Toyota Wins Season-Opening Rallye Monte-Carlo
Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia claimed victory at the Rallye Monte-Carlo for a record eighth time, leading a commanding one-two finish for the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team. They led teammates Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin, essentially kicking off the 2021 season the way the last one ended.
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Ogier and Ingrassia, who won the championship in 2020, celebrated their 50th career victory in the WRC, second in the all-time list behind only the legendary Sébastien Loeb. And while Toyota has enjoyed three wins at the coveted Rallye Monte-Carlo in the past, this fourth win was the first since the manufacturer returned to the sport in 2017 with the Yaris WRC.
Monte-Carlo is one of the most prestigious rallies on the calendar due not just to its location but also its demanding nature. Typically considered one of the most grueling rallies in the WRC, it threw even more special challenges at the drivers because of COVID-19 restrictions that required some stages to be held before dawn in tricky icy and snowy conditions.
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Both Ogier and Evans were repeatedly trading the lead over the course of Friday until Ogier put in a decisive performance in the first Saturday stage, then built up a 13-second advantage before winning three of Sunday’s four stages.
“This is a perfect start to the season,” Ogier said later. “Watching this rally as a kid gave me the dream to become a driver one day. If I could have only one record, for sure I would take this one. It has a lot of meaning for me, and this is also the reason I was quite emotional on the podium. The Yaris WRC has been fantastic this weekend: I had such a good feeling in the car. I think it was a good decision to do one more year. The team is great, so a huge thanks to all of them.”
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.