Ogier provisionally leads the Rallye Monte Carlo after Friday's start

Sébastien Ogier ended Friday as the leader of the Rallye Monte Carlo, the opening round of the FIA World Rally Championship. The Frenchman, aiming for a record-breaking tenth victory in the event, capitalized on his rivals' mistakes and his experience on the Alpine roads to take the overall lead with a 12.6-second advantage over teammate Elfyn Evans.

Recovery After a Challenging Start

Ogier started Friday in third place following an incident during the opening stage that cost him approximately 20 seconds. However, his consistent performance on the icy Friday stages allowed him to overtake his rivals. A key moment occurred during the Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes - La Bâtie-Neuve stage, where a mistake by Evans enabled Ogier to reclaim the lead with precise driving.

Issues for Key Contenders

The day proved challenging for other favorites. Thierry Neuville suffered rear-left suspension damage to his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 on a downhill hairpin, dropping him to eighth. Meanwhile, Ott Tänak faced trouble after hitting a pole, leaving visible damage to his car and costing valuable seconds.

Notable Performances

Adrien Fourmaux, in his debut with Hyundai, showed promise by securing a stage win and holding third place at the end of the day, 1.6 seconds behind Evans. Kalle Rovanperä, a two-time world champion, also claimed a stage win but is still adapting to the new Hankook tires, finishing fourth, 24.3 seconds behind Fourmaux.

Gregoire Munster, who had climbed to fourth place with a steady performance, suffered a puncture that dropped him to sixth by day's end. Despite this setback, his morning stages were among the most impressive of the day.

Saturday: The Rally’s Longest Stage

Rallye Monte Carlo continues Saturday with six timed stages covering over 120 kilometers of asphalt. The weather and the complex Alpine roads are expected to present challenging conditions for the drivers as they compete for victory.

Overall Standings After SS9