The 2024 World Rally Championship kicked off with the first stage at the Monte Carlo Rally, where Toyota's Elfyn Evans took the lead during Thursday's night stages. Evans, who was runner-up last year, established an initial 15.1-second lead over Hyundai's Thierry Neuville.
The night was challenging for Hyundai, with Ott Tanak, struggling with a throttle issue, finishing in fourth position. M-Sport's Adrien Fourmaux returned to Rally1, securing a fifth place. The involvement of other drivers like Toyota's Takamoto Katsuta and M-Sport's Gregoire Munster added diversity to the competition.
In the initial 21.01km Thoard-St Geniez stage, Evans achieved the best time, despite his doubts about grip on dry asphalt. Tanak, despite technical issues, managed to close in on Evans, finishing 5.2 seconds behind.
The second stage (Bayons-Breziers 25.19km) was delayed but eventually took place. In this, Evans maintained his lead position, outpacing Neuville by 6.8 seconds. Tanak fell to fourth overall as his throttle problem worsened. Ogier, taking advantage of the situation, moved up to third place.
In the WRC2 category, Skoda's Pepe Lopez led, while Sami Pajari was the top newcomer for Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, placing fourth in his class.
The Monte Carlo Rally continues on Friday with six more stages, totaling 105.72km. The drivers and teams face these challenges with preparation and strategy, seeking to improve their position in the event.
| Position | Driver and Co-driver | Team/Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin | GR Yaris Rally1 HYBRID | 26:12.9 |
| 2 | Thierry Neuville / Martijn Wydaeghe | i20 N Rally1 HYBRID | +15.1 |
| 3 | Sébastien Ogier / Vincent Landais | GR Yaris Rally1 HYBRID | +21.6 |
| 4 | Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja | i20 N Rally1 HYBRID | +22.8 |
| 5 | Adrien Fourmaux / Alexandre Coria | Puma Rally1 HYBRID | +39.0 |
| 6 | Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston | GR Yaris Rally1 HYBRID | +46.3 |
| 7 | Grégoire Munster / Louis Louka | Puma Rally1 HYBRID | +1:06.0 |
| 8 | Andreas Mikkelsen / Torstein Eriksen | i20 N Rally1 HYBRID | +1:08.8 |
| 9 | Pepe López / David Vázquez | Fabia RS | +1:36.5 |
| 10 | Nikolay Gryazin / Konstantin Aleksandrov | C3 | +1:50.7 |
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