Renault: Monte podium for the Clio champions 🎥
DREAM FULFILLED As winners of the Clio R3T Alps Trophy 2019, Ismaël Vuistiner and Florine Kummer were allowed to start for free at the Rally Monte Carlo. They returned as great class runners-up. The WRC victory went to Hyundai. The success did not come by chance. Already during the preparations and in the week before the rally, Ismaël Vuistiner and Florine worked [...]
The success did not come by chance. Even during the preparations and in the week before the rally, Ismaël Vuistiner and Florine Kummer worked with extreme concentration and professionalism towards their big dream. And this dream was called Monaco, the entry at the finish and a good ranking. With 2nd place in the RC3 category and 31st place overall, the dream came true.
The tactic seemed to work
Last year's Clio R3T Alps Trophy winners (and of 2017) set a fast but safe pace in Thursday evening's first two special stages.
On Friday and Saturday, they confirmed their ambitions in demanding conditions, with difficult, constantly changing tracks that offered everything between maximum grip and bare ice that makes up the Rally Monte-Carlo.
Too restrained on the last stage
The tactic worked on both days. The duo gradually worked their way up the rankings and arrived in Monaco as leaders of the RC3 category.
The team "gave away" the victory in the last two SS on Sunday morning, including the legendary Col de Turini.
Ismaël Vuistiner: "I rode too cautiously. Particularly on the descent from the Col du Turini, I was relying on a safe rhythm, managing the result because I didn't want to miss out on the podium in Monaco under any circumstances. This attitude cost me time. Of course I'm annoyed. But you have to learn from your mistakes. I'm taking an important experience with me into the future."
Dream fulfilled
The team from Valais missed the victory in the RC3 category by a whole 33 seconds. The big dream, however, they have fulfilled, after they had crashed two years ago in the Saturday stage.
Ismäel Vuistiner: "I am exhausted and empty, but the happiness is immense. In 2017, I came to Monte-Carlo and slept on the side of the track, in my car. I haven't forgotten that. Neither have all the years I dreamed of seeing cracks like Mc Rae, Solberg or Loeb on these roads. And now I was on the podium in my category. My happiness is indescribable!"
After the rally is before the rally! For the Clio R3T Alps Trophy 2021, the season begins at the end of March. The big goal of the winners: Rally Monte-Carlo 2021.
Information, regulations and entry form of the Clio R3T Alps Trophy 2021 are online under the link Regulations Clio R3T Alps Trophy 2020 to be found in French.
Premiere for Neuville, Burri best R5 privateer driver
Overall winner was Thierry Neuville on Hyundai i20 WRC ahead of the two Toyota Yaris drivers Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans. They took turns in the lead seven times over the four days!
This was the first victory in the Monte for the four-time runner-up from Belgium. Neuville won nine of the 16 SS, all four of them on the final day, thus overtaking Evans, who had been leading on Saturday evening, and also Ogier.
Olivier Burri was the best privateer driver in his category in 18th place overall with co Anderson Levratti (F) in a VW Polo R5 after the Swede Oliver Solberg, who had been leading for a long time, dropped back in his Polo.
Sacha Althaus/Lisiane Zbinden retired before the last two SS on Sunday with a defect on their Peugeot 208 R2.
The video shows the WRC highlights of the last stage and the finish.
Overall classification Rally Monte Carlo 2020
