A revised itinerary, designed to be more testing for the crews

Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team returns to the illustrious backdrop of Monaco for Rallye Monte-Carlo (January 23-26), round one of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) season, targeting a strong team result.

Starting the new season with a slate wiped clean, fresh objectives have been set for the team – including the pursuit of the manufacturers’ title – and it is hoping to set the tone for the season by starting the charge towards these aims in Monte-Carlo. However, with new regulations, a new tyre manufacturer, unpredictable conditions and strong competition, it will be no easy feat to reach at this treacherous winter event.

A trio of crews will be in the cockpit of the three Hyundai i20 N Rally1 entries in the principality: reigning champions Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe, Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja and Hyundai Motorsport rookies Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria.

Combining Neuville and Tänak’s seasoned expertise with Fourmaux’s emerging talent creates a well-rounded squad, giving Hyundai Motorsport the perfect recipe for a strong start to the season at round one in Monaco.

This year’s Rallye Monte-Carlo features an overhauled itinerary designed to challenge the competing crews, with a total of 115.59km of new or returning roads compared to the 2024 edition.

Thursday evening’s tests have increased in number to three stages in the regions of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes, all of which will be tackled under the cover of darkness. Friday features Monte-Carlo staples Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes / La Bâtie-Neuve (SS5/8, 16.68km) and La Bréole / Selonnet (SS6/9, 18.31km), offering a familiar challenge for crews. Saturday is then the longest day in competitive distance (131.40km) and has the longest stage of the weekend in La Motte-Chalancon / Saint-Nazaire (27.00km). The challenge does not ease on Sunday; while the day opens with the second attempts of two of Thursday’s stages, there is no dress rehearsal for the all-important Power Stage.

Hyundai Motorsport President and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said:

“It’s a great feeling to be returning to the World Rally Championship with a drivers’ championship title to our name. This success has definitely given the whole team some fresh confidence coming into 2025, as this year we have some different goals to work towards. Thierry and Martijn travel to Monte-Carlo looking to defend their victory from last year, Ott and Martin will get back in the car with the same kind of determination they had last year, and we welcome some fresh talent to the team with our new arrivals Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria. While all our crews have their own individual goals, as a team we will be working to bring home as many points as possible for our manufacturers’ efforts; Monte-Carlo is just the first of 14 rounds this year, and we are hoping to get the year started with plenty of positivity. It will not be easy with the new regulations, tyres, unpredictable weather and Toyota’s full-strength return, but with more consistency this year we are hoping to take our contention to the next level.”

Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#1 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)

• Reigning world champions return to Monaco to aid pursuit of team title
• Victory in 2025 would complete hat-trick of Rallye Monte-Carlo wins for Neuville

Neuville said: “It’s never three without two, and of course I would like to win Rallye Monte-Carlo for a third time, but it’s also one of the most difficult events to win. Alongside the usual difficulties at Monte-Carlo, we also have the challenge of the new tyres so there will be plenty of surprises in the conditions we haven’t tested in yet – we need to take it step-by-step to approach the limit. At the moment we are expecting more wintery conditions than we have had in the past few years, which will make the event even more challenging, although we know in Monte-Carlo the conditions are never guaranteed. The first target is always to finish, so if we are in the fight towards the end of the weekend, we will definitely give it an extra push.”

Crew Notes: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (#8 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)

• Estonian duo ready to kick-off their fifth WRC season in a Hyundai
• Crew looking to improve on career best finish of second in the principality

Tänak said: “There are many sections that are new this year, so again it’s difficult to know what to expect. Monte is always very unknown, so it makes the long-term preparation quite difficult. The weather is the main character, and we need to be ready for every outcome over the weekend. The main thing to consider about that is the tyres, which is quite a big component in our rally. Everyone has quite a big unknown, and I think this will make Monte very interesting. It’s always a tricky event, we have been on the podium but never been strong enough to win it. It really is a unique event with a big history, and a win here is something I would appreciate a lot. It’s always the target, and let’s say this trophy would be in a special place.”

Crew Notes: Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (#16 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)

• French crew to make its Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team debut
• Fourmaux/Coria aiming to clinch crucial points for manufacturers’ efforts

Fourmaux said: “My first round in the World Rally Championship was at Rallye Monte-Carlo, and I was able to score my first ever championship points there, so it holds good memories for me. Saying this, it’s the most difficult rally of the year because of the conditions. It’s hard to describe the feeling here, it’s really something special. We work closely with the team on what tyres we need to take, sometimes considering what will be the fastest for the loop and rather than for the stage. For me, my aim in Monte-Carlo is to help the team as much as possible with the manufacturers’, but I also know I need a tidy start to make sure I score some points for the start of my championship. It’s like a home event for me, with a lot of stages in France, so to do well here would mean a lot to me.”

Weekend at a Glance

• Rallye Monte-Carlo action begins on Thursday evening with three stages kick-starting the weekend, covering 54.16km
• The first full day of competition arrives on Friday, with six stages on the itinerary crossing 107.34km
• Competitors will traverse 131.40km of French countryside on Saturday, the furthest distance of the weekend
• Three stages on Sunday wrap up the weekend, including the Power Stage of SS18 La Bollène-Vésubie / Peïra-Cava.