A year ago he was dethroned by his eternal rival and namesake, Sebastien Loeb. Something you want to change in the 2023 Monte Carlo Rally. sebastien ogier He has made clear from the beginning his intentions to recover the reign in the Monegasque event, in which he has marked the best time in the ‘shakedown’. Of course, only a few tenths ahead of the champion, Kalle Rovanpera, and with dani deaf in fifth position, less than a second behind the Frenchman.
The Sainte Agnés-Peille special, 2.2 kilometres, It has served to make the engines roar for the first time in the 2023 season. A short first contact, but with some of the ingredients that will star in the weekend. The ground was dry for most of the track, but with some patches of snow and ice.
In the first pass it was Thierry Neuville the one who set the best time, in the second Rovanpera, and in the third and final Ogier sealed his morning victory. In all of them Sordo was very close to the lead. “It’s a beautiful section in good condition,” said the Spaniard. “The first sensations with the car are good, So everything is going well for now.” The one who seems to need a period of adaptation to his new Ford is Ott Tanak, who could not improve the seventh position to second and a half behind Ogier.
But the real action begins tonight with the first two stages of the competition, the Col de Turini and the Col de Castillon, which will be held without daylight. It will be the real start of the 2023 season.
Shakedown Classification
1. Ogier-Veillas (Fra/Toyota), 1m 44.6s
2. Rovanpera-Halttunen (Fin/Toyota), at 0.3
3. Neuville-Wydaeghe (Bel/Hyundai), at 0.4
4. Evans-Martin (Gbr/Toyota), at 0.5
5. Sordo-Carrera (Esp/Hyundai), at 0.9