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Monte Carlo, January 29: Five-time defending champion Sebastien Ogier began his World Rally Championship (WRC) campaign by winning the 2018 season opener in Monaco.
The M-Sport Ford driver quelled the challenge of his nearest rival Ott Tanak of Estonia (Toyota Yaris) for his fifth consecutive victory in the Principality.
Jari-Matti Latvala, the Finnish driver made it a podium double for the Japanese manufacturer with a hard-fought third-place finish.
Leading from start to finish, Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia brought their EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC home in style.
The pair displayed everything needed to conquer the Monegasque event - speed, strategy and a little bit of luck along the way.
The M-Sport Ford man began the final day of the season curtain-raiser 33.5sec ahead of the pursuing Tanak following a sustained push from his Toyota rival, but he immediately quelled any thoughts the Estonian may have had of launching a late bid for glory by going 11.5sec faster than the Yaris driver on SS14.
Securing four stage wins, the Frenchmen were also the masters of strategy - taking an advantage through the most challenging conditions and controlling the lead thereafter.
It was another Monte masterclass, and the first step in their championship defence and Ogier sounded upbeat after the win.
Happy moments! 😀🏆🙌🏻#RallyeMonteCarlo @MSportLtd pic.twitter.com/M57ODbx4Cg
— Sébastien Ogier (@SebOgier) January 28, 2018
"Rallye Monte-Carlo is a special event for me," Ogier told WRC website. "I've always done well here - I seem to have a really good connection with my home rally - and I'm super-happy to take another win.
"It's been a difficult weekend. You often have to face tough conditions here, but this one was extremely tricky. I've never struggled so much with tyre choice. It was all about trying to minimise mistakes, and I managed to make fewer than the others. I need to thank the team for the best possible start to the season, but it has also shown that the competition will be huge this year. It's wide open - and I'm looking forward to it," he added.
The WRC caravan moves to Sweden where the next round will be held from February 15 to 18.
(With WRC/M-Sport inputs)
