Welcome back to the new edition of World Grand Prix!
In the past period, the highlights are below!
WRC | Monte Carlo opener Loeb narrowly won the M-Sport Ford to open the hybrid era
From 20 to 23 January, the new season of the WRC World Rally Championship kicked off in Monte Carlo, Monaco, in accordance with tradition. In the first race of the hybrid era, the two "Sebastian" who won a total of 17 world championships presented a wonderful duel for the fans. Sebastian Loeb, who eventually represented M-Sport Ford, narrowly beat Sebastian Ogier of Toyota's Gazoo Racing WRT with just 10.5 seconds after 17 stages to win the opening goal. Another driver, Clegg Brin, who drove the Ford Puma Rally1, won the final podium spot, with M-Sport becoming the biggest winner of the race.
The match was Loeb's 80th career race title trophy, which set a new record for the WRC's oldest race winner at 47 years and 332 days. It was also his 8th time to reach the top in the Monte Carlo Rally, where he also won his 80th stage in Monte Carlo. Loeb's new navigator partner, Isabelle Galmiche, became the first female navigator to reach the WRC's top podium since Fabrizia Pons in the 1997 Monte Carlo Rally.
The two Sebastians alternately lead the list without giving their young opponents a chance. Loeb and Ogier won a total of seven stages in the first half of the tournament, with Loeb slightly better, which allowed him to enter the second half of the race in the first place. The remaining two stages were won by M-Sport driver Gus Greensmith and Toyota driver Elphin Evans.
After the SS10 took the lead, Ogier reached a draw on total time and Loeb, and the two sides returned to the same starting line again. Relying on the strong performance of the subsequent stages, Ogier once took the lead more than 20 seconds, and the defending champion seemed to have won the game. However, in the penultimate stage, the puncture accident caused Ogier to lose the lead, Loeb returned to the top of the table, and with 10 seconds of penalties for the last stage, Ogier turned over hopelessly and ended with the Silver Cup.
Here M-Sport Ford has sprung up, and Toyota has fought back and forth, while the slow and hot Hyundai on the other side has become the "green leaf" of the foil. The Hyundai i20 N Rally1, the best performer in South Korea, is only the sixth in Thierry Neuville.
Loeb and Ogier – two drivers who are no longer part of a full-season battle, but in the New Year's opener, they brought a rare peak match for the WRC. After experiencing the powerful dialogue between the king and the king, it is presumable that the young people have realized that they still need to catch up.
The next WRC race will take place in Sweden on 24-27 February.
This issue of "World Grand Prix" has come to an end
Looking forward to seeing you next time
*Images are from the web