***The offical Monte Carlo Rally Thread 2015***

[andygo]

How do you view stage times on the 'new' WRC.com website. Its awful to navigate.

[Allyc85]

Go to "live" at the top of the page, then below the driver pictures you can select splits, overall times etc. It is an awful site, and very awkward to navigate.

[andygo]

I think I had adblock/ghostery addons messing with the page. Its all ok now. Still a v.confusing site. Think they are trying to make the site as complicated as the cars!

[Pwig]

Well that was amazing. This years monte is turning out to be a classic already! The images on BT sport were amazing!

[Slippydiff]

Kubica sidelined with electrical problems I guess he'll be able to restart tomorrow as only two stages have been run ?

https://twitter.com/OfficialWRC/status/55839321574...

[joema]

How the hell does Loeb do that? Hats off to them all for staying on that stage but that was something else.

Well done bt for giving us the full hour. No ads either. If only they could do that for more stages

[rallycross]

joema said:

How the hell does Loeb do that? Hats off to them all for staying on that stage but that was something else.

Loeb is an amazing driver, takes a year off Rallying (just one event with his wife), then comes back for fun to the worlds hardest rally and leads the best drivers in the world.

[Pwig]

Overall after SS3!

1. 4 FRAS. LOEB M 40:32.1
2. 1 FRAS. OGIER M 41:00.4 +28.3 +28.3
3. 6 ESTO. TANAK M 41:42.1 +41.7 +1:10.0
4. 5 GBRE. EVANS M 41:42.2 +0.1 +1:10.1
5. 2 FINJ. LATVALA M 41:50.9 +8.7 +1:18.8
6. 9 NORA. MIKKELSEN 41:54.8 +3.9 +1:22.7
7. 3 GBRK. MEEKE M 42:07.4 +12.6 +1:35.3
8. 12 NORM. OSTBERG 42:11.4 +4.0 +1:39.3
9. 7 BELT. NEUVILLE M 42:12.2 +0.8 +1:40.1
10. 8 ESPD. SORDO M 42:34.3 +22.1 +2:02.2
11. 21 CZEM. PROKOP T 42:36.9 +2.6 +2:04.8
12. 14 NORH. SOLBERG 42:42.7 +5.8 +2:10.6
13. 32 FRAS. LEFEBVRE WRC2 43:19.4 +36.7 +2:47.3
14. 43 SVKM. KOCI WRC2 43:28.4 +9.0 +2:56.3
15. 37 ITAL. BERTELLI T 43:41.7 +13.3 +3:09.6
16. 17 UKRY. PROTASOV 44:05.3 +23.6 +3:33.2
17. 33 FRAQ. GIORDANO WRC2 44:13.9 +8.6 +3:41.8
18. 34 IRLC. BREEN WRC2 44:39.8 +25.9 +4:07.7
19. 41 DEUA. KREMER WRC2 44:42.0 +2.2 +4:09.9
20. 36 FRAJ. MAURIN WRC2 44:45.1 +3.1 +4:13.0
21. 16 POLR. KUBICA 51:37.4 +6:52.3 +11:05.3
22. 18 FRAS. CHARDONNET 1:03:50.8 +12:13.4 +23:18.7

Evans going well!

[Alex Langheck]

I think he's merely underlining what a sublime talent he is. Ogier is good, but he'll never do what Loeb has done, and I don't think he'll be as versatile.

[RobGT81]

Loeb just lost a lot of time on SS5?

[Alex Langheck]

There is a huge difference in conditions between Ogier and Loeb, who is running 14th on the road - meaning their times are quite different. Would love to see thrm running together, then it would be 'who is faster' but changing conditions are a big part of the Monte.

[fttm]

Up to the minute results on rally.ie , plus driver comments in the info section .

[Pwig]

Pos Car No Driver Eligibility Time Diff Prev Diff 1st

1. 4 FRAS. LOEB M 1:11:41.4
2. 1 FRAS. OGIER M 1:11:44.4 +3.0 +3.0
3. 2 FINJ. LATVALA M 1:12:52.1 +1:07.7 +1:10.7
4. 6 ESTO. TANAK M 1:13:16.4 +24.3 +1:35.0
5. 5 GBRE. EVANS M 1:13:29.8 +13.4 +1:48.4
6. 3 GBRK. MEEKE M 1:13:30.2 +0.4 +1:48.8
7. 9 NORA. MIKKELSEN 1:13:32.8 +2.6 +1:51.4
8. 12 NORM. OSTBERG 1:13:42.5 +9.7 +2:01.1
9. 7 BELT. NEUVILLE M 1:14:09.9 +27.4 +2:28.5
10. 8 ESPD. SORDO M 1:14:25.8 +15.9 +2:44.4
11. 21 CZEM. PROKOP T 1:14:53.9 +28.1 +3:12.5
12. 14 NORH. SOLBERG 1:15:31.1 +37.2 +3:49.7
13. 32 FRAS. LEFEBVRE WRC2 1:16:21.4 +50.3 +4:40.0
14. 43 SVKM. KOCI WRC2 1:16:23.1 +1.7 +4:41.7
15. 37 ITAL. BERTELLI T 1:16:33.2 +10.1 +4:51.8
16. 33 FRAQ. GIORDANO WRC2 1:17:22.0 +48.8 +5:40.6
17. 36 FRAJ. MAURIN WRC2 1:17:23.1 +1.1 +5:41.7
18. 41 DEUA. KREMER WRC2 1:17:36.0 +12.9 +5:54.6
19. 27 FRAF. LO FIEGO 1:18:15.0 +39.0 +6:33.6
20. 73 FRAM. MARGAILLAN 1:18:16.0 +1.0 +6:34.6
21. 25 CHEO. BURRI 1:18:16.2 +0.2 +6:34.8
22. 42 ZAFH. LATEGAN WRC2 1:18:36.2 +20.0 +6:54.8
23. 34 IRLC. BREEN WRC2 1:18:38.6 +2.4 +6:57.2
24. 24 ITAM. GAMBA 1:19:00.3 +21.7 +7:18.9
25. 17 UKRY. PROTASOV 1:19:28.1 +27.8 +7:46.7
26. 40 CHEJ. HIRSCHI WRC2 1:19:37.1 +9.0 +7:55.7
27. 19 FRAJ. RAOUX 1:20:41.3 +1:04.2 +8:59.9
28. 39 FRAE. CAMILLI WRC2 1:20:42.8 +1.5 +9:01.4
29. 60 FRAQ. GILBERT WRC3 1:21:54.1 +1:11.3 +10:12.7
30. 58 FRAT. FOLB WRC3 1:21:56.1 +2.0 +10:14.7
31. 16 POLR. KUBICA 1:22:17.6 +21.5 +10:36.2

3 seconds in it at the top!

[jamiebae]

Loeb just isn't human. A year off and leading the rally from the start in a car which I think most people accept isn't as fast as the Polo. He's getting on for 2 minutes ahead of the next Citroen!

I'm not sure his return is good for the WRC though, even if he bins it now and retires he has shown beyond any reasonable doubt that he's still the best driver out there, and whoever takes the title now is really just fighting for 'best of the rest'.

[Alex Langheck]

I'd love to see him do some more events - I get the feeling that his WTCC outings aren't particularly fulfilling; I mean 2x20 minute races......and all that travel.

[jamiebae]

Loeb picks the 'wrong' tyres for the stage conditions, and wins the stage anyway. Unbelievable!

[RobGT81]

Ostberg and Loeb the only guys on non studded tyres. Ostberg 12th, Loeb 1st. He is trolling them.

[Slippydiff]

jamiebae said:

even if he bins it now and retires he has shown beyond any reasonable doubt that he's still the best driver out there, and whoever takes the title now is really just fighting for 'best of the rest'.

If I may say so, I think that's somewhat presumptuous and rather inaccurate too.
If he bins it, it proves he can't take the pressure Ogier is now free to exert, and seemingly capable of exerting.

At their last meeting Loeb showed that he's human, and Ogier that he's got what it takes to force/pressurize Loeb into a mistake.
Clearly they respect each other, but it's equally clear there's no love lost between them either. If on Sunday lunchtime Loeb has vanquished all before him, all well and good, but let's wait until then before extolling Loebs undoubted virtues.

But I agree about Loeb and his place in WTCC, I can't for one moment think he's genuinely happy with his lot/job. (but come to that, Meeke and Ostberg can't exactly be overjoyed to be upstaged by Loeb so comprehensively) If Loeb were truly happy with his lot in the WTCC, why would he risk losing face on the Monte ? He has unfinished business with the WRC. The FIA know it, Citroen know it, he knows is, Ogier knows it, and we know it too.

The WRC would be better for his full time return.

[RobGT81]

Loeb said:

I told him(Ogier) before the stage that I thought it was better to take the studded tyres here - that I had the wrong ones.

[jamiebae]

Slippydiff said:

jamiebae said:

even if he bins it now and retires he has shown beyond any reasonable doubt that he's still the best driver out there, and whoever takes the title now is really just fighting for 'best of the rest'.

If I may say so, I think that's somewhat presumptuous and rather inaccurate too.
If he bins it, it proves he can't take the pressure Ogier is now free to exert, and seemingly capable of exerting.

At their last meeting Loeb showed that he's human, and Ogier that he's got what it takes to force/pressurize Loeb into a mistake.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one then.

He has turned up after very little testing, having done one rally in the last year, and in an inferior car has been consistently faster than the driver most people consider to be the best in the sport today, in what is unquestionably the best car. Obviously it doesn't prove that he would be champion if he did the full season, but it puts enough doubt into the mind of anyone watching that it damages the credibility of the person who does eventually win.