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A seventh different driver has won a special stage in this 93rd edition of Rallye Monte-Carlo, Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota), taking advantage of his position on the road, just like Gregoire Munster and Ott Tänak before him on Saturday morning in the Drôme. And Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai) consolidated his 2nd place, 17.2 seconds behind Sébastien Ogier (Toyota), still the solid leader of this first round of 2025.
This morning’s last special stage, between La Bâtie des Fonts and Aspremont (SS12, 17.85km), was very fast and followed by many spectators who arrived early. It enabled Katsuta to add a 41st stage win to his already impressive collection of five WRC podiums, in the space of 77 rallies since Finland 2016. He is the first Japanese driver to win a stage, ever, in a Rallye Monte-Carlo. And in the history of Japanese rallying, he still has one objective: to win a WRC event, like his compatriot Kenjiro Shinozuka in 1991 at the Ivory Coast Rally (formerly known as Bandama Rally).
‘This was a really difficult stage, I don’t know why, but it was so slippery and at the end of the stage it was very greasy. We had slick tyres and the car was sliding all over the place. It was quite a strange feeling, but I really enjoyed myself. Kalle [Rovanperä] must have enjoyed it as well, the sliding part…’ joked 31-year-old Katsuta, who is now on the honour roll of this 93rd edition, whatever happens on Sunday.
Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) was in for a surprise on SS12, feeling better after an accumulation of problems since Friday morning, and he set the 2nd fastest time without the slightest problem, also on a cleaner road than his rivals: ‘It’s the first stage I’ve really been able to enjoy this weekend to be honest, I felt better in the car, we made a few changes to the set-up. We’re still looking for grip in general, so you can’t be too confident. But the feeling was better. You have to find a balance between grip and car control, and that balance isn’t ideal yet,’ explained the reigning world champion.
In the overall standings, as the surviving competitors returned to the service park in Gap for a welcome mid-day break, Ogier now has a 17.2 second lead over Fourmaux and a 20 second advantage over Evans. In the WRC2 category, the French festival continues, with Yohan Rossel (Citroën C3) the undisputed leader, and a duel for the runner-up spot between Eric Camilli and Yohan’s brother Léo. To be continued.
