Neuville takes the lead at the start of the WRC in Monte Carlo

Thierry Neuville leads the Monte Carlo Rally

Thierry Neuville kicked off the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship season with an overnight lead in the Monte Carlo Rally, following an opening characterized by changing road conditions in the Alpine stages and key mistakes from his main rivals.

Opening ceremony and initial stages

The event began with the traditional ceremony in Monaco's Casino Square before the drivers headed to the French Alps for three night stages. The combination of dry asphalt, wet areas, and icy sections tested the competitors from the very first kilometer.

Costly mistake for Ogier

Sébastien Ogier, a nine-time Monte Carlo winner, dominated the first two stages with his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, but a spin in the third stage dropped him to third in the overall standings, 12.8 seconds behind the leader. The French driver lost more than 20 seconds after sliding into a fence post, describing the incident as a challenge due to accumulated mud on the road.

Neuville and Hankook tires

Thierry Neuville, driving a Hyundai i20 N Rally1, capitalized on Ogier's slip-up to take the lead with a two-second advantage over Elfyn Evans's Toyota. The Belgian highlighted the reliability of the super-soft Hankook Ventus Z215 tires, specifically developed for the championship, in tackling the challenging mixed-asphalt conditions.

"It was tricky to keep the car on the road, but I'm happy with our performance today. The main goal was to finish the day without issues," Neuville said.

Ott Tänak secured fourth place in his Hyundai, followed by teammate Adrien Fourmaux, who showed strong pace in TC3. Two-time world champion Kalle Rovanperä finished sixth, citing difficulties adapting to the night conditions and the muddy surfaces.

M-Sport Ford driver Grégoire Munster achieved a notable seventh position, ahead of Finland's Takamoto Katsuta, who competed despite suffering from the flu. Sami Pajari and Nikolay Gryazin completed the top 10.

In WRC2, Rossel leads

Yohan Rossel led with his Citroën, finishing 11th overall, while Josh McErlean ended his first day with M-Sport cautiously but promisingly, taking 12th place.

Expectations for Friday

The rally will continue on Friday with six additional stages covering over 100 timed kilometers. Weather conditions and adaptation to the new non-hybrid cars could influence the standings, setting the stage for a technical competition in the upcoming stages.