Sebastien Ogier clinched a historic 10th Monte Carlo Rally victory in the opening round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship, extending his record at the prestigious event.

Driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, the eight-time WRC champion secured an 18.5-second victory over teammate Elfyn Evans after a tense final leg through the French Alps. The victory came despite challenging tire strategy decisions on Sunday's three asphalt stages, where icy conditions and mixed surfaces tested drivers' skills and judgment.

Third-placed Adrien Fourmaux impressed in his Hyundai debut, finishing just 26.0 seconds behind Ogier. The Frenchman's performance on the drier stages with a full-slicks setup briefly threatened the Toyota duo's dominance before the icy Col de Turini neutralized his advantage.

Notable performances included:

• Kalle Rovanpera finishing fourth in his part-time return
• Ott Tanak taking fifth after tire strategy issues
• Defending champion Thierry Neuville salvaging sixth despite multiple setbacks
• Josh McErlean achieving seventh in his Rally1 debut

In WRC2, Yohan Rossel dominated the category in his Citroen C3 Rally2, winning by nearly three minutes and setting fastest times on 15 of 17 stages.

Final Top 5 Positions:

1. Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota) - 3h19m06.1s
2. Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota) +18.5s
3. Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai) +26.0s
4. Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota) +54.3s
5. Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai) +59.0s

Championship Standings: Drivers:

1. Ogier - 33 points
2. Evans - 26
3. Fourmaux - 20
4. Rovanpera - 18
5. Tanak - 11

Manufacturers:

1. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT - 60 points
2. Hyundai World Rally Team - 36
3. M-Sport Ford - 11

The WRC continues with Rally Sweden, February 13-16, where competitors will face snow and ice conditions in Umea. Ogier will skip this round, opening opportunities for others to claim vital championship points.

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