The Event

The Subaru World Rally Team will travel to the glamorous principality of Monaco next week for the opening round of the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship, Rallye Monte Carlo. Commencing on Friday 21 January, the prestigious three-day event is the oldest in the Championship and will feature the debut of a new Subaru driver line up of Petter Solberg and Stéphane Sarrazin.

Contested on twisty mountain roads, the Monte Carlo Rally can be as much of a lottery as the roulette played every evening in the principality's famous casino. Essentially an asphalt rally, unpredictable weather conditions make it one of the most challenging of the season. Stages can start in thick snow and end in bright sunshine, while it's not uncommon for a driver to encounter wet asphalt, ice patches and full snow conditions in just a few kilometres.

The fast-changing climate makes predicting the levels of grip on the narrow roads extremely difficult. In such variable conditions, tyre choice is nearly always a compromise with drivers forced to base their decisions on a pattern that's suited to the majority of the stage. The key to success is an ability to be fast when conditions and tyres are well matched, yet to maintain a competitive pace when the choice is less than ideal.

Following a ceremonial start in Monaco on Thursday night, the rally gets underway on Friday morning at 0700hrs when crews travel 73km to the start of SS1. Including fifteen stages and a competitive distance of 314.46km, the event will conclude at 1430hrs on Sunday 23 January. All three Legs will start and finish in Monte Carlo and the service park will be based on the harbourside.

Entries

The Subaru World Rally Team will be entering two cars in the Rallye Monte Carlo:

Petter Solberg has contested the Monte Carlo event four times previously and is looking to improve on his best finish so far, sixth place, achieved in 2002.

At the wheel of the second Subaru will be ex-formula one driver, Stéphane Sarrazin. Together with Australia's Chris Atkinson, Stéphane is embarking on his first season with Subaru - a team that has a long history of developing the careers of talented newcomers. The 29-year-old earned his works drive after an electrifying WRC debut in 2004 and an incredible performance in the French National Rally Championship. On his first event for the team, Stéphane will be aiming to gain experience at the wheel of his Subaru Impreza WRC2004.

Chris Atkinson will drive the stages of the Monte Carlo Rally when he completes the pre-event reconnaissance. His first competitive outing with the team will be in Sweden.

Driver Quotes

Petter Solberg: "It's great to be at the start of a new season. Up to now Monte Carlo has not been such a good event for me, but I can't wait to get back behind the wheel and be fighting for Championship points. I like the rally and, this year, hope to make it to the podium. In terms of the season, my aim is to get the Drivers' title back again - I'm going to try and do everything correctly and not make any mistakes. I know you can't win solo in this sport, it's a team game and I'll be working with everyone, the mechanics, management, everyone to make sure we get back on top. We're all standing together in this and going for the same goal. I'm looking forward to working with Stéphane. He's already shown he's got good speed on gravel and he's got a lot of asphalt experience, so I think I can learn a lot from him."

Stéphane Sarrazin: "Driving the Subaru Impreza WRC2004 feels very good, I have a nice feeling in the car and am starting to know it better. During the pre-event test we made lots of changes, the car was very reactive and now I'm confident as I know where to go. It's a good start for the race, but I can't say I will finish on the podium in Monte Carlo, as it's too early for me. The most important thing is to stay on the road and get more experience, so we will see. The team is very open, which is fantastic, I've just arrived and already have a good feeling with everyone. It's a very, very good start for me I think."

The Car / The Challenge

Subaru World Rally Team Principal, David Lapworth: "The challenge of Monte Carlo is the extreme of conditions. It can be 15°C and dry for much of the event, meaning drivers can run on a slick tyre and develop the same levels of acceleration and g-force as they would in Corsica or Spain. However, in Monte Carlo stages are often more than 10 per cent ice, meaning a driver may suddenly face slippery conditions while running on unsuitable tyres. The car therefore has to be set up in a way to cope with such extremes. It's a compromise between soft and progressive for the slippery conditions, and precise and agile for the dry asphalt, which tends to dominate the event. What makes it even more difficult at this time of year is that it's hard to predict the mountain weather, so you don't have much time to change the car's set up.

Following changes to the technical rules, this will also be the first time we've contested the rally without the option of a full snow tyre. The most extreme tyre we're now allowed to use is a wide, low profile 18" winter tyre with studs, which is designed for mixed conditions. So, if the rally were to have full snow it would be an interesting challenge!

Our overall objective this season is to make Petter World Champion and it's therefore important to start the season on a solid platform. We'll be following a slightly conservative approach for the first two rallies, both technically and in terms of driver strategy. Monte Carlo and Sweden are specialised and the focus is on tyres and tactics, so we feel there's little to be gained by introducing a new car at this time. These are events where you capitalise on experience. From Mexico onwards, it's the car that counts and that's when the Subaru Impreza WRC2005 comes along. We start being less conservative and more focused on wins. That said, we think Petter in the Impreza WRC2004 car is more than capable of achieving podium results on the first two events.

Looking to Stéphane, he's a new French driver on what is basically a French event, so he's likely to be in the spotlight. It's an extremely difficult event for new WRC driver and inevitably there will be parts of the route affected by the ice and snow of which he's got limited experience. That said, there will be places where his performance on dry tarmac will stand him in good stead and we've been very impressed with his approach to everything he's done in the last year. He's very level headed and handles pressure exceptionally well, but it's unreasonable to set objectives for him in terms of final result at this stage. Clearly his focus has to be gaining experience."

Between the Rallies

Christmas day at the Solbergs included Pernilla's parents, a combined Norwegian and Swedish Christmas dinner, time opening presents and snow-mobiling! Petter's favourite present was a complete kitchen cookery set, including a set of knives. He said that his first cookery attempt didn't go so well, but he's trying hard to improve. New Year's Eve meant more family fun and festivities, although the family decided to donate the money normally spent on a firework display to an organisation helping victims of the Asian earthquake.

Phil Mills had a full house in Wales for Christmas and New Year with partner Helen, both sets of parents, daughter Sioned, who was three on 28 December, and young son Iwan. Phil said that he got 'masses' of presents, his favourite being a book about antique rifles.

Stéphane Sarrazin spent Christmas at home with his family before moving to a chalet in Val Thorens for New Year with his girlfriend and friends. The group went cross-country skiing on New Year's Eve, before going out to a party that evening. Stéphane took a while to decide which his favourite present was, but eventually opted for his new watch.

Finally, Chris Atkinson spent Christmas in sunny Australia with his mum, dad, brother and his brother's girlfriend. Enjoying temperatures of more than 30°C, the Atkinson clan shunned the traditional Christmas dinner of turkey and roast potatoes for plates of seafood. And Chris's best present? His seat with Subaru of course! The young driver celebrated the Australian New Year with co-driver Glenn MacNeall on a plane bound for Norway, while European New Year passed them both peacefully by as they were asleep with jet leg!

Subaru World Rally Team selects Sparco for 2005

Italian motorsport equipment manufacturer Sparco will supply the Subaru World Rally Team with safety products and other automotive accessories for its assault on the 2005 World Rally Championship. Under the terms of a new partnership deal, Sparco will be the team's sole supplier of driver overalls, mechanics clothing, helmets, seats, seatbelts, head and neck support systems and a variety of other products from its world leading range of motorsport accessories.

Petter Solberg, Chris Atkinson and Stéphane Sarrazin will be dressed from head to foot in Sparco's X-light range of protective clothing, while their Impreza world rally cars will be fitted with Sparco steering wheels and the latest carbon fibre seats, which weigh less then five kilogrammes and are specially designed to accommodate the now compulsory HANS ® head and neck support system.

"I think the HANS ® system is a very significant step forward in driver safety," said 2003 World Rally Champion Petter Solberg. "I'm convinced that rally drivers will benefit as much from the system as racing drivers have already. We've made quite a lot of modifications to make it suitable for off-road use and it's comfortable now - after a while you even forget you're wearing it."

"With over 25 years of manufacturing experience and a reputation for technical innovation this is a partnership that fits very well with Subaru," said team principal David Lapworth. "Both organisations have been working hard since the end of the 2004 season to get things in place for Monte Carlo, and we're pleased with the way Sparco's products have integrated into the various sections of our team. Of particular note is the way that Sparco has worked with us to introduce the HANS ® system. The project required a considerable amount of work from both parties and together we've developed a very good solution."

Crashes disrupted two of Saturday's special sections in the Monte Carlo rally, allowing world champion Sebastien Loeb to stay in the lead without having to complete them.

Loeb's Citroen team mate Francois Duval crashed out in the sixth stage, second of the day, between Toudon and St Antonin after hitting a telegraph pole which then fell across the road.

The Frenchman, who at the time held the overall lead from his Belgian team mate, was prevented by Duval's accident from completing the stage.

The following stage was also halted when Germany's Armin Schwarz crashed out in his Skoda. He was taken to hospital with a shoulder injury.

Duval's co-pilot Stephane Prevot was also taken to hospital in Nice with minor leg injuries.

"About six kilometres from the end of SS6, I lost the front end of the car under braking," Duval said.

"It wasn't possible to turn the car and I hit the telegraph pole on the outside of the corner. It was a shame because we were having a good battle with Sebastien."

Twice Monte Carlo winner Loeb was awarded notional times for both timed sections and started the eighth stage with an overall lead of one minute and 38.3 seconds over Peugeot's Marcus Gronholm.

Former world champion Didier Auriol, in a private Peugeot, and Subaru's Stephane Sarrazin of France were both forced to retire with mechanical problems.

Auriol's 206 had engine failure while Sarrazin's Subaru lost a wheel on a corner.

World champion Sebastien Loeb stayed safely in command of the Monte Carlo rally on Saturday after a second stage marred by several crashes.

The Frenchman, bidding for a third successive Monte Carlo victory, won the first and last of the day's five timed sections to lead Finland's Marcus Gronholm by almost two minutes before Sunday's last stage.

"I like these conditions. It's nice to drive when it's sliding a lot," Loeb said.

The Citroen driver was never in serious danger but was unable to complete the sixth and seventh stages after being held up by accidents.

Loeb's Citroen team mate Francois Duval crashed out in the sixth stage, second of the day, between Toudon and St Antonin after hitting a telegraph pole that then fell across the road.

Loeb, who at the time held the overall lead from his Belgian team mate, was prevented by Duval's mishap from completing the stage.

The following stage was also halted when Germany's Armin Schwarz crashed out in his Skoda. He was taken to hospital with a shoulder injury.

Good Battle

Duval's co-pilot Stephane Prevot was also taken to hospital in Nice with minor leg injuries.

"About six kilometres from the end of SS6, I lost the front end of the car under braking," Duval said.

"It wasn't possible to turn the car and I hit the telegraph pole on the outside of the corner. It was a shame because we were having a good battle with Sebastien."

Twice Monte Carlo winner Loeb was awarded notional times for both timed sections and started the eighth stage with an overall lead of one minute and 38.3 seconds over Peugeot's Gronholm.

He took his lead over the three times world champion to 1:54.7 in the afternoon, winning the ninth stage in style.

The eighth section was unexpectedly dominated by Frenchman Gilles Panizzi, who gave Mitsubishi's new Lancer WRC05 its first scratch time in a world championship rally.

Ford's Toni Gardemeister of Finland is third, 2:08.3 behind Loeb, with Norway's Petter Solberg fourth in a Subaru.

Former world champion Didier Auriol, in a private Peugeot, and Subaru's Stephane Sarrazin of France were forced to retire with mechanical problems.

Auriol's 206 had engine failure while Sarrazin's Subaru lost a wheel on a corner.

Leading positions after the second day of the Monte Carlo Rally on Saturday:

1. Sebastien Loeb (France) Citroen 2:50:34.8
2. Marcus Gronholm (Finland) Peugeot 1:54.7 behind
3. Toni Gardemeister (Finland) Ford 2:08.3
4. Petter Solberg (Norway) Subaru 2:17.5
5. Gilles Panizzi (France) Mitsubishi 2:45.1
6. Markko Martin (Estonia) Peugeot 3:44.3
7. Roman Kresta (Czech Republic) Ford 4:24.1
8. Alexandre Bengue (France) Skoda 4:58.1
9. Harri Rovanpera (Finland) Mitsubishi 6:10.2
10. Manfred Stohl (Austria) Citroen 7:13.7

Monte Carlo hat-trick!


A remarkable win !

For the third year in a row, the reigning World Champion Sébastien Loeb has won the season's curtain-raiser, the Monte Carlo Rally. In unusually mild conditions, the Citroën-Michelin driver led from flag to flag and not once did his grip on the event look threatened.

The Frenchman's performance also makes it three consecutive Monte wins for Citroën and Michelin which takes the French tyre firm's record on this legendary rally to a total of 20 victories since the creation of the World Championship in 1973. I n addition to Loeb's triumph, Michelin also secured 2nd place in the Principality thanks to the brilliant run of Finland's Toni Gardemeister at the wheel of his Ford Focus WRC.

Sébastien Loeb has kicked off his 2005 WRC campaign in Monte Carlo exactly as he finished last year's. with a victory. Feeling particularly confident with his Citroën Xsara WRC and Michelin tyres throughout this highly specific rally, the Frenchman got off to an ideal start by claiming fastest time in the opening stage, profiting from this brand new 22 km test to pull 11 seconds clear of his own team-mate François Duval. "Even though the total length of the first loop was 43 km, I chose soft compound tyres and the combined times show that it was the right choice," declared Loeb back in Monaco.

Two further fastest times on the two runs through the long Lantosque-Col de Braus test (32 km) saw Sébastien and his Monaco-born co- driver Daniel Elena carve out a handy cushion of 32 seconds over Duval (Citroën- Michelin) and more than a minute over Marcus Grönholm (Peugeot) by the end of Day 1.

First thing the next morning, despite the early frost, the Citroën-Michelin driver was back in stage-winning form and was consequently able to control from in front with ease as drama began to befall those following in his wake. In SS6, his team-mate François Duval crashed out while in 2nd position, while Stéphane Sarrazin was caught out by a patch of ice and tore a wheel off his Subaru. Armin Schwarz (Skoda-Michelin) then rolled out of the event in the next stage and this series of incidents left Marcus Grönholm, Toni Gardemeister and Petter Solberg (Subaru) grouped within a mere 25 seconds in 2nd, 3rd and 4th places respectively.

Meanwhile, the second leg saw the emergence of another promising youngster in the person of the 2003 French Champion Alexandre Bengué. Making his debut with the Skoda Fabia WRC-Michelin, he posted two fastest times (SS6 and 7) and was 3rd best on SS8 before losing the benefit of all this work when he damaged a wheel in the last corner of Saturday's final stage (SS9). The Frenchman finished the stage but was unable to complete the leg. However, the new Superally regulations allowed him to rejoin for the final day and, despite the 5-minute penalty this entailed, he succeeded in finishing in 9th position to collect a Manufacturers' point for Skoda.

The third and final day was marked by two runs through the infamous Col du Turini stage which produced a further batch of surprises when Marcus Grönholm and Petter Solberg were both caught out first time through by snow thrown onto the stage by spectators just after the summit.

The Finn dropped 5 minutes in total but was able to complete the stage and make repairs at the following service halt but his Norwegian rival was able to go no further. These misfortunes played into the hands of the third driver in the hunt for a podium finish, Toni Gardemeister (Ford-Michelin), who, despite asphalt not being his speciality, has frequently gone well on this event in the past.

The Finn finished 4th in 2000 with Seat and was 5th in 2001 driving a privately- entered Peugeot 206 WRC-Michelin and this year, after taking time to familiarise himself with his new car during Leg 1, he progressively upped his pace to take the flag in 2nd place. Finally, Citroën and Ford figure in equal 1st position in the provisional 2005 Manufacturers' World Championship after the Monte Carlo Rally with a score of 10 points each.

Skoda final summary

The Škoda Motorsport World Rally Team began its 2005 World Rally Championship programme with ninth place for Alex Bengue at the Monte Carlo Rally, a result that brought one Manufacturers Championship point.

This was Alexs second Monte Carlo Rally and the first in a WRC car but he showed great pace, especially on the second day when he scored two stage victories. By the finish of the event he had added a third fastest stage time and seven more top 10 results.

Alex restarted this morning under new rules that allowed damaged cars to be repaired and returned to the competition. The Škoda Motorsport mechanics got the Fabia WRC back to Monaco at 0200 this morning and worked flat out to get it ready for the restart after Alex had to stop on the road section after SS9 with a broken wheel.

The World Rally Championship now turns from French asphalt to Swedish snow and one of the fastest events in the championship. Škoda Motorsport will enter three Fabia WRCs on the Swedish Rally (February 11-13) with Finlands Janne Tuohino taking over the second car from Alex Bengue and Audi Sports reigning DTM Champion Mattias Ekström having his first drive in a WRC car in the third Fabia.

Quotes:

Alex Bengue:
The roads today were much more dirty and slippery than yesterday so I could not attack as hard as before. Also spectators had thrown snow onto the road on the Col du Turini and this made it very dangerous on the col and at the start of the downhill section. Overall I am very pleased with this result because we achieved what we set out to do on this rally. We had very good speed in the right conditions but I am sorry to have had the problem on yesterdays final stage. Without it I could possibly have finished fifth or even fourth on this rally.

Armin Schwarz:
I am still in quite a lot of discomfort, as you can imagine, but thankfully the injury isnt as bad as it could have been. I will have to wear a cast on my arm for a few more days but then I will discuss with my doctors what the next step will be.

Martin Muehlmeier (Head of Škoda Motorsport):
We are very happy to start the season with a World Championship point but a little disappointed that it wasnt more. With the time penalty Alex couldnt achieve the result he deserved and so he sensibly drove safely to secure a finish. We must wait and see what the situation is with Armin. We will be patient for a few days and then decide about Sweden once we have spoken with his doctors but there is no rush to make a decision immediately.

Mitsubishi final summary

Panizzi on The Podium in 3rd For Mitsubishi Motors

Both Lancer WRC05 crews claim driver and manufacturer points in season-opening event

The Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 made a highly-successful debut in the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship and, in the hands of French Tarmac experts Gilles and Hervé Panizzi, claimed third position - the Lancer WRCs best-ever result and the team's first podium placing since the 2001 Safari Rally. Team newcomers Harri Rovanperä and Risto Pietiläinen also fulfilled the team's objective of reaching the finish of one of the toughest events in the championship and they too claimed points for themselves and Mitsubishi by finishing seventh in their first Tarmac rally in three years.

"Yesterday I said what a great day for Mitsubishi Motors", said Isao Torii, President of Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports. "Today I can say what a great weekend for us! It is our first podium since 2001. We took a break in 2003, and 2004 was a learning year focused on development. Our three year WRC strategy shows that our plan worked and it is payback for working with passion and patience. A podium place at the beginning of the season shows the potential and gives us the necessary confidence and motivation for the future. Both drivers finished with a clever strategy; Gilles performed very well with his great experience, and Harri was cool enough not to take risks and equaled his best Tarmac result".

Today's closing 116.08 competitive kilometers took the crews directly north of Monaco for two identical loops of three stages, including the classic run over the famous Col de Turini where spectators are drawn in their thousands.

The Panizzi brothers once again made their mark in what is viewed as one of the most treacherous and unpredictable rounds of the series. They set third, fifth and another third fastest time in the opening three stages and while others around them fell by the wayside, the French Lancer WRC05 crew climbed onto the provisional podium in third position. They maintained a consistent pace in the closing three stages to register their best-ever result in their home round of the series.

"For me, I said before that it was important for my team; they needed this success and now they and everyone else can see that Mitsubishi is back", said a delighted Gilles in Monaco this afternoon. "Today we have arrived! This result is very important for everyone's confidence and I feel good that the mechanics and engineers have something to be very proud about. I have driven good cars here in the past, but I have never achieved such a result. To finish third, at home, and more importantly on the most famous event in the championship is incredible. Monte-Carlo is Monte-Carlo; I feel fantastic!"

Team-mates Harri Rovanperä and Risto Pietiläinen maintained their seventh position, the Finnish duo having gained vital competition experience behind the wheel of the Lancer WRC05. They claimed points in both championships and equaled their best result on Tarmac in the process (Spain 2002).

"To have two cars at the finish, both in the points and Gilles and Hervé on the podium is fantastic", said Harri. "It has been a long time since I drove on Tarmac but it has gone quite well for us. I am now looking forward to Sweden with more confidence. We have a good set-up and hopefully there will be good winter conditions where we can fight".

Adding to the drivers' comments, Technical Director Mario Fornaris said: "One year ago we came here with a lot of concerns and it was a nice surprise to finish. This year, we finished on the podium after a fantastic rally. It is the best reward to the team members and I want to thank everyone".

The second round of the FIA World Rally Championship takes the crews north to the Swedish Rally (February 10-13) and a totally different challenge on snow. Harri Rovanperä and Risto Pietiläinen - who won the event in 2001 - will again spearhead Mitsubishi's assault and be joined by Italian's "Gigi" Galli and Guido D'Amore in the second Lancer WRC05.

News from our rivals...

Sébastien Loeb claimed a hat-trick of Rallye Monte-Carlo victories today, the French Citroën driver cruising to the finish with an emphatic two minute 58.3 second advantage. Toni Gardemeister, Ford's new recruit, recorded his best-ever finish in a World Championship rally when he arrived back in Monaco in a fine second position and picked up the Star of the Rally Award along the way. Behind Gilles Panizzi, in fourth, was Peugeot's new signing Markko Märtin with team-mate Marcus Grönholm behind him in fifth. The Finnish 307WRC driver was lucky to reach the finish after ripping a wheel off earlier in the day. He dropped five minutes limping through the stage and plummeted from second to fifth. Former World Rally Champion Petter Solberg was not so lucky. The Norwegian went off the road in the same stage, damaging the front left wheel and forcing him into retirement.

Subaru final summary

Petter Solberg made an excellent start in Monte Carlo this morning by taking two stage wins and moving up the leaderboard into third position. Unfortunately a small mistake on a snow-covered corner cost him dearly and he retired from the event after losing a wheel. On his WRC debut with the Subaru Team, Stéphane Sarrazin continued to impress on the stages and time sheets. Re-starting today's Leg in 24th position, he recovered ten places in just six stages.


Stage Reports

SS10: 0757 Col de Braus - Col de L'Orme 1 (7.33km)

The shortest stage of the event, the 7km sprint from Col de Braus took place on a rough, narrow road that featured numerous damp patches on the final 4km. With his sights firmly set on a podium finish, fourth-placed Petter Solberg powered through the twisty stage in his Pirelli-shod Impreza WRC to take the stage win and reduce the gap between himself and third-placed Toni Gardemeister to six seconds. Responding to Petter's charge, Gardemeister was second fastest and moved to within ten seconds of second position overall. Marcus Gronholm was sixth fastest, while his new Peugeot team-mate Markko Martin, who was continuing to struggle with the set-up of his 307, was twelfth. Mitsubishi's Gilles Panizzi was third fastest, despite suffering with an automatic clutch problem near the end of the stage, while event leader Sebastien Loeb was fourth. After the test was complete, crews drove a 5km road section to the start of SS2. Fastest Stage Time: Solberg (Subaru) 5:40.8

SS11: 0819 La Cabanette - Lantosque 1 (19.52km)

Continuing his charge, Petter Solberg set a blistering pace through the 19km stage from La Cabanette to take a second win and snatch overall third from Gardemeister. Negotiating the mix of dry and damp asphalt which made up much of the twisty descent, Solberg recorded the highest average speed of the event so far, 86.11kph, and ended the stage 9.3 seconds off Gronholm in second overall. Loeb was second quickest, while Marcus Gronholm picked up his pace and was third. Subaru driver Stéphane Sarrazin was slowed on the stage, and the others in the morning loop, when the clutch in his car began to slip. After the finish, crews moved to the start of SS12. Fastest Stage Time: Solberg (Subaru) 13:36.1

SS12: 0855 La Bollene - Vesubie - Sospel 1 (31.19km)

One of the most famous stages in the Championship, the 31km test to Sospel includes a series of tight, icy corners that snake up and down the epic Col du Torini, which peaks at 1,600 metres above sea level. Renowned for its mix of narrow roads and icy bends, the stage was lined by thousands of spectators, many of whom had waited overnight to catch a glimpse of their favourite rally drivers. Petter's remarkable performance on Leg three came to a slippery end on an icy corner 11km from the start line when a mistake under braking caused his Impreza to slide into a roadside wall. The impact ripped off the left-hand front wheel and caused extensive damage to the car's front corner. Although Petter tried to continue, the damage was too serious and he retired. To make matters worse, the man he was chasing, Marcus Gronholm, crashed his Peugeot nearby in almost identical circumstances. Sustaining less mechanical damage than Solberg's car, Marcus was able to limp back to Monaco, but lost more than five minutes to the leaders and dropped to fifth place overall. His misfortune was Gardemeister and Panizzi's gain. Despite his slipping clutch, Stéphane Sarrazin was sixth fastest and quicker than many drivers with far more rallying experience. After the stage was compete, the remaining crews returned to Monte Carlo for a 30-minute service. Fastest Stage Time: Kresta (Ford) 22:16.2

SS13: 1146 Col de Braus - Col de L'Orme 2 (7.33km)

The temperature remained at around 5°C for the second pass through the short, but abrasive Col de Braus test. His Peugeot 307 repaired, Gronholm was back on the attack through the damp test and went fastest to take his second stage win and consolidate fifth position overall. Now lying second overall, Ford's Toni Gardemeister was second quickest, 0.2 seconds off the winning pace, while Loeb was third to retain his lead. Markko Martin suffered a spin near the start and was tenth fastest. There was no change to the overall top ten and, after the stage was complete, crews made their way to the start of the penultimate stage. Fastest Stage Time: Gronholm (Peugeot) 5:31.6

SS14: 1208 La Cabanette - Lantosque 2 (19.52km)

Having led the event from the start, Loeb was quickest through the repeated La Cabanette test to increase his overall lead to 2min 33sec. Ford's Roman Kresta was second fastest, while Sarrazin was third, his best stage result of the event so far. Relishing the conditions on the mountain stages, the Frenchman demonstrated his increasing aptitude on the blend of wet and dry asphalt and, at the finish, had moved three places up the leaderboard. Once the stage was complete, crews drove 6.69km to the start of the final test.Fastest Stage Time: Loeb (Citroen) 13:31.5

SS15: 1244 La Bollene Vesubie - Sospel 2 (31.19km)

Sebastien Loeb was fastest through the repeated Col du Turini test to take his seventh stage win of the event and his third consecutive Rallye Monte Carlo victory. Finishing the stage second fastest and moving up another place in the overall standings, Stéphane Sarrazin concluded a highly promising WRC debut with the Subaru team. Toni Gardemeister was seventh fastest to secure overall second and claim the highest WRC result of this career (his previous best had been third on Rally New Zealand in 1999), while Gilles Panizzi was tenth quickest to round off the top three and secure the final podium position. Fastest Stage Time: Loeb (Citroen) 21:40.4

Team Quotes

Petter Solberg
I'm extremely disappointed. It seems like this sort of luck is with me every time in Monte Carlo. No mistakes all rally, we're catching up places, everything's perfect and then this. What's so frustrating is that I was so close to getting a good result and wasn't pushing over the limit. You'd never try anything at that point, it's always slippery, I just made a mistake, braked too late and got caught out - it's as simple as that.

Stéphane Sarrazin
I'm still unhappy about yesterday's crash, but overall I feel I have improved a lot this weekend and have learned a good deal. The Monte Carlo is a difficult rally for every driver and I finished it only because of the re-start regulation. I'm grateful for that because it helped me to understand more about the car and get experience of the range of tyres and how they work in these conditions. Using slick tyres on dry tarmac, then ice and snow is something that takes a lot of getting used to. I know much more about the team now and am excited about getting to Sweden, my last time on the test was good, I like the snow and I'm keen to get out there and learn more.

David Lapworth , Team Principal
Obviously I'm disappointed with the final result. The strategy was to come here and get a good points tally and we've missed the target. But we have to remember that this is just one of 16 rallies. On the other side, we're pleased to see that our asphalt performance is very competitive and that apart from the braking problems on leg one, we've had a technically trouble free run. I'm particularly pleased with Stéphane's first rally with the team. He's fitted in very quickly and has done a very professional job. He's demonstrated real speed on some stages and his mistake on day two was a typical Monte Carlo accident that's easily put down to inexperience. He's shown himself to be a quick learner and we're expecting great things from him on the coming events.

Citroen final summary

The Triple Crown for Loeb and Citroën!

For the third year in a row, Sébastien Loeb, his Monaco-born co-driver Daniel Elena and the Citroën Xsara have triumphed in rallying's oldest and most prestigious fixture. In addition to leading from start to finish and claiming the highest number of stage wins, they put in a faultless run to add panache to their incontestable success, the eleventh of their career together.

Sébastien's exploit sees him join the ranks of those drivers who have forged the legend of the Monte Carlo Rally, including such celebrated names as Sandro Munari and Walter Röhrl (four wins each, including three-in-a-row), Tommi Mäkinen (four consecutive wins), Didier Auriol and Carlos Sainz (three non consecutive wins each).

"I was perhaps happier after the 2002 event because it was all so new," says Seb. "I made a name for myself that year by dominating the others until a time penalty dropped me to 2nd place. Ever since, this rally has been good to me. Each time I take the start I am as motivated as ever and I'm certainly not tired of winning. There's something special about this event: it's the most famous rally of them all and it's where my co-driver Daniel comes from. And I couldn't have got my 2005 campaign off to a better start…"

"Seb is a great guy," joked Daniel Elena with his customary Mediterranean humour. "He has taken three consecutive wins on what is practically home ground for him, in Germany, and now he's allowed me to draw level by winning in my home country!"

"I'm like Seb and Daniel; I never tire of winning," beamed Guy Fréquelin. "I am proud of our company, proud of this team and delighted to see Seb and Daniel so happy. On top of that, François Duval gave a glimpse of his promise, while Manfred Stohl finished in the points, up amongst other officially nominated drivers, in his privately-entered Xsara. And to cap it all, Citroën scored a WRC/JWRC double with Kris Meeke, Kronos and our Customer Competition team who have given the C2 Super 1600 its first win in the Junior series which also saw Daniel Sordo stage a strong come-back to 4th place."

When the Xsaras finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in 2003, Colin McRae commented that the Monte Carlo is the round which, more than any other, requires a true team effort, an observation which still stands today. And indeed, in addition Sébastien and Daniel's impeccable run, the 2003 and 2004 Manufacturers' championship winning squad also enjoyed a faultless weekend.

Once the brakes of François Duval's car had been adjusted to the Belgian's demands, the Xsaras weren't slowed by the slightest problem. The team's tyre choices, perhaps a little easier this year with the rally based further south, were spot on each time. Meanwhile, the team had set itself the target of proving that the quality of its work, its motivation and its winning instinct were all still intact. Mission accomplished!

Ford final summary

Ford leads world title race after Gardemeister podium

Ford claimed an early lead in the FIA World Rally Championship after Toni Gardemeister and Jakke Honkanen finished second on their debut for the BP-Ford team in the Monte Carlo Rally today. A career-best result for Gardemeister and eighth place for team-mates Roman Kresta and Jan Tomanek, both behind the wheel of Focus RS World Rally Cars, thrust Ford into a share of top spot after the first of the 16-round series.

Twenty-nine-year-old Gardemeister delivered a highly mature performance on his competition debut in a Focus RS. After a cautious start to the three-day 1360km event, the Finn quickly gained confidence over the demanding mountain roads in the Alpes-Maritimes region, above the Côte d'Azur. He drove within his abilities throughout the 15 asphalt speed tests, covering 353.07km, and resisted immense final day pressure to come out on top of a fierce three-car battle for second.

Kresta and Tomanek, also making their debut for the BP-Ford World Rally Team, ensured a double points haul. The Czech duo recovered from a five minute penalty after a seized gearbox brought their car to a halt late last night, the result of an accident in the final special stage of the day when they hit a rock and broke the front left suspension. Revitalised today, Kresta posted top six times on each of the six tests and was fastest on the famous Col de Turini stage midway through the leg.

Remarkably mild temperatures made this year's event less fearsome than normal. The classic mix of wet and dry asphalt, ice and snow, all in the space of a few kilometres, was missing. There was only the occasional ice and snow patch to trouble competitors and the rally will go down in history as one of the driest. The benign conditions made tyre selection easier than normal. Studded tyres, usually needed to bite through the ice and snow, were never used. Gardemeister and Kresta used Michelin's dry weather rubber throughout, which worked perfectly on the relatively clean roads.

Gardemeister and Honkanen started today's final leg in third, fighting for second with Petter Solberg and Marcus Gronholm. The BP-Ford duo held off their charging rivals, who both crashed close to the Col de Turini, to ensure second. Gardemeister's exceptional performance at the wheel of the Castrol-branded Focus RS earned him the prestigious Star of the Rally award.

"I'm so, so happy," he said. "It is a great result for us and to achieve it so early in the season makes it even better. We had a good fight with Petter and Marcus but when I heard that they had problems, then I knew it would be OK. I saw Petter's car off the road and we lost some time at his accident. They had pushed it back onto the road and I had to stop briefly and stalled the engine.

"For both cars to score points on the first rally is a great start for the team. My confidence with the Focus has increased with every kilometre and this result has been achieved without making a single mistake," he added.

Kresta's increased confidence was rewarded today when he climbed from an overnight 10th back into the points. "Today has been very good," he said. "I had a much better feeling with the car. I was so sorry for my mistake last night but at least I was able to come back and score points for Ford. It's a really positive weekend for the whole team.

"Today was a new day and a new race. Yesterday was a small mistake for me but a big mistake for the result. I've driven better today. I didn't push, I just drove smoothly and that's the best way to drive the Focus," he added.

BP-Ford team director Malcolm Wilson was overjoyed with the result. "It was a great display from Toni. He showed superb consistency and dealt with the pressure superbly. I'm amazed how well he adapted to the Focus. I don't think I've ever seen anyone as nervous as Roman before the start. Ironically, the turning point for him was when he made his mistake last night. It removed the pressure and he was far more relaxed today. It was tremendous for him to set his first fastest time for the team on his debut, and his confidence has developed all weekend," he said.

News from our Rivals

Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) claimed his third consecutive Monte Carlo Rally success. The Frenchman set eight fastest times on his way to victory by 2min 58.3sec. The three-way fight for second between Gardemeister, Petter Solberg (Subaru) and Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot) ended just a couple of bends after the famous Col de Turini this morning. Both crashed at the same place on snow thrown onto the road by spectators. Both ripped wheels from their cars and while Gronholm was able to limp through the stage, albeit losing five minutes, the Norwegian had to retire. Ironically he had looked the likely winner of the battle, having just moved ahead of Gardemeister and closing fast on Gronholm. The carnage promoted Panizzi to third, despite clutch difficulties that prompted the Frenchman to believe he might not see the finish. Markko Martin (Peugeot) kept clear of trouble to finish fourth on his debut for the French team. Ninth place was good enough for Alex Bengue (Skoda) to claim the final manufacturers' point on his works debut.

Peugeot final summary

Encouraging Results For The 307WRC

The two Peugeot 307 WRCs of Markko Martin and Marcus Gronholm have finally finished fourth and fifth on the Monte Carlo Rally -- but the team was unlucky to miss out on their best result in the Principality after a dramatic end to the event.

Marcus was in a comfortable second place until this morning's first run over the Col de Turini, when he spun and ripped a front wheel off as a result of spectators throwing snow onto the stage. He had to complete the road section back to service on three wheels, but some swift work from the Peugeot mechanics ensured that he remained in the rally.

Markko continued to learn more about his new 307 WRC today, despite questioning some of his tyre choices. The Estonian took a cautious approach to be sure of making the finish, and ended up in a well-deserved fourth place.

Markko Martin: "I've learnt a lot about the car on this event, and there are some things which I am going to change which will help me in the future. It's been quite difficult to get used to the dimensions of the 307 WRC, as it has a slightly different feeling to cars I have driven in the past. However, my initial impressions are very positive and I am happy to get to the end of the rally with no problems. Monte Carlo is always a very unpredictable event, so I was pleased to steer clear of trouble!"

Marcus Gronholm: "I came over the Col de Turini, which was damp but without snow or ice. I had a good feeling with the car and I was able to attack on the descent towards Le Moulinet. On the first tight right-hand corner, I found myself on a sheet of snow -- which had been put there by spectators. I couldn't avoid hitting a rock on the outside of the bend and damaging my car's front right suspension. I managed to get to the end of the stage and to service in Monaco on time -- despite only having three wheels! Thankfully the team fixed my car and I was able to finish, but it should have been on the podium."

Corrado Provera: "It's a result which carries some disappointment, as Marcus lost a fine second place, but there are also positive elements. We had no mechanical problems with the cars, which underlines the progress that we have made at Peugeot Sport. Marcus drove the best Monte Carlo Rally of his career, although his life was made more difficult by our relative lack of knowledge about our new Pirelli tyres. Markko, new both to Pirelli and the 307 WRC, was not at full confidence and so preferred to play safe and make sure of finishing his first rally with us. We're currently leading the constructors' championship by one point and next we head to Sweden: a rally which should suit us better."

Monte Carlo: Final summary

Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) claimed his third consecutive Monte Carlo Rally success. The Frenchman set eight fastest times on his way to victory by 2min 58.3sec. The three-way fight for second between Gardemeister, Petter Solberg (Subaru) and Marcus Grönholm (Peugeot) ended just a couple of bends after the famous Col de Turini this morning. Both Solberg and Gronholm crashed at the same place on snow thrown onto the road by spectators. Both ripped wheels from their cars and while Grönholm was able to limp through the stage, albeit losing five minutes, the Norwegian had to retire. Ironically he had looked the likely winner of the battle, having just moved ahead of Gardemeister and closing fast on Grönholm. The carnage promoted Panizzi to third, despite clutch difficulties that prompted the Frenchman to believe he might not see the finish. Markko Märtin (Peugeot) kept clear of trouble to finish fourth on his debut for the French team. Ninth place was good enough for Alex Bengue (Skoda) to claim the final manufacturers' point on his works debut.

Citroen

For the third year in a row, Sébastien Loeb, his Monaco-born co-driver Daniel Elena and the Citroën Xsara have triumphed in rallying's oldest and most prestigious fixture. In addition to leading from start to finish and claiming the highest number of stage wins, they put in a faultless run to add panache to their incontestable success, the eleventh of their career together.

Sébastien Loeb / Daniel Elena: "I was perhaps happier after the 2002 event because it was all so new. I made a name for myself that year by dominating the others until a time penalty dropped me to 2nd place. Ever since, this rally has been good to me. Each time I take the start I am as motivated as ever and I'm certainly not tired of winning. There's something special about this event: it's the most famous rally of them all and it's where my co-driver Daniel comes from. And I couldn't have got my 2005 campaign off to a better start."

Francois Duval / Stephane Prevot: Retired on leg two (accident)

Subaru

Petter Solberg made an excellent start in Monte Carlo this morning by taking two stage wins and moving up the leaderboard into third position. Unfortunately a small mistake on a snow-covered corner cost him dearly and he retired from the event after losing a wheel. On his WRC debut with the Subaru Team, Stéphane Sarrazin continued to impress on the stages and time sheets. Re-starting today's Leg in 24th position, he recovered ten places in just six stages.

Petter Solberg / Phil Mills: "I'm extremely disappointed. It seems like this sort of luck is with me every time in Monte Carlo. No mistakes all rally, we're catching up places, everything's perfect and then this. What's so frustrating is that I was so close to getting a good result and wasn't pushing over the limit. You'd never try anything at that point, it's always slippery, I just made a mistake, braked too late and got caught out - it's as simple as that."

Stephane Sazzazin/Patrick Pivato: "I'm still unhappy about yesterday's crash, but overall I feel I have improved a lot this weekend and have learned a good deal. The Monte Carlo is a difficult rally for every driver and I finished it only because of the re-start regulation. I'm grateful for that because it helped me to understand more about the car and get experience of the range of tyres and how they work in these conditions. Using slick tyres on dry tarmac, then ice and snow is something that takes a lot of getting used to. I know much more about the team now and am excited about getting to Sweden, my last time on the test was good, I like the snow and I'm keen to get out there and learn more."

Ford

Ford claimed an early lead in the FIA World Rally Championship after Toni Gardemeister and Jakke Honkanen finished second on their debut for the BP-Ford team in the Monte Carlo Rally today. A career-best result for Gardemeister and eighth place for team-mates Roman Kresta and Jan Tomanek, both behind the wheel of Focus RS World Rally Cars, thrust Ford into a share of top spot after the first of the 16-round series.

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "I'm so, so happy. It is a great result for us and to achieve it so early in the season makes it even better. We had a good fight with Petter and Marcus but when I heard that they had problems, then I knew it would be OK. I saw Petter's car off the road and we lost some time at his accident. They had pushed it back onto the road and I had to stop briefly and stalled the engine. For both cars to score points on the first rally is a great start for the team. My confidence with the Focus has increased with every kilometre and this result has been achieved without making a single mistake."

Roman Kresta/Jan Tomanek: "Today has been very good. I had a much better feeling with the car. I was so sorry for my mistake last night but at least I was able to come back and score points for Ford. It's a really positive weekend for the whole team. Today was a new day and a new race. Yesterday was a small mistake for me but a big mistake for the result. I've driven better today. I didn't push, I just drove smoothly and that's the best way to drive the Focus."

Peugeot

The two Peugeot 307 WRCs of Markko Martin and Marcus Gronholm have finally finished fourth and fifth on the Monte Carlo Rally - but the team was unlucky to miss out on their best result in the Principality after a dramatic end to the event.

Marcus Gronhölm / Timo Rautiainen: "I came over the Col de Turini, which was damp but without snow or ice. I had a good feeling with the car and I was able to attack on the descent towards Le Moulinet. On the first tight right-hand corner, I found myself on a sheet of snow - which had been put there by spectators. I couldn't avoid hitting a rock on the outside of the bend and damaging my car's front right suspension. I managed to get to the end of the stage and to service in Monaco on time - despite only having three wheels! Thankfully the team fixed my car and I was able to finish, but it should have been on the podium."

Markko Martin/Michael Park: "I've learnt a lot about the car on this event, and there are some things which I am going to change which will help me in the future. It's been quite difficult to get used to the dimensions of the 307 WRC, as it has a slightly different feeling to cars I have driven in the past. However, my initial impressions are very positive and I am happy to get to the end of the rally with no problems. Monte Carlo is always a very unpredictable event, so I was pleased to steer clear of trouble!"

Skoda

The Skoda Motorsport World Rally Team began its 2005 World Rally Championship programme with ninth place for Alex Bengue at the Monte Carlo Rally, a result that brought one Manufacturers' Championship point. This was Alex's second Monte Carlo Rally and the first in a WRC car but he showed great pace, especially on the second day when he scored two stage victories. By the finish of the event he had added a third fastest stage time and seven more top 10 results.

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: (Retired - accident) "I am still in quite a lot of discomfort, as you can imagine, but thankfully the injury isn't as bad as it could have been. I will have to wear a cast on my arm for a few more days but then I will discuss with my doctors what the next step will be."

Alex Bengue/Caroline Escudero: "The roads today were much more dirty and slippery than yesterday so I could not attack as hard as before. Also spectators had thrown snow onto the road on the Col du Turini and this made it very dangerous on the col and at the start of the downhill section. Overall I am very pleased with this result because we achieved what we set out to do on this rally. We had very good speed in the right conditions but I am sorry to have had the problem on yesterday's final stage. Without it I could possibly have finished fifth or even fourth on this rally."

Mitsubishi

The Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 made a highly-successful debut in the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship and, in the hands of French Tarmac experts Gilles and Hervé Panizzi, claimed third position - the Lancer WRCs best-ever result and the team's first podium placing since the 2001 Safari Rally. Team newcomers Harri Rovanperä and Risto Pietiläinen also fulfilled the team's objective of reaching the finish of one of the toughest events in the championship and they too claimed points for themselves and Mitsubishi by finishing seventh in their first Tarmac rally in three years.

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietiläinen: "To have two cars at the finish, both in the points and Gilles and Hervé on the podium is fantastic. It has been a long time since I drove on Tarmac but it has gone quite well for us. I am now looking forward to Sweden with more confidence. We have a good set-up and hopefully there will be good winter conditions where we can fight."

Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi: "For me, I said before that it was important for my team; they needed this success and now they and everyone else can see that Mitsubishi is back. Today we have arrived! This result is very important for everyone's confidence and I feel good that the mechanics and engineers have something to be very proud about. I have driven good cars here in the past, but I have never achieved such a result. To finish third, at home, and more importantly on the most famous event in the championship is incredible. Monte- Carlo is Monte-Carlo; I feel fantastic!"

Next event

Round two of the FIA World Rally Championship starts in three weeks' time when teams head north for Rally Sweden. Beginning on Friday 11 February, following a ceremonial start in the host town of Karlstad the previous evening, Rally Sweden is the only winter rally of the series and presents crews with a spectacular but bitterly cold environment - in previous years the temperature during the rally has dropped to -30°C. Over three days, drivers will contest 359.87 competitive kilometres based around the service park in the town of Hagfors, 80km north of Karlstad's Rally HQ. The first stage will start at 0900hrs on Friday 11 February and the last at 1259hrs on Sunday 13 February.