Entry List: Rallye Monte-Carlo

Organiser Automobile Club de Monaco released the list on Monday. It features 10 starters in the headline Rally1 category, as well as a strong field in the leading support category, WRC2.

Flying Finn Kalle Rovanperä will be hoping to get his drivers’ championship title defence off to the best possible start in the French Alps  

The youngster drives a GR Yaris for reigning manufacturers’ champions Toyota Gazoo Racing alongside Elfyn Evans and Sébastien Ogier, who bids for a record ninth Monte win next week. Takamoto Katsuta also fields a similar car, although he will not score manufacturers’ points.

There are new faces at Hyundai Motorsport as long-termer Thierry Neuville heads up a three-strong i20 N line-up. The Belgian is joined by Esapekka Lappi, who marks his debut for the Korean manufacturer, as well as seasoned Spaniard Dani Sordo in the third car.

Craig Breen has returned to Hyundai following a year-long stint at M-Sport Ford, but the Irishman looks set to begin his season next month on the snowy roads of Rally Sweden.

Another driver returning to familiar pastures is Ott Tänak, who’s back at M-Sport Ford – the team which supported him right at the beginning of his driving career. Tänak drives a hybrid-powered Puma Rally1 alongside young team-mate Pierre-Louis Loubet, while Greek privateer Jourdan Serderidis is the final top tier driver.

There are more than 25 entries in WRC2, with defending teams’ champions Toksport running several brand-new Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 cars for drivers including Oliver Solberg, Sami Pajari, Marco Bulacia and Nikolay Gryazin.

M-Sport Ford has a two-car WRC2 line-up in Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster, while other entries include Yohan Rossel, Stéphane Lefebvre, Chris Ingram and Erik Cais.