The final day of the 2026 Rallye Monte Carlo delivered exactly what fans expect from this event: chaos, extreme conditions, and a fight for every second all the way to the finish line. Oliver Solberg held on to the lead and secured one of the most important victories of his career, but the road to success was far from calm.
Solberg under pressure: “this could have been the turning point”
Leader Oliver Solberg started the day with a solid advantage, but from the very first kilometres he had to fight not only his rivals, but above all the conditions.
On one of the morning stages, Solberg suffered a dramatic slide on black ice. The car was briefly out of control, but he managed to save it and avoid a costly mistake.
“That was the moment where the rally could have slipped away in a second,” Solberg admitted after the finish.
“The conditions were just treacherous from the first to the last kilometre.”
Evans attacks to the end: “there was no more calculation”
The biggest pressure on the leader came from Elfyn Evans, who drove in full attack mode throughout the day. The Welsh driver won the Power Stage and pushed hard to recover time, but the gaps built earlier in the rally proved too large.
“It was a rally where you had to take risks from start to finish. There was no room for caution anymore,” Evans said after the event.
Evans finished second overall, just behind Solberg, confirming very strong pace in the closing stages.
Ogier: experience versus an icy lottery
Sébastien Ogier once again showed his Monte Carlo mastery, but this time was unable to challenge for victory.
The Frenchman highlighted just how difficult the conditions were.
“This was one of the most demanding Rallye Monte Carlo events of my career. Everything was a mix of ice, asphalt, and uncertainty,” Ogier said.
Power Stage: final sprint on the limit
The final special stage became a pure fight for seconds. Evans went all-in and set the fastest Power Stage time, but it was not enough to change the podium positions.
Solberg drove more conservatively, focusing on securing the win.
Conditions that erased any margin for error
Sunday in the Alpes-Maritimes delivered classic Monte Carlo in its most brutal form:
- black ice in shaded sections
- sudden changes in grip
- damp, slippery asphalt
- minimal time differences at the top
Drivers consistently stressed that reading the road in real time was crucial, as conditions changed constantly.
Finish in Moulinet: relief and emotion
At the finish in Moulinet, Solberg could finally breathe. After four days of driving on the edge of control and chaos, he held on to take victory in the 2026 Rallye Monte Carlo.
“It was like driving on thin ice the whole day. Literally and figuratively,” a Toyota team member said.
