The Monte Carlo Rally is one of the most famous events, not just in global rallying, but in motorsport as a whole. It's arguably up there with Le Mans and the Indy 500 as one of those races that millions know of and want to see. Perhaps it's another challenge for Fernando Alonso to take up at some point...
Every year the Monte makes January that bit more appealing, the countdown to cars slipping and sliding around the south of France helping those days pass just a bit quicker. Every year is the same, and most years you'll get a PistonHeads Pic of the Week about it too.
2018 will be no different, and for this Monte retrospective we're back in 1979. Because old rally cars are the best, particularly old Lancias. Here the sideways Stratos and faces of concentration belong to Bernard Darniche and Alain Mahe; they went on to win the Monte, ahead of Bjorn Waldegard's Escort RS1800 and Markku Alen's Fiat 131 Abarth. Excellent.
While not an Alitalia car - they were in fact sponsoring the Abarths at the time - a sideways Stratos (with spotlights) in the snow is always going to appeal to us. Click below to download the wallpaper you need and, don't forget, this year's Monte begins on January 25th. Enjoy!
Image: LAT, results from eWRC