Sébastien Ogier set the pace on the opening shakedown stage of the new World Rally Championship season ahead of the 2023 Monte Carlo Rally.
The 1.42-mile Sainte-Agnès / Peille stage may be far shorter than any of the 18 competitive tests on this year’s Monte, but times aren’t necessarily meaningless as last year Ogier and namesake Sébastien Loeb set the pace and ultimately did so on the rally as well.
Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville was quickest after the first pass of shakedown – an impressive 0.9 seconds up on reigning world champion Kalle Rovanperä – but it was eight-time Monte Carlo winner Ogier that ended up fastest of all.
On just his second start with co-driver Vincent Landais, Ogier was 0.3s faster than his Toyota team-mate Rovanperä with Neuville just another tenth in arrears.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Neuville, looking ahead to the rally which begins on Thursday evening.
“I think we can expect a more exciting season than we did last year. All the three teams should be in it from the beginning and this is going to make it fun.”
The timesheets from shakedown certainly suggested that things will be close this year, with fourth-fastest Elfyn Evans just one tenth behind Neuville and Neuville’s team-mate Dani Sordo still within a second of Ogier’s benchmark pace.
M-Sport Ford’s leading runner on shakedown, Pierre-Louis Loubet, clocked the sixth fastest time – 1.1s down on Ogier and 0.2s adrift of Sordo.
He edged his new team-mate Ott Tänak by four tenths of a second as the 2019 world champion admitted he has things to learn this weekend.
“It’s a lot to discover for sure,” he said. “Last year everybody was in a new car so this year for us it’s not going to be an easy start. Let’s get it started and see where we are.”
Esapekka Lappi is the other driver learning a new Rally1 car this weekend as he got his first run in a Hyundai against the clock.
Lappi looked to be bedding himself in gently as he was eighth fastest, 2.4s down on Ogier.
“For sure it’s a big challenge as always but I think we are ready,” Lappi commented.
Takamoto Katsuta was another 0.4s behind Lappi in ninth overall.
To follow the Monte Carlo Rally as the action unfolds with updates, analysis and insight, make sure you tune into DirtFish Live Center from 7pm CET.
