The 8th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo really started on a high, on Wednesday, just a stone’s throw from the Principality. And another former winner, Frédéric Lansiaux (VW ID3), winner in 2021, was at his most effective in RS2, the 27.8 km long ascent of Col de Turini. Well assisted by his co-driver Nicolas Buhot, the Frenchman took just 90 penalty points and finished tied 1st with another VW, the ID4 of Belgium’s Antoine Deschamps and Bernard Verstraete, and the Kia EV6 GT of Portugal’s Eduardo Carpinteiro and José Carlos Figueiredo (n°27).
Places of honour were taken by Belgians Michel Decremer and Jennifer Hugo (n°7), 4th in this RS2, so that the winners of the last Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique are on top the overall standings on Wednesday evening, in their Belgian VW Club ID3, ahead of last year’s winners, Spanish duo Eneko Conde-Lukas Sergnese (Kia EV6 GT). As for 5th place, it went to another Belgian driver, Bruno Thiry (n°17), the 2003 European rally champion, partnered by Laurent Secrétin in an ID4.
One thing is already certain, after two regularity stages (out of 14): this 8th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo is going to be intense, fierce and undecided from start to finish. It would be hard to predict the name of the winning team on Saturday evening. And from Thursday onwards, with four regularity stages per day, there will still be plenty of opportunities for many crews to shine.