Rally Monte Carlo: Start of a new WRC era
RALLY WRC The 85th Rally Monte Carlo begins on Thursday with a new generation of World Rally Cars (WRC). Three Swiss teams are among the many private teams. The best result in his class can be expected from the SM third-placed Cédric Althaus on a Clio R3T entered by Renault Sport. The 2017 World Rally Championship starts under completely new circumstances [...].
The 2017 World Rally Championship is starting under completely new auspices, with more powerful and faster vehicles making their debut in the WRC's premier class. The manufacturer-only World Rally Cars now produce 380 hp, have more aggressive aerodynamics, are louder and are thus reminiscent of the legendary Group B. In addition, the driver field is completely mixed. Following Volkswagen's withdrawal, world champion Sébastien Ogier opted for Ford, where he now drives a Fiesta WRC with start number 1 in the livery of the previous VW sponsor Red Bull. As the deal came about very late, Ogier was not left with many test kilometers, but with his experience the winner of the last three events should be able to make up for the handicap.
After the semi-official intermezzo with DS, Citroën is back in the factory with a newly developed C3 WRC, and after an absence of 17 years Toyota is returning to the World Rally Championship with the team led by former world champion Tommi Mäkinen under the name Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC. The driver spearhead here on one of the two to three Yaris WRC is Ogier's previous teammate Jari-Matti Latvala from Finland. The fourth manufacturer in the bunch is Hyundai with the i20 WRC and runner-up Thierry Neuville as team leader.
Traditionally, Switzerland is well represented at the Monte. This year, three Swiss teams will be competing in the Grande Dame of rallying. Four-time Swiss champion Olivier Burri is taking part for the 19th time, this time in a Ford Fiesta R5. In 2013, the garage owner from Belprahon finished ninth overall in a Peugeot 107 S2000 as the second-best private driver; considering the competition, a similarly good result is pure wishful thinking. Laurent Vukasovich from Vaud will also be driving a Fiesta R5 in his fourth appearance and, after last year's retirement, will at least be hoping to reach the finish line.
Renault works entry as reward for Althaus/Bayard's title win
Cédric Althaus has big ambitions. The 2016 SM third-place finisher from Moudon and his co-driver Jessica Bayard won a factory event as winners of last year's Clio R3T Alps Trophy. At the Rally Monte Carlo, which is the final of the Clio R3T European Trophy, they will meet the winners of the French, Italian and Iberian R3T Trophy. A prestigious duel among four nations, then. Two years ago, Althaus already achieved a good second place in class with a Peugeot 208 R2, which he now wants to build on.
Cédric Bayard: "It's great to be a driver in a factory team for the first time. This is a nice reward for our title win last year, and we're doing everything we can to justify this privilege. Our goal is a podium finish in the front-wheel-drive WRC3. That sounds ambitious, but two years ago, as rookies, we already mastered the difficulties of this rally well in constantly changing road conditions. So we know roughly what to expect, even though around 85 percent of the route is new."
The rally begins on Thursday at 6.11 p.m. with the ceremonial start in Monaco, followed by the first two special stages in the dark on the way to the midnight stage finish in Gap in the Maritime Alps. In a further 15 SS over the following three days, a total of 382.65 km will be completed on the best time. The winner will be decided shortly after midday on Sunday.
