RALLY MONTE CARLO 2013

The Monte-Carlo Rally returned to the WRC calndar in 2012 and will, once again, be the season opener in 2013. 15kms have been added this year for a total of 465. The town of Valence will host the start with the Ardéche, Haute-Loire and Drôme regions playing host to 13 special stages, before the rally heads towards Monaco and then sets off into the Alpes-Maritmes for another five stages.

The 2013 'Monte' will feature two stages that rally buffs will remember from the golden age of the event : the 22km long "St. Nazaire le Désert - La Motte Chalncon" and the 37km long "Sisteron - Thoard stage. Day 3 will feature five stages over 60kms : three runs on the well-known "Moulinet - La Bollene" stage, or as it is better known the Col du Turini, which will be run twice at night and there will be two runs on the "Lantosque - Luceram" stage, with the second pass run in the dark, which will also be the Power Stage.

WHAT HAPPENED IN 2013

Sébastien Ogier set best time on the opening stage of his WRC return with Volkswagen. Six-time Rally Monte –Carlo winner, Sébastien Loeb built a more than one-minute lead over his former team-mate on day one. Thierry Neuville was the first of the front-runners to retire ahead of the Moulinet - La Bollene Vesubie stage, which claimed then third place Evgeny Novikov and then fifth place Latvala. Dani Sordo moved up to third place, behind second place Ogier, who offered VW a podium result on its maiden WRC event and Loeb, who went on to score his seventh Monte-Carlo victory. Mikko Hirvonen finished fourth.

2013 : Loeb/Elena
2012 : Loeb/Elena
2008 : Loeb/Elena
2007 : Loeb/Elena
2006 : Gronholm/Rautiainen
2005 : Loeb/Elena

1 - Loeb
2 - Ogier
3 - Sordo
4 - Hirvonen
5 - Bouffier
6 - Ostberg
7 - Prokop
8 - Wiegand
9 - Burri
10 - Kosciuszko

Wednesday January 16
SS1 Le Moulinon-Antraigues 1
(37.10km) – 9h03
SS2 Burzet-St Martial 1
(30.60km) – 10h21
SS3 Le Moulinon-Antraigues 2
(37.10km) – 14h21
SS4 Burzet-St Martial 2
(30.60km) – 15h39

Thursday January 18
SS5 Labatie d’Andaure-Lalouvesc 1
(19.08km) – 9h33
SS6 St Bonnet-St Julien Molhesabate 1
(25.45km) – 10h14
SS7 Lamastre-Gilhoc-Alboussière 1
(21.72km) – 11h37
SS8 Labatie d’Andaure-Lalouvesc 2
(19.08km) – 14h50
SS9 St Bonnet-St Julien Molhesabate 2
(25.45km) – 15h31
SS10 Lamastre-Gilhoc-Alboussière 2
(21.72km) – 16h54

Friday January 19
SS11 St Jean en Royans-Font d’Urle
(33.19km) – 9h08
SS12 St Nazaire le Désert - La Motte Chalençon
(22.11km) – 13h31
SS13 Sisteron/Thoard
(36.70km) – 16h54

Saturday January 20
SS14 Moulinet-La Bollene Vesubie 1 
(23.54km) – 15h11
SS15 Lantosque-Luceram 1
(18.95km) – 15h54
SS16 Moulinet-La Bollene Vesubie 2
(23.54km) – 17h12
SS17 Moulinet-La Bollene Vesubie 3
(23.54km) - 20h58
SS18 Lantosque-Luceram 2
(18.95km) – 21h41

Name: Sébastien Loeb
Date of birth: 1974, 26 Feb
Country: France
WRC start: Catalunya 1999
Codriver: Daniel Elena
Sébastien Loeb >>