MOTORSPORT: Monte hat-trick for Volkswagen

Volkswagen and its triple world champion driver Sebastien Ogier have won rallying’s crown jewel, the Monte Carlo Rally, for the third straight year.

It was VW’s 35th win with its Polo R in 40 World Rally Championship rounds since the start of 2013.

The rally in the snow, ice and occasional dry patches of tarmac in the French Alps and the principality of Monte Carlo was the home event for Frenchman Ogier and it was the 33rd victory of his WRC career.

“Winning here in Monte Carlo is such an emotional moment for me,” Ogier said.

“It is just an indescribable feeling to win this iconic rally for the third time.

“The conditions were so tricky. It was so icy and slippery.

“My ice ‘spies’ were awesome (the main one of them for the first time on the ‘Monte’).

“It was really tough for them to provide us with accurate predictions regarding the state of the roads.”

Ogier and his co-driver and countryman Julien Ingrassia finished almost two minutes ahead of fellow VW pair, Norwegians Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger – the latter making his debut at the top level of the WRC.

Hyundai’s Belgian Thierry Neuville his co-driver compatriot Nicolas Gilsoul were third in the debut of the new-generation i20, more than 3¼ minutes behind the victorious VW after having to limp through the final stages with only two-wheel-drive because of a transmission problem.

The Korean manufacturer achieved a 1-2-3 on one stage of the event and has the same number of manufacturer points as VW courtesy of Spaniard Dani Sordo’s sixth place (fifth for manufacturer points), including second on the final Power Stage behind Ogier.

Neuville was chuffed to be back on the podium, “particularly after the difficulties at the end of last season (when he seemed to be losing favour with Hyundai)”.

Northern Irishman Kris Meeke, who will only campaign part-time this season in a privateer Citroen DS3 while the French manufacturer prepares for next year’s new regulations, swapped the lead with Ogier in the early stages but retired with a damaged gearbox after hitting a rock.

Finn Jari-Matti Latvala, Ogier’s teammate in VW’s No. 1 squad (Mikkelsen is in its second team) broke his suspension when he slid into a ditch.

Latvala and his countryman co-driver Miikka Anttila were fined and given a suspended suspension for knocking over a spectator.

“I didn't see anything due to the smoke coming out of the engine and the mud on the windscreen after we came out of the ditch,” Latvala said.

“But we fully accept the stewards’ decision. The safety of spectators and participants must take top priority at any rally.

“We are pleased that the spectator got off so lightly and that nothing serious happened.”

Mads Ostberg finished fourth in a Ford Fiesta RS in his return to the M-Sport squad with a new co-driver, fellow Norwegian Ola Floene, but they were more than 4¾ minutes behind the winners.

New Zealanders Hayden Paddon and John Kennard were classified 25th in one of last year’s Hyundai i20s after clipping a tree and ripping off the left rear wheel on the second day when they slid off on ice.

Resuming on the third day, Paddon had five spins in a morning.
“It has been a character-building weekend for me,” Paddon said of his Monte debut.

“We knew coming the first time would be tough, but I have thoroughly enjoyed tackling Monte’s iconic stages.

“We were able to have some fun along the way.

“We broke something in the driveshaft under braking in one of the hairpins during the Power Stage, which slowed us down, but even that can’t take away from the encouraging weekend.

“For the team, it is great to see the new car on the podium in its first event, and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the new-generation i20 WRC in Rally Sweden [in mid-February].”

Ogier’s Monte victory was his fourth in the event – his first was in a Peugeot 207 in 2009, a year when it was a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge rather than the WRC.

However, he becomes the fifth member of an elite club of five drivers to have won the Monte three times in a row.

Italian Sandro Munari did it with Lancia, German Walter Rohrl with Opel, Lancia and Audi, Finn Tommi Makinen with Mitsubishi and Frenchman Sebastien Loeb with Citroen on the way to his record 78 WRC round victories and nine straight world titles.

The Polo R is now one of six models of car to have won the Monte three times in a row, the others being the Porsche 911, Lancia Stratos, Lancia Delta, Mitsubishi Lancer and Citroen Xsara.

Rally Australia at Coffs Harbour in NSW this year will be the finale of a WRC expanded to 14 events with a new round in China in mid-September.

World Rally Championship driver standings after first of 14 rounds – 1. Sebastien Ogier (France, Volkswagen) 28 points; 2. Andreas Mikkelsen (Norway, VW) 19; 3. Thierry Neuville (Belgium, Hyundai) 15; 4. Mads Ostberg (Norway, Ford) 12; 5. Stephane Lefebvre (France, Citroen) 10; 6. Dani Sordo (Spain, Hyundai) 10.

WRC teams championship – 1. Volkswagen Motorsport 25 points; 2. Hyundai Motorsport 25; 3. M-Sport 20; 4. Volkswagen Motorsport II 18; 5. Hyundai Motorsport N 6.