With 45 days to go before the start of the 91st WRC Monte-Carlo Rally, the volunteer & members of the « ACM Corps des Commissaires » met on Sunday for their traditional training day. For more than 40 years, the aim of the Circuit Routier d’Instructions Commissaires (C.R.I.C.) has been to check the application of the procedures and regulations put in place for rallies. 

A necessary training to review the knowledge and skills of each participant.

More than 150 volunteers were involved between the « Chapiteau de Fontvieille » and the roads of the Monegasque hinterland where 3 fictitious special stages were programmed, in real rainy and winter conditions. 

The Corps des Commissaires benefits this year from the contribution of a new generation of Commissaires with the presence of 18 new men and women, all passionate about Motor Sports and having worked on the “track” events last spring.

A real seminar between theory and practice

After a morning briefing at 9.00 am, the teams of volunteers were spread out along the route, which was prepared by the Automobile Club teams. The accent was put on the strict application of the regulations. The marshals were placed in real-life conditions with the presence of around twenty competitors. 

On the practical side, the objective here is to study all types of scenarios in accordance with reality and which may occur during an event: late check-in, hazard lights, immobilisation of a competitor, red flag, etc.

At the end of the day, the general debriefing will take place, under the responsibility of the Deputy Chief Steward and the Event Director in order to draw conclusions from the training. 

Our Commissaires will be back in January for the Monte-Carlo WRC Rally (19-22/01) and the Monte-Carlo Historic Rally (24/01-01/02).

91^th Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo (January 16-22, 2023)

The Organising Committee of the 91st Rally Monte-Carlo WRC has published the Supplementary Regulations for the event on Wednesday 16 November, at the same time as it officially opened the entry form.

The 2023 Season of the FIA World Rally Championship will start from the Principality of Monaco from Monday 16th to Sunday 22nd January and will be run on the roads of the hinterland with a challenging route between the Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence departments.

You can already find the Supplementary Regulations for the event in the Rallye Monte-Carlo 2023, Competitors’ Area > Official Documents, where all the entry and participation conditions are detailed.

Entries are open until Friday 16 December 2022. You can find the entry procedure in the following link “Entries 2023“.

91^th Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo (16-22 January 2023)

The exceptional sometimes tends to replicate! Following the huge success of its previous edition, and under the recommendation of the Organizing Committee at Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM), Rally Monte-Carlo 2023, the inaugural event of FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), will again settle down next winter in the Principality. More compact geographically, but still very selective, the rally route  – with 50% of the itinerary being modified, compared to 2022 – will have new features and a high number of difficulties, thanks to a series of very demanding special stages in the departments of Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

After three days devoted to recce, from Monday January 16 to Wednesday January 18, it will be time for the shakedown session, scheduled for Thursday January 19 from 9:31 am. Reserved to Priority 1 drivers only, and closed to the public for safety reasons, it will use the Col des Banquettes road (744m) towards Peille, starting from Place Saint-Sébastien in Sainte-Agnès, the highest coastline village in Europe. A winding climb of 2.29km and a perfect road to make final set-up adjustments before the official start on the same evening, from 6.30 pm, in the sumptuous setting of Place du Casino in Monte-Carlo. On the menu for this very first “Turini” night session, two special stages for a total of 40.93km, including a brand new version of “La Bollène-Vésubie / Col de Turini” (SS1 – 15.52km – 8:18 pm), starting for the very first time from Camp de Millo, and a very pacy stage  “La Cabanette / Col de Castillon” (SS2 – 25.41km – 9:11 pm) which, for the very first time in the history of the rally, will allow drivers to race through five passes in a row: Col de l’Orme (1000m) then Col de l’Ablé (1149m), Col de Braus (1002m), Col Saint-Jean (642m) and Col de Castillon (706m).

On Friday January 20, crews will be heading for the north of the Alpes-Maritimes department and the second day of racing will total 106.18km against the clock. With a loop of three special stages to be covered twice, and an intermediate stop for a regroup and change of tires in Puget-Théniers, this will be a tough cocktail of hardships! Starting with “Roure / Beuil” (SS3/6 – 18.33km – 09:14 am / 2:08 pm) to be run at the foot of the Mercantour National Park, via Col de la Couillole (1678m), then a demanding sequence consisting of “Puget-Théniers / Saint-Antonin” (SS 4/7 – 20.06km – 10:22 am / 3:16 pm) followed by “Briançonnet / Entrevaux” (SS5/8 – 14.70km – 11:25 am / 4:19 pm) via Col du Buis (1196m) and Val-de-Chalvagne. In other words, this 2nd leg promises to be lively!

Next on the menu are Alpes-de-Haute-Provence for the third day of racing on Saturday January 21, which will total 98,43km spread over five special stages. Starting with the 2020 version of “Malijai / Puimichel” (SS9/11 – 17.47km – 09:38 am / 2:08 pm) and continuing with “Saint-Geniez / Thoard” (SS10/12 – 20.79km – 11:26 am / 3:56 pm) via Authon and its dreaded Col de Fontbelle. Between the two loops, there will be a “tire” stop and mandatory regrouping in the heart of Digne-les-Bains, on recently renovated Place du General de Gaulle. Eventually, at the end of yet another day without service, crews will have to take on “Ubraye / Entrevaux” (SS13 – 21.91km – 5:59 pm), at night, via Route de la Clue along Ravin-de-Chalvagne.

Last but not least, for the final leg on Sunday January 22, four special stages totaling 68.98km are scheduled, still without assistance. Two well-known stages in the hinterland, in the north-east of Alpes-Maritimes, to be covered twice by all the remaining crews, and not limited to 50 competitors by the regulations, as in previous years, in order to thank amateur crews for their commitment over the past few years. They will all have to deal with the long version of a traditional stage, “Lucéram / Lantosque” (SS14/16 – 18.97km – 08:01 am / 10:40 am) and a couple of passes in the inaugural stage of this 2023 edition “La Bollène-Vésubie / Col de Turini (SS 15/17 – 15.52km – 09:08 am / 12:18 pm). This famous special stage, at the second pass, will serve as Power Stage. Crews will then return to Monaco around 2:30 pm to pass the finish line, the best of them heading then to the Prize-Giving Ceremony on Place du Casino.

Stages, lengths and timings are indicative, until publication of the official itinerary. 

Monaco, July 22, 2022

Sébastien Ogier, who was leading the 90th Rallye Monte-Carlo with a 24-second gap over Sébastien Loeb, and only two stages to go, arrived on the rim of his front left wheel at the end of SS16, the penultimate of this rally, the second run between La Penne and Collongues. Because of this puncture, the Toyota driver lost 34.1 seconds and his place of leader, recovered right away by the Alsatian in a Ford Puma, who came out of his WRC retirement (last rally: Turkey in September 2020) to celebrate this 90th edition in style.

There are only 14 km left to cover, in the SS17, with two passes on the menu, Col du Buis and Col de Félines, before a majestic but tricky descent, and several hairpins in the process of heating up, thanks to the glorious sun of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, towards the medieval town of Entrevaux. A final twist could not be ruled out, however, in this already extraordinary rally, but with a gap of 9.5 seconds ahead of Ogier-Veillas tandem, the brand new Loeb-Galmiche crew, for their first ever joint-venture in a Ford Puma Hybrid, is not far from a masterstroke…

The greatest rally driver of all time, if we only look at the prize list and statistics, won the 90th edition of the Monte-Carlo Rally on Sunday, beating by 10 seconds and 5 tenths only, after 17 special stages over 4 days, his arch-rival Sébastien Ogier. His 80th win in WRC, and the 8th triumph in Monaco, where he first competed in 2021, in a small red Citroën Saxo.

Ogier was twice hit by bad luck in the last two stages: first a puncture of his front left tire, in SS16, and then a ten-second penalty for a jump start in SS17, due to a small technical glitch which forced him to release the clutch a little too early.

Loeb did not know he had won when he got out of his Ford Puma at the end of SS17, in the medieval town of Entrevaux, after four days of a fierce and intense fight between the two greatest champions of the modern era of rallying: 9 world titles for Loeb, 8 for Ogier, both having decided to slow down  a bit, to start other projects. For Loeb, it was 10 years ago (last full season in 2012) and for Ogier only last month (8th world title in December 2021 at the Monza rally) .

“It’s unbelievable. We didn’t expect so much when we got here,” said Loeb after the podium in Entrevaux. “We were unlucky, but that’s rallying”, Ogier said. He was still leading by 24 seconds at the start of SS16, the one in which he punctured his front-left tire, finishing on the rim and losing 34 seconds in the process. Each had started this rally in a new car of the hybrid era, and with a new teammate, Benjamin Veillas for Ogier, Isabelle Galmiche for Loeb.

This is Loeb’s 80th victory in the WRC, including 79 with Daniel Elena and one with Isabelle Galmiche, a maths teacher who made the most of her weekend in a Ford Puma. She navigated perfectly a very demanding driver, and she was rewarded by climbing on a podium for history, alongside Loeb, Ogier, Veillas and another crew, fully Irish, entered by Ford M-Sport, consisting of Craig Breen and Paul Nagle.

This stunning win is also one for Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport Ford team, which had almost skipped the 2021 season to better prepare for the arrival of the new technical regulations, in order to fine-tune the settings of this Ford Puma Hybrid. It was objectively the best car of this 1st round of 2022, at the very beginning of the hybrid era in WRC. This car designed in Banbury UK was at the same time the fastest, the most reliable and the easiest to drive, according to all its drivers this week, starting with Loeb and Breen, and adding young Gus Greensmith, 25, who posted his first stage win in WRC, on Friday.

“We have just finished a rally, so we need to celebrate before we decide if there will be others…”, Loeb also said. At almost 48, next February, he has just set a new record: that of the winner on older in fifty seasons of World Rally, a little better than Swede legend Bjorn Waldegard at the Safari in 1990, then aged 46. “For me, it won’t be right away,” Ogier smiled, as he wants to start a new career in endurance, on circuits of this world. “But we will try to set up a date with Seb”, he added, delighted to have experienced “such a great fight since Thursday”, on the roads of Monte-Carlo. Both Sebs are now on equal terms in the Principality: 8 wins each, including Ogier’s win during the IRC era, in 2009, in a Peugeot.

See you gentlemen in 2023 to settle the score, one more time!

They were the main actors of this 2022 edition which will remain in the memories of all. Discover their reactions during the FIA Press Conference.

Sébastien Loeb (M-Sport Ford WRT), 80th wins in WRC
“Really happy for sure. I didn’t know what to expect. I had a good feeling since the first test and this give me some confidence. But then to know which level will I be? I don’t know. The level in WRC is sometimes really, really high but we decide to come here and the result is amazing. It’s more than we expected, but the team, and with Isabelle [Galmiche] – everything has been really amazing with our first rally together. It’s really great. »

About Isabelle Galmiche, his new codriver:
“She did it really well. It was just one or two times she went a little bit late, but then it was just a little bit. This car is really difficult for the co-driver, we are flying in the stages and she had a lot to say. She was in the perfect rhythm and she understands how to do it really well. There are a lot of things to check and she did it all really well. She has a lot of experience in French championship, but in the WRC you have a lot more to do around [the car]. She did a great job. »

About the Ford Puma Hybrid:
“ It wasn’t difficult to manage. It was a lot of power. You can really enjoy it in the exit of slow corner and when you don’t have it, you understand how much it gives you an extra boost. Some drivers said these cars were a bit more heavy, it’s true, but I wasn’t used to drive in the WRC a lot [recently] and when I sit in a car like that, I enjoyed it a lot.”

About SS17 Powerstage:
« I was feeling OK. Then in the stage I felt I was losing the front tyres. Still the feeling was OK, then I saw his time and I was quite surprised how fast he has gone! It was a relief to win the rally. »

Sébastien Ogier (Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT), 2nd

« First, you are completely right, we need to celebrate our teams. They have done a fantastic job building completely new cars that are completely different from the other ones. I was expecting more issues, there were some here and there, but we could fight like in the good old days and you would not think it was the first time for these cars. It was really enjoyable and a good show for the sport. I was targeting first place not second, so I can’t say I am 100% satisfied. We can keep smiling, we gave everything out there, but fate decided differently today and we had to settle for second. But it’s been fun in the car and now we have a reason to come back next year – I’m not sure my wife will enjoy that sentence! »

ABout Benjamin Veillas, his new codriver:
« He did well, honestly. We need to admit it’s never easy to jump in the car, they really fast. And when you have never done this job at this level, it’s a huge pressure on your shoulders. In general I am very happy with what Benjamin has done at the weekend. Of course there is any details he can improve and it wasn’t 100%, but nobody can jump in and do the perfect job. I’m pleased with what he has done and we made a good step together. Today was almost harder for him than me. I had the chance to enjoy many success already in my life, my career. It would have been amazing for him to win Monte Carlo, but it was still a great achievement and something special like for Isabelle. They have both done a great rally, but only one can win. Today luck was not on our side, but I’m sure we will win some rally together.. »

About SS17 Powerstage:

« I feel it was on the limit. Surprisingly, the engine strategy started to sound different two seconds before it was time to go. I thought it was like it was dropping RPM or losing pressure or power. It disturbed me. I wanted to try to start sharp. I knew I had to start sharp when I had to make nine seconds, I knew it would be hard. To take this nine seconds to Séb, I think it was quite a performance. I had to give it everything. It was over the limit in a couple of times, but we managed to keep the car on the road. But in the end maybe it’s better to have this jump start – without this, the gap would be only 0.5s and if it was like this then I would be even more frustrated! »

About his frame of mind before the Monte-Carlo 2022:
« A little bit more relaxed, even if I think I’m a bit more relaxed for a while, like you notice. I wanted to enjoy the event, it’s great. Somehow, I didn’t feel differently. I wanted to give my best and try to win this event. There were so many questions before the start with the car and reliability and who would be able to fight for the win – we were joking in the test that maybe we would be better to start in the R5! The team did a great job. The hybrid feels a little bit like the first time sex: very intense, then one second and gone. It’s a good start!»

Craig Breen (M-Sport Ford WRT), 3^rd
« Good. It’s been a good weekend. It still feels a bit surreal to be sitting here sharing a podium with these guys – I hope it’ll not happen again! If they’d not been there I could have won the rally! It’s really amazing, we share 17 world titles between the three of us…»

“It’s a really high-level podium. I knew before the start it would be a difficult one for me. I’ve not done the event for four or five years and this in only my fourth time here. To come away from here with a podium on most difficult rally of the year, I’m delighted. This is mainly thanks to the team – they have done an amazing job, given us all the tools to perform. Myself and Paul have learned with every kilometre. »

Richard Millener, Team Principal M-Sport Ford
« I can’t put it into words. It’s been difficult for the last couple of seasons we knew that we would put everything into this year and we had a very competitive package and the whole team has worked incredibly hard. This is at the forefront of what we want to do, we had the complications of competing last year, but we knew we could get these results. Everybody worked so hard up to and through Christmas to get cars ready. We’ve ended up with a fantastic team, great drivers and a result we could only dream of.»

“It’s obviously very unfortunate to see what’s happened to this Séb, but in terms of the rally we could not ask for a better start. And it’s been so exciting to watch, I’m just glad this one went our way. It’s a very nice feeling. »

Andreas Mikkelsen (Škoda Fabia Rally2), WRC2 Winner
« It wasn’t very straightforward. There were a lot of dramas in Rally2 in general. We tried to be very clever, we stayed out of trouble. The conditions, for me… it was a little bit opposite, even though there was not a lot of snow it was really difficult black ice. It’s really difficult to drive on that, difficult to push. When you see the snow you know about the grip. I found it difficult. We had an approach to try to win but risk as least as possible we managed that. The Citroëns were fast, we knew they would be in dry conditions. [Yohan] Rossel and [Stéphane] Lefebvre were my main competitors and they fell off. They crashed, I had a puncture yesterday and thought I lost the win. We all had issues. Today Erik Cais was the closest one to the challenge – we put up a good pace on the first stage this morning and we managed to get quite a good gap. It was a good rally to know how much we should push. »

“It was a little bit like I expected– I thought the Toyota would be fast with all their [hybrid] category experience and I was interested to see the Puma. I was not surprised it was like a rocket – M-Sport are good at new cars. Hyundai struggle a bit and they can improve for Sweden.”

Sami Pajari, (Ford Fiesta Rally3), WRC3 Winner
« It’s quite clear, if you imagine about Monte Carlo, the ice and snow make it really special. As Andreas [Mikkelsen] mentioned it wasn’t easy to see where the ice and snow was. For me it was a difficult to see – that made it a huge challenge. Maybe I was too cautious where I was expecting the ice, but we didn’t do any crazy mistakes, so I need to be happy. »

Raphaël Astier (Alpine A110 RGT), R-GT Winner
« It wasn’t easy especially being here in a two-wheel drive car. There were a lot of tyre choices and a big Tarmac section. Globally I am very happy with the crew and with the team. It’s been a fabulous event. »

There is only a 20-second gap, all round, between Seb Ogier and Seb Loeb before the final three stages of the 90th Rallye Monte-Carlo, because the older of the two set another best time to start his Sunday morning. It was on SS14, between La Penne and Collongues (19 km), on a completely dry road, with only a few patches of frost which did not bother so much the two multiple world champions.

“I attacked, anyway,” said Loeb after passing the timing panel, while slowing down his Ford Puma Hybrid. “Yes, definitely!” replied Isabelle Galmiche, smiling from ear to ear. She has been living a dream in the right-hand seat since Thursday evening, and it continues. It’s the French crew’s 5th stage win in this rally (equal with Ogier), and the 930th for the Alsatian grandmaster since his WRC debut in 2001. A record that may never be beaten.

“It was a great stage, but I didn’t take any risk,” admitted Ogier to explain the 1.1 second lost on Loeb. It was unimportant, just one more special stage win for glory, the dominant theme of this historic 90th edition, historic also because these two WRC legends are posted 1st and 2nd before the final sprint. This has not happened since Rally Sweden in 2013.

After SS14, Oliver Solberg threw in the towel at the Briançonnet regroup. A decision taken by his team manager because the young Swede wanted to stop breathing fumes in his cockpit, which made him dizzy and prevented him from focusing on his driving. Two down for Hyundai, because Ott Tänak did not leave the service park on Sunday morning, after his two punctures and retirement on Saturday.

The only survivor among the Koreans is therefore Thierry Neuville, the only priority driver who left this morning with two super-softs, in order to take points in the Power Stage, as Gus Greensmith (5th), in his Ford Puma, is still 1 minute and 11 seconds ahead of him. As for the leading quartet, it is still made up of Ogier, Loeb, Craig Breen (Ford Puma) and Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota). In WRC2, Norwegian Andreas Mikkelsen (Skoda Fabia) seems to be heading for another success.

Finally a stage win for Thierry Neuville, in his Hyundai, after three days of rallying full of various problems. The winner of the 2020 edition therefore brings the South Korean team the first ever stage win of the new i20 Hybrid, in the first run between Briançonnet and Entrevaux (SS15, 14 km). A good omen before the Power Stage (SS17) which will close this 90th edition of the Monte-Carlo Rally, where the Belgian will aim for bonus points for the world championship.

Neuville edged Sébastien Ogier (Toyota Yaris) by 1.9 seconds, Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota Yaris) by 3.6 seconds, Craig Breen (Ford Puma) by 5.8 seconds and Sébastien Loeb (Ford Puma) by 6.5 seconds. “It was slipping quite a bit on the descent, I preferred to be careful,” said the 9-time world champion, who did not want to spoil this superb rally by making a mistake this morning. In front, nothing changes, with Ogier still ahead of Loeb, but more than 24 seconds away now, Breen a minute and a half back, ahead of Rovanperä, and Greensmith ahead of Neuville. Two Toyotas and three Fords in the Top 5, followed by the Belgian’s Hyundai.