Day 3 of the Rally Monte-Carlo concluded with Sébastien Ogier maintaining his dominance, finishing first with a total time of 2:42:48.2. He now holds a commanding 20.3-second lead over his closest rival, putting him on the verge of securing an unprecedented 10th victory in the prestigious event. Following Ogier, Elfyn Evans claimed second place with a time of 2:43:08.5, while Adrien Fourmaux closed the day in third at 2:43:12.8. The battle for second and third positions remains incredibly tight heading into the final day.
One of the highlights of the day came at TC10 La Motte-Chalancon / Saint-Nazaire 1, where Grégoire Munster earned his first-ever WRC stage win. The achievement did not go unnoticed, with Ogier taking a moment to praise the rising star: „Congrats to Munster, massive road condition difference. Well done, he did already some good times yesterday. He is on a good path.”
For reigning champion Thierry Neuville, the day was marked by continued struggles. On the first morning stage, Neuville was forced to stop and reset, costing him 50 seconds and leaving him far from the leading pack. It has been a challenging rally for the 2024 champion, with little hope of making up significant ground on the final day.
The rally’s conclusion tomorrow promises excitement as the drivers take on the iconic Power stage – La Bollène-Vésubie / Peïra-Cava but, of course, the question remains: how much snow will Coll de Turini have in store?