Ogier On Brink of Record 10th Monte Carlo Rally Win

Sebastien Ogier is on the verge of a record 10th Monte Carlo Rally victory, extending his lead to 20.3 seconds after Saturday's stages.

Toyota's Sebastien Ogier is on the cusp of securing a record-extending 10th Monte Carlo Rally victory, having stretched his lead to 20.3 seconds after the longest leg on Saturday. Ogier, an eight-time world champion, began the day with a 12.6-second advantage over teammate Elfyn Evans, who was engaged in a fierce battle for second place with Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux.

It's been a good day, I think we can be happy with what we've done considering how challenging the road conditions were. We managed to increase a little bit the gap, not much but as long as it's going the right way, I'll take it! We still need to stay focused for tomorrow though… pic.twitter.com/qwRHdHoyuz

— Sébastien Ogier (@SebOgier) January 25, 2025

The French Alps' mud and gravel-spattered asphalt stages around Gap proved challenging for the drivers, with Fourmaux moving up to second place in the morning stages. However, by the end of the day, Evans had regained his second-place position, with Fourmaux finishing third, 4.3 seconds behind the Welsh driver. Ogier, a local resident of Gap, acknowledged the difficulties of the day, stating, “Like always, very muddy. Difficult to enjoy this one.”

Gap ❤️‍🔥 pic.twitter.com/TJvcF5Re8u

— Sébastien Ogier (@SebOgier) January 25, 2025

Hyundai's Ott Tanak delivered a strong performance, winning all three afternoon stages as well as the morning stage 11, to finish the day in fourth place, just 2.5 seconds behind Fourmaux. Toyota's Kalle Rovanpera trailed behind in fifth place, while Takamoto Katsuta secured sixth place, and Finland's Sami Pajari took seventh place, also driving for Toyota. Reigning champion Thierry Neuville experienced a difficult day, suffering a power problem and damaging a wheel rim, which relegated him to eighth place.

Neuville acknowledged the challenges he faced, saying, “The target is to take some points from tomorrow and then put this weekend behind us because there will be easier weekends for us.” The rally will conclude on Sunday with three more stages, totaling 50.9 competitive kilometers, including the iconic Col de Turini pass, before the formal finish in Monte Carlo.