Page 23 - Motorsport News (January 2020)

Advertising enquiries: 0203 405 8110 motorsport-news.co.uk JANUARY 29 2020 23

ROUND

DRIVER ANALYSIS BYCOLINCLARK
STAR

OTTTANAK THIERRYNEUVILLE DRIVER
HYUNDAIi20 4/ 10 HYUNDAIi20 10/ 10

Looked fine in the opening There’ssomethingvery
few stages but maybe differentaboutNeuville
not the comfortable, this year. Last year
dominant driver we he almost seemed
saw at Toyota. Lucky intimidated by Tanak
to walk away from a and Ogier. Well, if Monte
monster sixth-gear off that Carlo is anything to go
destroyed his Hyundai. by, that is very much a
A missed compression thing of the past. Didn’t put
on the recce would seem a wheel wrong and never
to be the cause. gave up. Stunning drive.

SEAN JOHNSTON
This could have been Elfyn Evans or Thierry Neuville, but the American Peugeot 208 R2
SEBASTIEN LOEB SEBASTIEN OGIER 8/ driver gets it. He dominated the RC4 class on his Monte debut, facing down and beating a
whole bunch of local French experts who fancied themselves on their home roads.

HYUNDAI i20 4/ 10 TOYOTA YARIS WRC 10

At times you were left Seemed comfortable all
wondering if this really was weekend with the Toyota WOODEN
the nine-time World Rally Yaris but not always confident.
champion and seven-time When we wanted to see
Monte Carlo Rally winner a push from the reigning SPOON
behind the wheel of the Monte Carlo winner, the
Hyundai WRC. A bewildering Frenchman just wasn’t
lack of pace and wrong tyre willing to take the risks.
choices typified a weekend It was a decent start, with
to forget for the Frenchman. more to come no doubt.

ELFYN EVANS KALLE ROVANPERA

TOYOTA YARIS WRC 9/ 10 TOYOTA YARIS WRC 10/ 10

A dream start to his time The freak from Finland was,
with Toyota. Leading the well, freakish. Astonishing
rally going into the final WRC debut at the top level
day, he surprised many for Finland’s finest. Mastered
with his speed and poise the conditions, showed
in challenging conditions. glimpses of real pace but VINCENT
If this is a sign of what’s to most encouragingly showed Vincent’s the bad man from whom I hired a Renault Kadjar with a dodgy clutch. A dodgy
come for the Welshman real rallycraft in guiding his clutch that died completely on the season’s longest road section from the Gap to Monaco
then further career wins Yaris quickly and safely on Saturday afternoon. I’ve got the perfect place for Vincent to store his wooden spoon…
look almost inevitable. through some of the
trickiest stages .

TAKAMOTO KATSUTA ESAPEKKA LAPPI RESULTS
Round1/13,88thRally Monte Carlo 2020, January 23-26

TOYOTA YARIS WRC 7/ 10 FORD FIESTA WRC 6/ POS DRIVER/ CO-DRIVER CAR TIME
10

1 Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3h10m57.6s
2 Sebastien Ogier (FRA)/Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Toyota Yaris WRC +12.6s
One of the nicest guys First outing as M-Sport 3 Elfyn Evans (GBR)/Scott Martin (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC +14.3s
in rallying put in a fine team leader and, on the face 4 Esapekka Lappi (FIN)/Janne Ferm (FIN) Ford Fiesta WRC +3m09.0s
performance in only his of it, fourth place is a good 5 Kalle Rovanpera (FIN)/Jonne Halttunen (FIN) Toyota Yaris WRC +4m17.2s
third outing in a World Rally result. Didn’t really seem to 6 Sebastien Loeb (FRA)/Daniel Elena (MCO) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +5m04.7s
Car. He continues to learn settle into the event though 7 Takamoto Katsuta (JPN)/Daniel Barritt (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC +11m27.9s
and continues to improve and struggled to get to 8 Teemu Suninen (FIN)/Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN) Ford Fiesta WRC +13m30.4s
his pace. A big year ahead grips with the car at times. 9 Eric Camilli (FRA)/Francois-Xavier Buresi (FRA) Citroen C3 R5 +13m42.2s
as he works towards his Glimpses of the potential 10 Mads Ostberg (NOR)/Torstein Eriksen (NOR) Citroen C3 R5 +14m21.8s
goal of a solid showing that is quite clearly there, 17 Deividas Jocius (LTU)/Mindaugas Varza (LTU) Ford Fiesta WRC +24m19.9s
on his home event, Rally though, will give him hope 63 Gus Greensmith (GBR)/Elliott Edmondson (GBR) Ford Fiesta WRC +1h27m17.5s
Japan, in November. for future outings. R Ole Christian Veiby (NOR)/ Jonas Andersson (SWE) Hyundai i20 R5 SS14/crash
R Stephane Sarrazin (FRA)/Kevin Parent (FRA) Hyundai i20 R5 SS6/crash
R Ott Tanak (EST)/Martin Jarveoja (EST) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC SS4/crash
TEEMU SUNINEN 5/ GUS GREENSMITH CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

FORD FIESTA WRC 10 FORD FIESTA WRC 2/ 10 DRIVERS MANUFACTURERS
POS DRIVERS PTS POS TEAMS PTS
Oh dear. The incident started 1 Thierry Neuville 30 1 Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT 35
Brought his car safely 2 Sebastien Ogier 22 2 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 33
home but, other than that, off looking almost like an 3 Elfyn Evans 17 3 M-Sport Ford WRT 20
didn’t really do much elegant dance but ended 4 Esapekka Lappi 13
to shine. Has now had up as one of the most 5 Kalle Rovanpera 10
plenty of time in the Fiesta embarrassing and low speed 6 Sebastien Loeb 8
and has to start showing offs we’ve ever seen. Poor 7 Teemu Suninen 7
some consistent pace. Gus, a momentary lapse in 8 Takamoto Katsuta 6

judgment on the highly
He was hampered by 9 Eric Camilli 2
transmission issues slippery surface will live 10 MadsOstberg 1 RALLY SWEDEN
on the opening forever in the annals of
night but still should YouTube’s most amusing Will Hyundai’s FEBRUARY 13-16
have done better. crashes. There must NEXT Ott Tanak bounce
be better to come. RALLY back on the snow?