Monte Carlo Rally 2011: 19th - 22nd January

[Cess]

Round 1 of the IRC again and a bumper entry of 33 Super 2000 cars. All the big names are present and all the classic stages will be run again, including the Col de Turini at night.

Robert Kubica had entered, and wanted to drive an S2000 car. But the nasty F1 people at Renault would let him compete in anything other than a Renault, which basically left a Twingo R1 or R2. Kubica to miss Monte Carlo Rally

Sebastian Loeb also wanted to entry, but Citroen won't let him compete in anything but the WRC. They have let Daniel Elena out to play and it will be interesting to see how he gets on in the other side of the car.

Monte-Carlo : Official entry list

1 HANNINEN Juho - MARKKULA Mikko (Skoda Fabia S2000)
2 SOLBERG Peter - PATTERSON Chris (Peugeot 207 S2000)
3 KOPECKY Jan - STARY Petr (Skoda Fabia S2000)
4 BOUFFIER Bryan - PANSERI Xavier (Peugeot 207 S2000)
5 LOIX Freddy - MICLOTTE Frédéric (Skoda Fabia S2000)
6 DELECOUR François - SAVIGNONI Dominique (Peugeot 207 S2000)
7 VOUILLOZ Nicolas - VEILLAS Benjamin (Skoda Fabia S2000)
8 SARRAZIN Stéphane - RENUCCI Jacques Julien (Peugeot 207 S2000)
9 MIKKELSEN Andreas - FLOENE Ola (Skoda Fabia S2000)
10 WILKS Guy - PUGH Philip (Peugeot 207 S2000)
11 GARDEMEISTER Toni - TUOMINEN Tomi (Peugeot 207 S2000)
12 SOLBERG Henning - MINOR Ilka (Ford Fiesta S2000)
14 MAGALHAES Bruno - GRAVE Paulo (Peugeot 207 S2000)
15 ANDERSSON Per Gunnar – AXELSSON Emil (Proton Satria S2000)
16 BASSO Giandomenico - DOTTA Mitia (Peugeot 207 S2000)
17 NEUVILLE Thierry - KLINGER Nicolas (Peugeot 207 S2000)
18 WALLENWEIN Mark - KOPCZYK Stefan (Skoda Fabia S2000)
19 ATKINSON Chris - PREVOT Stéphane (Proton Satria S2000)
20 BRYNILDSEN Eyvind - MENKERUD Cato (Skoda Fabia S2000) – Forfait

Other noteworthy entries

36 BOLAND Eamonn - MORISSEY M.J. (Mitsubishi Lancer)
47 BARRY Daniel - DEASY Adrian (Mitsubishi Lancer)
100 ELENA Daniel - CAMPANA Olivier (Citroën DS3)
116 JARDINE Tony - YOUNG Byron (Ford Fiesta)

Full entry list here: Rally IRC Monte Carlo : Entry list

Event website: Monte Carlo Rally

IRC website:Intercontinental Rally Challenge

Eurosport will be covering every stage live. Eurosport TV Times

New Skoda livery

Skoda UK car

Loix

 

[DC.]

Come on Petter!!

think the Skoda is the faster car, although the Monte is a great leveler!

 

[svensktoppen]

Lol, like a celebrity show-down

I thought IRC was a feeder series to WRC? Are they just out for a laugh/promotion?

I think Miko did it last year?

 

[davecoupe]

IRC is much better than Wrc Nicolas, live stages on eurosport . The last WRC stage I seen live on TV was Margam Park the year Petter won the championship.

If the Col is being run at night there is a good chance it's the live stage on eurosport, it was last year iirc

 

[Cess]

Dave all stages are live on Eurosport!

Really can't wait for this.

 

[davecoupe]

Whoops, I just noticed that as you posted. That's awesome, I'll be booking Friday off first thing on Monday.

 

[svensktoppen]

Ah, Eurosport is pay only though

Any cover on Freeview, or web?

 

[Graham]

Sven, there is usually a live leak available for web viewing, if you can speak Belgium or such likes it would help greatly as it's rare they are streamed in English.

 

[Cess]

Eurosport commentary can be a bit grim anyway.

Radio Radio and Colin Clarke all the way.

 

[Cess]

Petter Solberg's car for the Monte

 

[seanbob]

Where?

 

[Cess]

Copied and pasted the pic off Twitter. The livery was class - Norwegian flag inspired. Will go look again.

Edit- Nice succinct preview here:http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2011/01/peugeot-chasing-victory-in-landmark-monte-carlo-rally/

 

[Cess]

First stage starts today at 09:05 our time

If you are lucky to be off, Eurosport will be covering all stages live. TV times are in the links above, but remember to adjust to take account of Central European Time (CET).

Start list Day 1 - Monte Carlo Rally Start List

Times/Results Day 1 - IRC Intercontinental Rally Challenge - Rallye Monte Carlo 2011 - Live Results

Rally Radio - Live Rally Radio

Latest odds from William Hill here: Latest Odds outright winner Monte Carlo Rally Kopecky, Loix, Vouilloz and Sarrazin all look good value.

Conditions are dry with little snow or ice. The Skodas will go well and I would expect a Skoda 1-2-3.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBKB3lpvjXQ[/ame]

Peugeot UK team Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/peugeotrally

 

[Cess]

Dramarama on SS1!

Andreas Mikklesen - Skoda UK car (No. 9) reported to have hit a wall in stage and is repairing the puncture.

Vouilloz - Stopped in the stage with right-front puncture.

 

[Jason]

We should have went over a skelp

 

[Reno_LV]

Solberg's comments after stage 1 hillarious Superb job from eurosport broadcasting it!

 

[svensktoppen]

What did he say then?

 

[DC.]

think this is live on Eurosport in 5mins (1PM).

surprised by the pace of the Peugeot's

C'Mon Solberg

 

[Cess]

Atko has stuffed it. Any ideas if PG Andersson is gone too? Can't find him on the timings. Mikkelsen withdrew by Skoda UK Team from SS2 because of rear suspension damage.

Go on Delecour, ya big dancer Good showing from the aul boy!

 

[Reno_LV]

Solberg again commenting on stage 3 - "there was mud and shhit on road" lol
Apparently Solberg's brother had a huge crash in stage 2.

 

[DC.]

Atkinson didn't stuff it, electrical problem 700 meters from the finish of stage 1. possibly the same for PG.

Henning had a big smash, Mikkelson bent rear suspension on Fabia on stage 1

twitter is great for news about absolutely anything

 

[SMB]

PG took wheel of on SS2 as far as I know... Was Atkinson's probs not 700m into stage?

All second hand information from a mate.. Stuck in work with no access.

 

[Cess]

Day 1 standings:

Pos Driver Car Time/Gap
1. Juho Hanninen Skoda 1h11m33.4s
2. Freddy Loix Skoda + 44.5s
3. Petter Solberg Peugeot + 55.3s
4. Stephane Sarrazin Peugeot + 55.5s
5. Guy Wilks Peugeot + 1m18.7s
6. Jan Kopecky Skoda + 1m26.3s
7. Bryan Bouffier Peugeot + 1m36.2s
8. Francois Delecour Peugeot + 1m52.4s
9. Jean-Sebastien Vigion Peugeot + 3m11.3s
10. Julien Maurin Ford + 3m53.2s

 

[Cess]

Day 1 pictures

 

[Cess]

Hanninen still leading overall and rattling in some very commanding times after 2 stages of Day 2.