Toyota Gazoo Racing therefore continued its raid on this “Monte”, with a 9th stage win out of 9 contested since Thursday night, and another 1-2-3 on the scoreboard: Rovanperä ahead of Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans. This infernal trio drove faster than Thierry Neuville (Hyundai Motorsport), 4th at 2.7 seconds. It may be a happy omen for the Frenchman, aiming this year for a record 9th success in the Principality.

The M-Sport Ford drivers are not in the game, even if Ott Tänak saves appearances and remains in the Top 5. The 2019 World Champion is still a minute behind Ogier in the general standings (57.5 seconds exactly) while the competitors have just passed, in the famous Colle Saint-Michel, the mid-rally point (9 stages out of 18).

This SS9 claimed a victim in the French ranks: Pierre-Louis Loubet, the other M-Sport Ford driver, had left well rested after a whole Friday afternoon driving without power steering. His Puma slipped in the last left corner, just before the timing cell, and its right rear axle got damaged : “We need to get back in shape and try to aim for a few points during the Power Stage on Sunday”, the young Corsican driver reacted on Twitter.