Deputy team director Moncet said the Alzenau-based team began working through its opening round issues immediately after last month’s fixture in the French Alps.
He said it was making good ground in the search for the reliability needed to break into the top three with its hybrid-powered i20 N Rally1 cars at the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship in Umeå on 24 - 27 February.
Only Thierry Neuville finished Rallye Monte-Carlo, in a lowly sixth after a trouble-filled weekend. Ott Tänak retired with an overheating engine after an accident and Oliver Solberg was withdrawn on medical grounds after fumes leaked into the Swede’s sister car.
“We made a review of Monte-Carlo,” said Moncet. “We analysed the event, the performance and the issues as well as our organisation. Already we worked to bring solutions to these points and use them in the test we did in Finland [at the end of January].
“We have some updated parts which we are using in the tests and it is already showing some promising results. First we have to work on the reliability, but then we work on the performance.”
Moncet admitted the Monte-Carlo result was frustrating but he is aiming at something better at the WRC’s only pure snow and ice round in northern Sweden.
“We start every rally with the aim to win,” he said. “Monte was tough for us and that’s something we have to turn around. The first aim for me is to have three cars at the finish and I think it’s possible to target having one of them on the podium.”
Finland
Italy
Hungary