Monte Carlo, first stop of the World Rally Championship as Ogier looks to continue making history

The 54th World Rally Championship (WRC) begins this week with the legendary Monte Carlo Rally from Thursday to Sunday.the first of 14 events scheduled for the contest in which the French athlete will defend his title. Sebastian OgierHe will be behind the wheel of a Toyota GR Yaris, looking to add 10th place to break his tie for 9th place with compatriot Sébastien Loeb.

Ogier again has a partial program to compete in 10 rallies, but He leads the Toyota Gazoo Racing team, which includes Briton Elfyn Evans, Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta and Finnish Sami Pahari. They will be joined by Swede Oliver Solberg. This will be his first full season after racing part-time for Hyundai in 2022.

Solberg fills the vacancy left by two-time Finnish champion Kalle Rovanperäwill leave WRC and concentrate on single-seater racing with Toyota in the Super Formula Championship.

The M-Sport team (Ford Puma) will be joined again in 2026 by Irishman Josh McAleen and compatriot John Armstrong from the European Rally Championship. Luxembourg’s Grégoire Münster will remain in Monte Carlo for the time being, while Latvia’s Martiš Cesc will continue his partial program of seven tests.

2024 champion Thierry Neuville continues to lead the Hyundai Shell Mobis teamthe one with the highest number of pilots. The Belgian will join Frenchman Adrian Fourmeau as full-time driver, with a third car alternating between Finnish Esapekka Lappi, Spaniard Dani Sordo and New Zealander Hayden Paddon, returning to its highest level since Rally Australia in 2018.

Lappi and Sordo will also return to the squad in 2024 after a partial campaign last time out, in a squad without Estonian Ott Tänak, who announced his indefinite retirement at the end of last season.

The Monte Carlo Rally, won 10 times by Ogier, will once again be the starting point for the 14-race World ChampionshipIn time, the Croatian Rally was removed from the calendar for 2025, but has been reinstated. It replaces the Central European Rally and will be held just before the Canary Islands Rally (April 23-26).

The first rally of the year is notorious for its changeable weatherIce and snow can add to the asphalt roads of the French Coastal Alps, where tire selection is important.

This year’s Monaco Rally will start and finish at the Port of Monaco and will include a super special stage using part of Monaco’s F1 Grand Prix circuit for the first time since 2008.

Action goes straight to the mountains on Thursdaythree sections returned to the gap, two of them at night.

Three stages west of the Gap will be contested twice on Friday.Meanwhile, Saturday will feature three more mountain stages before the Monaco super special stage in the evening.

Sunday’s final stage will take place in two repeated stages over Monaco, including a power stage that ends the rally on the famous Col de Turini.