The WRC Monte-Carlo Rally is traditionally
the opening stage of the FIA World Rally Championship.
The 93rd edition will take place from 20 to 26 January 2025.
Mind
the Gap!
For this 93rd edition, the queen of the
Rally races is returning to the Hautes-Alpes département, and specifically Gap,
which was the host town from 2014 to 2021, then again in 2024.
The Organising Committee of the Automobile
Club de Monaco has opted to raise the bar even higher for this 2025 Monte-Carlo
Rally, with an exacting route that’s perhaps more challenging than ever before.
This inaugural stage of the FIA World Rally
Championship will throw all manner of problems in the teams’ way, as they
navigate the narrow and winding back country roads through the Alpes-Maritimes,
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, and Drôme.
The
rally will officially get under way on Thursday 23 January 2025, and will
culminate with the trophy presentation on the legendary Place du Casino in
Monaco.
Joy and heartbreak
In 2024, Belgian driver Thierry Neuville
claimed victory in the Principality for the second time, following his maiden
win here in 2020. For his co-pilot
Martijn Wydaeghe, it was a first win in Monte-Carlo.
"I’m speechless. This weekend was so
amazing, I felt so at ease,” said Neuville as he prepared to take his place on
the top step of the podium of the Col de Turini.
He dominated his rivals, Elfyn Evans and
Sébastien Ogier, the latter being the all-time legend of the Monte-Carlo Rally
with nine wins.
Sadly, it was a difficult weekend for the
Frenchman who was grieving the loss of his uncle. Though he went ahead and
competed in the race, after the final special stage an emotional Ogier
explained:
"It was hard to say goodbye on Monday
[22 January 2024] to someone who was very important to me, who got me started
in motor sport and bought me my first kart."
But like the true champion he is, he added:
“It was a great battle with Thierry. Well done to him, he was quick this
weekend. For me, it was a difficult week. An emotional rollercoaster.
This 92nd Monte-Carlo Rally, in his home
territory, brought all his memories of racing here as a young driver flooding
back.
The
legend lives on...
To finish the 2025 rally in style, the
final special stage will be the legendary Col de Turini: La Bollène-Vésubie /
Peïra-Cava, which will also be a Power Stage.
This special stage has been driven in the dark,
in the snow, and ice. Triumph and
failure, joy and despair, the drivers have seen it all. And the legend was
born. For many years, the Col de Turini was the climax of the Monte-Carlo Rally.
The
WRC, a sustainability pioneer...
The 2022 Monte-Carlo Rally was the first
chance to see the new “Rally1” rechargable hybrids in all their glory. All-ICE cars have been consigned to history.
The arrival of hybrid technology in the
World Rally Championship brings with it a power boost of 100 kW, while the
cars’ all-electric range is estimated at 20 km.
The FIA has also chosen the company P1
Racing Fuels to supply a 100% sustainable fuel, which uses no fossil materials
but is entirely made from synthetic and bio-sourced ingredients.
It represents a pioneering move from the WRC,
which is the first FIA world championship to introduce the new technology.
A
little history...
The jewel in the crown of the Championship, the
Monte-Carlo Rally is the oldest event on the calendar.
Its first edition in 1911 was designed to
promote Monaco as a tourist destination. The teams started from several
European cities before meeting in the Principality.
The event took place in January, to show
that the Principality's climate at that time of the year was exceptionally
mild. Two men are today credited with creating the rally: Gabriel Vialon and Antony Noghes. Société des
Bains de Mer funded the operation, which saw just 23 competitors take part that
first year.
The following year, that figured quadrupled
and the Monte-Carlo Rally was well and truly on the map!
Since the first winner in 1911, French
driver Henry Rougier, this top-class sporting event has provided decades of
thrills and spills.
The “Sebs”:
Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier dominated the Monte-Carlo Rally, with
Loeb racking up eight wins and Ogier a total of nine, including the 2023 race!
Monaco’s own Daniel Eléna was Sébastien Loeb’s faithful co-pilot for his seven
wins in the “Monte”, between 2003 and 2013.
Will
Neuville make it a hat-trick of wins in 2025?
For
the official programme, visit the ACM website
Photo credits:
©ACM/ Olivier Caenen / Stephane Demard / Julien Perez Alonso / Jean-Marc Follete / Joris Clerc - ©Cedric Bovini