Sebastien Ogier claimed a historic 10th Monte Carlo Rally victory in the opening round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship, extending his record as the most successful driver in the event's history.

Driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, the eight-time WRC champion finished 18.5 seconds ahead of teammate Elfyn Evans after a tense final leg through the French Alps. Third-placed Adrien Fourmaux, in his Hyundai debut, finished 26.0 seconds behind the winner.

The final day's three asphalt stages proved challenging with mixed weather conditions. Ogier and Evans chose to run four studded Hankook tires and two super-soft slicks, a strategy that worked well on icy sections but left them vulnerable on drier roads. Fourmaux briefly threatened the podium order with his full-slicks setup before the icy Col de Turini leveled the playing field.

Kalle Rovanpera finished fourth, ahead of Ott Tanak in fifth. Defending WRC champion Thierry Neuville recovered to sixth place after multiple setbacks, including suspension damage and electrical issues, cost him over five minutes.

In WRC2, Yohan Rossel dominated the category in his Citroen C3 Rally2, winning by nearly three minutes and claiming stage victories in 15 of the 17 tests.

Final Standings:

1. Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota) 3h19m06.1s
2. Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota) +18.5s
3. Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai) +26.0s
4. Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota) +54.3s
5. Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai) +59.0s

Championship Standings: Drivers:

1. Ogier - 33 points
2. Evans - 26
3. Fourmaux - 20

Manufacturers:

1. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT - 60 points
2. Hyundai World Rally Team - 36
3. M-Sport Ford - 11

The WRC continues with Rally Sweden, February 13-16, where crews will tackle high-speed snow and ice stages in Umea.

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