2014 Rallye Monte Carlo

guys, who else can't wait for the 2014 Monte?

great entry list this year with new team Hyundai , 3 VW Polos WRCs and 4 ! M-Sport Fiesta WRCs + Citroen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_qASwWzYxo








Kubica is the one to watch this year I guess !!! saw him live at the Jänner Rallye 2014, which he used as Monte testing  and he was amazing !

cheers

good call tom, buy must admit i'll be watching meeke to see if he can fulfil his potential......

btw, just back from your lovely country m8....had a great time in the alps!    

bmd wrote:good call tom, buy must admit i'll be watching meeke to see if he can fulfil his potential......

btw, just back from your lovely country m8....had a great time in the alps!    

oh great to hear m8, where exactly have you been? this winter season is a bit low with snow and the temps are bit too high , but winter time in the alps generally is marvellous !

I stayed in niederau, but got bus to aufach and oberau.....there was no new snow until Friday but the peaks were ok, it was the lower thirds of the slopes which were icy...couldn't believe how high the temperatures were lol!! but a lovely place, we usually ski in meribel in france so it was nice for a change this year....  

KUBICA in the lead after Stage 1 !!! snowfall, difficult conditions, Neuville out

Chris Meeke 5th !

   early days, but glad meeke still there.....

bmd wrote:   early days, but glad meeke still there.....

Meeke is a sensational Second place after SS3 !



l.   Nr. Fahrer/Beifahrer Kl. Zeit
1 11 BOUFFIER, B.
PANSERI, X.
Ford Fiesta RS WRC RC1/ 45:44.2
82,32 km/h

2 3 MEEKE, K.
NAGLE, P.
Citroën DS3 WRC RC1/ 45:57.8
+00:13.6
+00:13.6

3 8 SORDO, D.
MARTí, M.
Hyundai i20 WRC RC1/ 46:25.7
+00:41.5
+00:27.9

4 10 KUBICA, R.
SZCZEPANIAK, M.
Ford Fiesta RS WRC RC1/ 46:26.7
+00:42.5
+00:01.0

5 6 EVANS, E.
BARRITT, D.
Ford Fiesta RS WRC RC1/ 46:30.9
+00:46.7
+00:04.2

6 56 CHARDONNET, S.
HAYE, T.
Citroën DS3 R3T RC3/ 46:35.9
+00:51.7
+00:05.0

7 38 BURRI, O.
SAUCY, A.
Ford Fiesta S2000 RC2/ 46:53.2
+01:09.0
+00:17.3

8 4 OSTBERG, M.
ANDERSSON, J.
Citroën DS3 WRC RC1/ 46:58.2
+01:14.0
+00:05.0

9 1 OGIER, S.
INGRASSIA, J.
Volkswagen Polo R WRC RC1/ 47:03.6
+01:19.4
+00:05.4

10 22 MELICHáREK, J.
MELICHáREK, E.
Ford Fiesta RS WRC RC1/ 47:19.4
+01:35.2
+00:15.8

now kris...
keep the wheels between the fields,
keep the machinery between the greenery...   

Never prayed so much in my life   

Great to see young Evans up there! Neuville made a bit of a mess of the Hyundai though and I guess Bryan Bouffier will be laughing inside his helmet having been dropped by the team...

Looks like Sordo is out now in the 2nd Hyundai with a flat battery. Looks like their massive portable "garage" is going to be quiet place after today...

Clssification after Stage 5:

what a great drive by the M-Sport guys and Kris Meeke, leaving VW off the podium for now   

total disaster for Hyundai !!


1 11 BOUFFIER, B.PANSERI, X.
Ford Fiesta RS WRC RC1/ 1:14:04.9
86,03 km/h

2 10 KUBICA, R.SZCZEPANIAK, M.
Ford Fiesta RS WRC RC1/ 1:14:43.0
+00:38.1
+00:38.1

3 3 MEEKE, K.NAGLE, P.
Citroën DS3 WRC RC1/ 1:14:45.8
+00:40.9
+00:02.8

4 1 OGIER, S.INGRASSIA, J.
Volkswagen Polo R WRC RC1/ 1:15:12.0
+01:07.1
+00:26.2

5 4 OSTBERG, M.ANDERSSON, J.
Citroën DS3 WRC RC1/ 1:15:28.4
+01:23.5
+00:16.4

6 6 EVANS, E.BARRITT, D.
Ford Fiesta RS WRC RC1/ 1:15:29.6
+01:24.7
+00:01.2

7 2 LATVALA, J.ANTTILA, M.
Volkswagen Polo R WRC RC1/ 1:16:41.5
+02:36.6
+01:11.9

8 5 HIRVONEN, M.LEHTINEN, J.
Ford Fiesta RS WRC RC1/ 1:16:53.1
+02:48.2
+00:11.6

9 9 MIKKELSEN, A.MARKKULA, M.
Volkswagen Polo R WRC RC1/ 1:18:02.8
+03:57.9
+01:09.7

Very surprised by the top 3 today, I still think Oiger will push on tomorrow and move up the order

as long as kris stays ahead of ostberg i'll be happy........... and doesn't crash!!!      

bmd wrote:as long as kris stays ahead of ostberg i'll be happy........... and doesn't crash!!!      

how things can change in the WRC:

If I remember correctly Kris didnt even get the Monte drive for 2012 in the Mini, official due to financial issues.
Sordo got the ride instead of him.

Now Sordos out of the rally and he's 3rd after SS5.    

+ never expected Kubica to begin so strong on the Monte ! really hope he and Kris stay on the road...

aye its a tight game tom................... must admit i'm a wee bit fed up with all the hype around kubica....look how many smashes he had over the last two years, if he wasnt coming from the spoiled-brat world of F1 he wouldn't have gotten all the coverage he has.......... nothing against the guy personally, just hate how money and politics often get in the way of raw talent..i call it the 'meagher syndrome'!!    just my opinion of course....    

bmd wrote:aye its a tight game tom................... must admit i'm a wee bit fed up with all the hype around kubica....look how many smashes he had over the last two years, if he wasnt coming from the spoiled-brat world of F1 he wouldn't have gotten all the coverage he has.......... nothing against the guy personally, just hate how money and politics often get in the way of raw talent..i call it the 'meagher syndrome'!!     just my opinion of course....    

Billy, I agree with you on the hype thingy.

but one must see this guy live to see what a great race driver he is. pushing the pedal to the metal so strongly after being severlery injured (he almost lost his right arm) in his rally accident in 2011 has to be recognized. Malcolm Wilson said about him recently he was amazed with how much motivation and passion for detail Robert entered the M-Sport team.

I think he brings with him a big background cause of his F1 carreer, but he kept the down to earth type of guy

all fair enough points, tom, can't knock the guy himself after what he has accomplished, its the media that peeves me off, how they decide to jump on some particular bandwagon and then flog the story to death....... i just wonder if he hadnt been bringing a load of cash with him, earned in F1, would he have been given the chance.....? but fair play to him for grabbing the opportunity...he obviously has talent......  
plus i laugh at anything mw claims, after he rejected several much more talented drivers for the last few years to give his totally-average son a drive..........   

cassification after Leg 1:

very nice, that it is NOT a boring VW 1/2/3 tripple lead   


1 11 BOUFFIER, B.
PANSERI, X.
Ford Fiesta RS WRC RC1/ 1:25:36.6
88,00 km/h

2 3 MEEKE, K.
NAGLE, P.
Citroën DS3 WRC RC1/ 1:26:15.4
+00:38.8
+00:38.8

3 10 KUBICA, R.
SZCZEPANIAK, M.
Ford Fiesta RS WRC RC1/ 1:26:16.1
+00:39.5
+00:00.7

4 1 OGIER, S.
INGRASSIA, J.
Volkswagen Polo R WRC RC1/ 1:26:23.9
+00:47.3
+00:07.8

5 4 OSTBERG, M.
ANDERSSON, J.
Citroën DS3 WRC RC1/ 1:26:57.3
+01:20.7
+00:33.4

6 6 EVANS, E.
BARRITT, D.
Ford Fiesta RS WRC RC1/ 1:27:15.2
+01:38.6
+00:17.9

7 2 LATVALA, J.
ANTTILA, M.
Volkswagen Polo R WRC RC1/ 1:27:57.4
+02:20.8
+00:42.2

8 5 HIRVONEN, M.
LEHTINEN, J.
Ford Fiesta RS WRC RC1/ 1:28:23.5
+02:46.9
+00:26.1

9 9 MIKKELSEN, A.
MARKKULA, M.
Volkswagen Polo R WRC RC1/ 1:29:42.8
+04:06.2
+01:19.3

10 38 BURRI, O.
SAUCY, A.
Ford Fiesta S2000 RC2/ 1:30:24.0
+04:47.4
+00:41.2

excellent!, cheers tom   

oh dear this is how he planned it ss1 big off

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cF1BQC1iJA

Meeke onboard ss3 https://youtu.be/vclbcO8ncEg

Cardy wrote:oh dear this is how he planned it ss1 big off

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cF1BQC1iJA

 
Can't say I am impressed with the truck driver. No leg rope on the car. All he has to do is brake hard and the car is in the winch.

Oh, and Kubica crashing, I seem to remember a certain guy called Colin who did the same early (and later) in his career.

I think this looks promising for this year - dont want another procession. Hyundai were quick, as were Meeke, Bouffier and Kubica. Evans doing well and VW fighting back. Rock on.

Cardy wrote:oh dear this is how he planned it ss1 big off

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cF1BQC1iJA

That'll mostly buff out with some T-Cut, I think!   

Big respect to Meeke (and all the crews, to be fair) for launching themselves at the road (and scenery on occasions) in such a determined, committed manner.    Great spectacle, though not many spectators!   

Thanks for posting, guys. Cheers, Steve