As a result of the combined work of the Automobile Club de Monaco, the promoter of the World Rally Championship and the FIA, the Rallye Monte-Carlo will again be broadcast in its totality this year on the TV channels of the Canal Group, with 2 special stages broadcast in free-to-air.

A special programme for a legendary rally. With the presence of 8-time Rallye Monte-Carlo winner Julien Ingrassia as co-driver, with Laurent Dupin and Manon David, and commentary provided by Stéphane Genti and Nicolas Ciamin, the Canal Group will be offering a unique coverage of this 91st edition. In addition, the Rallye Monte-Carlo will be broadcast continuously on Canal+ on Sunday morning from 7.50am to the PowerStage podium, with 4 special stages on the programme and features during the liaison times.

Monaco Info will be there to follow the Official Start from the Place du Casino on Thursday at 6.25pm. “Les Experts du Rallye” (Vanessa Dessi, Frédéric Helion, Christophe Pacaud, Franck Phillips) will review the stages of the day: Thursday 19 – 11.30pm / Friday 20 – 9pm / Saturday 21 – 10.30pm / Sunday 22 – 6.30pm.

There will be 75 crews starting from 6.30pm on Thursday 19th January from the Casino Square in Monte Carlo. In total, 10 cars will be entered in the WRC category, 27 in WRC2, 5 in RGT and 33 amateurs.

The battle for victory is sure to be fierce! Kalle Rovanperä – Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT (2022 World Champion), Sébastien Ogier – Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT (8 Times World Champion & 8-Times Monte-Carlo’s winner), Ott Tanäk – M-Sport Ford WRT (2019 World Champion) and Thierry Neuville – Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT (2020 Monte-Carlo’s Winner) are all 4 main favourites. The suspense should also be there in the secondary categories (WRC 2 / RGT / non-priority).

Discover the official entry list

With less than a month to go before the start, discover the detailed maps of the 2023 Rallye Monte-Carlo route. In the Spectators Area of this page, under the heading Maps, have a look on the interactive maps via Google Maps and/or download the selected files.

Maps

Find also the access conditions to each public area (access roads, closing and reopening times), in order to plan your visit to this 91^st edition. Spectator information

We remind you that these areas are dedicated to the reception of the public (marked by green net or green tape), with a minimum overhang of 1.50 m and out of the path of the competitors. Outside these areas, spectators are not permitted. It is not permitted to enter the special stages and to move around in them, on the road or on the shoulders, 30 minutes before the start of the first competitor and until the end of the event. Failure to comply with these rules may result in the delay or cancellation of the special stage.

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

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.