Day 2: Podium push for Dani and Carlos in Rallye Monte-Carlo
Against the stunning backdrop of the French Alps, our three crews found themselves climbing high altitudes followed by steep descents on Friday. The highs and lows of the stages were mirrored by the ups and downs we faced as a team on another busy day of WRC.
Following a steady start on Thursday, Dani and Carlos battled through a difficult second day to emerge with their provisional podium position firmly intact.
A repeat loop of three stages – Vitrolles-Oze, Roussieux-Eygalayes and Vaumeilh-Claret – made up Friday’s itinerary, covering a distance of almost 145km. From a largely dry start, weather conditions deteriorated in the afternoon loop.
Dani recaps: “Our first loop was not particularly strong and we lost some ground. Afternoon rain then made driving conditions tricky. In the final stage we had much more grip and we could find a better feeling in the car.”
Misfortune had already struck our Belgians Thierry and Nicolas on Thursday, so they had a fight-back plan for Friday. Although a puncture caused further frustration, their day ended with a maiden stage win of 2018.
“We had a puncture on the very first stage,” said Thierry. “After that we had a pretty good day. At the end of the afternoon, the car was working well and we could enjoy ourselves a bit more. We are up into ninth overall, and everything is possible in the coming two days.”
For Andreas and Anders, it was a day to forget. Our Norwegian crew encountered an alternator problem at the end of SS3, which they couldn’t fix in the short space of time before the subsequent stage.
“Fortunately, we are able to start again under Rally 2,” said Andreas. “We will now use the remaining stages to build up some more experience in the car.”
“Another day of ups and downs,” summarised our Team Principal Michel. “Things are never easy or straightforward in this rally; it’s a reality check of the WRC’s challenges and demands – exactly as it should be. Let’s see what unfolds on Saturday.”
Five stages make up Saturday’s action, which will total a competitive distance of 117.55km.
Classification after Day Two
1.S. Ogier /J. Ingrassia(Ford Fiesta WRC)2:07:15.4
2.O. Tänak /M. Järveoja(Toyota Yaris WRC)+14.9
3.D. Sordo /C. del Barrio(Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)+59.7
4.E. Lappi /J. Ferm(Toyota Yaris WRC)+1:09.9
5.J. M. Latvala /M. Anttila(Toyota Yaris WRC)+1:10.1
6.K. Meeke /P. Nagle(Citroën C3 WRC)+2:45.5
7.B. Bouffier /X. Panseri(Ford Fiesta WRC)+3:34.6
8.E. Evans /D. Barritt(Ford Fiesta WRC)+4:01.7
9.T. Neuville /N. Gilsoul(Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)+4:04.1
