The Czech driver Erik Cais (Ford Fiesta Rally2), who only managed to get points in absolute order during his second start in the World Championship in his career, also did great. He finished ninth overall. In addition, he finished second in the WRC 2 category and in the WRC 2 Junior category.
The defect affected the Sebastien fight
The final day, when there were four special stages on the program and a total of 67.26 kilometers, Loeb started with a loss of 21.1 to the leading driver Sebastien Ogier (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1). Loeb won the first test of the day, but lost to the next and his deficit increased to 24.6 seconds.
But then came the penultimate test and the unexpected break in the battle for victory. Ogier had a slow defect in the left front tire that began to lose pressure. The Frenchman had to fight more and more to turn his car. He lost 34.1 seconds and before the final test he fell to second place with a 9.5 second short run on Loeb, who got to first place.
Ogier started the final test prematurely and the stewards gave him ten seconds. The reigning champion was significantly faster in the meantime and in the absence of penalties, he won the final test. In the end, he lost 10.5 to the winner and, purely mathematically, he would have finished second without a time penalty. “There was a strange engine sound at the start, maybe I was a little interrupted, I let it go a little earlier, I don’t know,” Ogier explained the penalty.
Unlike the others, he kept the veil on the podium and later added it to the microphone. “I think I can keep my head up. To be honest, I did my job this weekend. Unfortunately, when you drive with Pirelli in a cut (shortening corners), such a thing as a defect can always happen. “
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The winner rolls the records
Loeb won the 80th event of the World Championship, the last time he did so in October 2018 at the Catalan Rally. With his eighth win in Monte Carlo, he matched Ogier’s winnings in this competition and at the same time set two records for the Monaco company.
He managed to win 81 special stages at the Monte Carlo Rally and drove a total of 119 trials as a leading driver.
This is Ford’s first win since October 2018 in the UK. It is a triumph in the World Cup with serial number 92.
Sebastien Loeb and Isabelle Galmiche are the first mixed crew to win the World Championships after 25 years. The Italian-French duo Piero Liatti and Fabrizia Pons last did it in Monte Carlo 1997.
Probably the most significant intervention in the history of automobile competitions was the transcription of age history. Until now, the oldest winner was the Swede Björn Waldegaard, who was exactly 46 years and 155 days old when winning the Safari 1990. Loeb overcame him a month before his forty-eighth birthday.
“I definitely feel really happy. I did not expect such a significant result when I was about to start in this competition. It was a great fight, Ogier was really fast, I was a little worried on Saturday and Sunday morning, but the end is really great, “said Loeb, for whom it was the premiere in the championship behind the wheel of a car with a blue oval in the emblem. His skills are evidenced by the fact that nine days before this triumph, he managed to finish the Dakar Rally in second place in the car category.
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Czech rider Erik Cais started the last day of the competition in eighth place in the absolute classification. In the end, he finished ninth because he was overtaken in the last test by the Japanese Takamoto Katsuta starting with the special of the highest category Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. However, the 22-year-old Czech racer was still enthusiastic about the finish. “I have no words. It’s amazing. The car worked perfectly all weekend, so we made it. This is our first start on Monte Carlo and we immediately managed the podium. We have to thank the team a lot, “said Cais after the last test.
He became the seventh Czech pilot to manage to score in points in the historical tables of the World Cup. Jan Kopecký, who finished 10th in the Italian Rally Sardinia, last made it into the top ten at the beginning of July 2018. And how do Czech riders score?
- Martin Prokop 214
- Jan Kopecký 57
- Roman Cresta 30
- Vaclav Blahna 6
- Pavel Sibera 2
- Emil Triner 2
- Erik Cais 2
Final standings of the Monte Carlo Rally:
1. Loeb, Galmicheová (Fr./Ford Puma Rally1) 3: 00: 32.8; 2. Ogier, Veillas (Fr./Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +10.5; 3. Breen, Nagle (Irl./Ford Puma Rally1) +1: 39.8; 4. Rovanperä, Haltunen (Fin./Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +2: 16.2; 5. Greensmith, Andersson (British, Swedish / Ford Puma Rally1) +6: 33.4; 6. Neuville, Wydaeghe (Bel./Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +7: 42.6; 7. Mikkelsen, Eriksen (Nor./Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +11: 33.8 (1st year category WRC2 Open); 8. Katsuta, Johnston (Jap., Irl./Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +12: 24.7; 9. 8. Cais, Těšínský (ČR / Ford Fiesta Rally2) +12: 29.2 (2nd category WRC2 Open); 10. Grjazin, Aleksandrov (Rus./Kkoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +13: 41.3; 11. Johnston, Kihurani (USA / Citroën C3 Rally2) +14: 42.5; 12. Munster, Louka (Niz., Bel./Hyundai i20 N Rally2) +14: 48.0; 13. Rossel, Boulloud (Fr./Citroën C3 Rally2) +15: 02.1; 14. Ingram, Whittock (British / Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +15: 20.4; 15. Astier, Vauclare (Fr./Alpine A110 Rally RGT) +18: 54.0; 16. 16. Gamba, Gonella (It./Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +19: 57.0; 17. Miele, Beltrame (It./Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +20: 32.5; 18. Guigou, Bronner (Fr./Alpine A110 Rally RGT) +21: 01.9; 19. Gino, Michi (It./Hyundai i20 R5) +22: 40.7; 20. Burri, Levratti (Switzerland, Fr./Volkswagen Polo GTI R5) +22: 53.0; 21. Evans, Martin (Brit./Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +23: 10.5; … 23. Černý, Černohorský (ČR / Ford Fiesta Rally3) +24: 14.0 (2nd category WRC3 Open); 45. Rada, Jugas (ČR / Abarth 124 Rally RGT) +53: 22.9 (5th category RGT).
Current ranking of the World Cup (after 1 of 13 competitions):
1. Loeb (Fr./Ford Puma Rally1) 27 bodů; 2. Ogier (Fr./Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 19; 3. Rovanperä (Fin./Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 17; 4. Breen (Irl./Ford Puma Rally1) 15; 5. Neuville (Bel./Hyundai i20 N Rally1) 11; 6. Greensmith (British, Swedish / Ford Puma Rally1) 10; 7. Mikkelsen (Nor./Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo) 6; 8. Katsuta (Jap./Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 4; 9. Evans (Brit./Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 4; 10. Cais (ČR / Ford Fiesta Rally2) 2; 11. Grjazin (Rus./Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo) 1.
Brands: Ford 42; 2. Toyota 39; 3. Hyundai 13; 4. Toyota NG 8.
WRC2: 1. Mikkelsen 28; Case 19; 3. Gryazin 15; 4. Munster 14; 5. Rossel 13; 6. Johnston 12.
WRC3: 1. Pajari (Fin./Ford Fiesta Rally3) 29; 2. Černý 23; 3. Brazzoli (It./Ford Fiesta Rally3) 18.
SS won: Loeb 6, Ogier 5, Rovanperä 3, Greensmith 1, Evans 1, Neuville 1.
Competition management (SS): Ogier 10, Loeb 8.
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