This is why Sébastien Ogier won the Rallye Monte Carlo - video
If you have 16 minutes to spare, you should spend it looking at this. All of it.
Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia, Volkswagen Polo WRC, Volkswagen Motorsport
XPB Images
The Rallye Monte Carlo is legendary for all sorts of reasons. The history, the scenic vistas on nearly every mountainous stage, the finish in glamorous Monaco. But what really separates the great rally drivers from the also-rans is the "Monte" weather. In one 25km stage it can go from sunny to rain, from rain to sleet, from sleet to snow, and back to rain. No other rally makes it so difficult for drivers and teams to decide on tires, forcing them to choose the lesser evil and pray it sticks.
This onboard video of Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia will educate you. It's SS4 in its entirety from Thursday's leg one. The pair cover 25km in 16m14s in their VW Polo-R WRC.
Flat out on open mountain roads with no guardrails and rocky hillsides, on a surface that is ever changing...in freezing temperatures.
It's 16 minutes of hold-on-to-your-seat rallying. Honestly I'm exhausted just watching it. And these guys do this all day for three straight days.
Highlights:
50s mark: He nearly loses the car at the start of the stage.
5m10s mark: Hello there snow!
7m mark: Almost loses it again.
9m10s mark: Check out that pole on the right.
10m45s mark: Ultimate car control in the hairpins.
13m15s mark: Sleet, ice, bumpy and narrow bridge, top speed.
Be part of Motorsport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments