Thierry Neuville took the early lead in the 2025 WRC Monte Carlo Rally after Thursday's three alpine stages, capitalizing on a costly spin by eight-time champion Sebastien Ogier.

Ogier, seeking his 10th Monte Carlo victory, initially dominated by winning the first two stages in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. However, a wide slide into a fence post during the final stage cost him over 20 seconds, dropping him to third overall.

Neuville, driving a Hyundai i20 N Rally1, leads with a 2.0-second advantage over Toyota's Elfyn Evans. Ogier sits 12.8 seconds behind the leader in third place.

The challenging night stages featured a mix of dry and damp asphalt with patches of ice. Hyundai's Ott Tanak holds fourth place, followed by teammate Adrien Fourmaux in fifth. Two-time WRC champion Kalle Rovanpera, returning to full-time competition with Toyota, currently sits sixth.

In WRC2, Nikolay Gryazin leads the category in his Skoda, though he isn't registered for championship points. Yohan Rossel tops the points-eligible WRC2 drivers in his Citroen C3.

Current Standings After SS3:

1. Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai) 32m58.8s
2. Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota) +2.0s
3. Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota) +12.8s
4. Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai) +27.0s
5. Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai) +30.0s

The rally continues Friday with six stages covering 66.7 competitive miles, with conditions expected to be predominantly dry but featuring challenging low-grip sections.

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