The most prestigious and historic rally in the championship, as well as one of the toughest, ended in the Mediterranean principality last week after 18 special stages including the spectacular Col du Turini stage. Sebastien Loeb won Rallye Monte-Carlo for a sixth time following a dominant performance behind the wheel of the Citroen DS3 WRC with Monegasque co-driver Daniel Elena.
The eight times world champion, took the early lead when he ended the second leg of the season-opening event in front by one minute 37 seconds over Spaniard Dani Sordo in a Mini, with Ford’s Petter Solberg in third place a further three seconds behind after Sebastien Ogier crashed heavily in the icy conditions and retired.
Neither Julien Ingrassia his co-driver or Ogier were injured. Loeb began the final day of the World Rally Championship qualifier, which included the 5.16 kilometre Power Stage, with a lead of 2m41.6s. Citroen’s Mikko Hirvonen, last year’s championship points runner-up, who shifted from Ford to become Loeb’s team mate this year, finished in fourth place.
Dani Sordo won the battle for second in his Mini John Cooper Works WRC, the marque’s first podium on the legendary event since Rauno Aaltonen took overall victory in a Cooper S in 1967. Petter Solberg in his comeback drive for the factory Ford team in more than a decade, came in third place.
