Day 3 of the 93rd Rallye Monte-Carlo got off to a surprise start with Grégoire Munster, M-Sport Ford’s top driver this season, setting his first ever best time in a WRC stage. It came on SS10, between La Motte-Chalançon and Saint-Nazaire-le-Désert (27km), when he was the first to pass on a dry, cleaner road than for his main rivals, as the sun rose over the Drôme mountains.

Munster was first on the road because of a major power failure last night on the road section to Gap Service Park, which cost him a 10-minute penalty in the overall classification. When this happened, Grégoire in 6th place overall, at the end of a very satisfying rallying day.

‘Congratulations to Grégoire. He was fast yesterday and he’s on the right track. But there were big differences in the road conditions between his run and mine,’ said Sébastien Ogier, a good sport but a realist. As leader, and because of the reverse starting order, it was a much dirtier road than Munster, with dirt coming off the ropes, that the eight-time world champion encountered. Hence the small gap in performance at the end: just 8 tenths, over 27 km, but that in no way detracts from the merits of the driver from Benelux.

‘It was really tricky, there was a bit of everything: some wet sections with muddy ropes, then a much faster and wider road. It’s a challenge for sure, and I was happy to be the first on the road for this one. Of course I’m disappointed about yesterday, but the team did a good job and managed the night well to allow us to be here again today, so it’s a good way to learn,’ said Munster at the stop. He then waited quietly in his cockpit to see if his rivals were doing better than him. Until deliverance and a great moment of emotion, alongside his team-mate Louis Louka. Damn dust in the eye.

It was Grégoire Munster’s first ever WRC stage win, but not the first for a driver with a Luxembourg driving licence. Grégoire has dual nationality, Belgian (through his father, a former rally driver) and Luxembourgish (through his mother). And just 48 years ago, at the 1977 Monte-Carlo Rally, two drivers from the Grand Duchy shone: Alain Beauchef, who won the first special stage between Les Chanets and La Vilette in a 2000 Ford Escort RS. Then, at the end of the same edition, Nicolas Koob (Porsche 911 Carrera RS) in SS26, between Roquestéron and Bouyon. To complete the picture, the winner that year was Italian legend Sandro Munari, whose mythical Lancia Stratos graces the official poster of the 2025 Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique (January 29-February 4).

In the overall classification of this 93rd edition, not much has changed. Ogier still leads. Just behind him, Elfyn Evans (Toyota) and Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai), battling for 2nd place (1.6 seconds apart), set the same time, to the nearest tenth, on SS10. Thierry Neuville (Hyundai), meanwhile, lost another minute after his electronics were completely reset at the start of the stage. When it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.

SS10 results