WRC
Solberg survives Alpine scare to verge on historic Monte-Carlo win
Oliver Solberg stands on the brink of becoming the youngest winner in Rallye Monte-Carlo history after surviving a dramatic Saturday that culminated with a fan-lined stage in the heart of Monaco.
The 24-year-old Toyota Gazoo Racing driver holds a commanding 59.3sec lead heading into Sunday’s final leg and, should he convert that advantage into victory, will beat Sébastien Ogier’s 2009 benchmark to become the youngest-ever winner of the iconic event.
Saturday’s leg concluded with SS13, a super special stage run on part of Monaco’s Grand Prix circuit. It marked the first competitive WRC stage in the heart of the Principality since 2008, with spectators braving torrential rain and climbing vantage points along the harbour as rally cars echoed between the yachts and grandstands.
Earlier in the day, however, Solberg’s rally came close to unravelling on the second pass of La Bréole / Bellaffaire. In rapidly changing conditions, he was caught out by a patch of snow and slid through a fence into a snowy field. The Swede somehow kept his GR Yaris Rally1 moving, rejoined the road and, remarkably, still went on to set the fastest time on the stage.
“I don’t know what happened, I was so careful the whole stage,” Solberg said. “I tried to follow the ruts and on the exit it was just full snow. I was very lucky to get out of it.
"It's been a fantastic day, and a fantastic week so far. Really tricky out there, of course, as everyone's seen. I think everyone's been off a little bit everywhere, but I am in a good position. Let's see tomorrow - it's probably going to be another crazy day."
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Behind the leader, the fight for the remaining podium positions continued to intensify. Elfyn Evans strengthened his hold on second overall and now holds a 26.0sec advantage over 10-time Monte-Carlo winner Sébastien Ogier. The Frenchman had applied pressure earlier in the day by winning SS10 but opted for a more cautious approach as snow gave way to slush and mud in the afternoon.
Adrien Fourmaux remained Hyundai’s leading runner in fourth overall after a demanding day spent managing grip in deep ruts, while team-mate Thierry Neuville recovered to fifth despite losing time with a spin on SS12.
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Despite an early puncture, M-Sport Ford’s Jon Armstrong continued to impress on his Rally1 debut in sixth overall, but there was disappointment for Hayden Paddon. The New Zealander had been focused on survival until SS12, where slid off the road and became stuck in a field, dropping to 13th overall. The same test also claimed Sami Pajari, who retired after hitting a tree.
WRC2 leader Léo Rossel holds seventh overall, followed by Grégoire Munster and Takamoto Katsuta, who recovered to ninth after power steering problems on Friday. With Nikolay Gryazin also sliding into retirement on SS12, Roberto Daprà completes the top 10.
Sunday’s finale features four stages and 71.9 kilometres of competition, including two runs over the legendary Col de Turini.
