saturday evening. Until then I will be concentrating solely on myself. Nobody should place too much value in the fact that we were in the top group again today: only when we get to the Rally Portugal will we be able to make reliable statements about how competitive we really are with the Polo R WRC.”

And then there was …

… Ogier’s spy on ice, Nicolas Vouilloz, who has been providing Volkswagen with the latest information on the conditions out on the special stages throughout the Rally Monte Carlo. What does he have in common with Sébastien Ogier? The love of adrenalin sports: Vouilloz is a ten-time downhill world champion, five-time World Cup winner and four-time European champion on his mountain bike. As if that were not enough, he has also started out on a second career: Vouilloz won the drivers’ title in the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC).

Rallye Monte-Carlo – Unofficial Results after Day 2