88. Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo 2020
22. 1. – 26. 1. 2020, Gap - Monaco • Automobile Club de Monaco • asphalt - snow 304.28 km • total distance including road sections - 1505.64 km • Other years
Info
SS16
"We had an incredible feeling the last couple of days and we were able to catch back the time. We have been chasing this win for a while but we showed our performance this weekend and it's a great way to start the season."
"We were happy until last night - I can't say I have been happy today. It never really clicked really and I'm not sure of the reason. There's some work to do but overall a positive weekend."
"I think we can be happy with the start of the season and starting with a podium with the new team is very good. There is some way to go to extract all of the potential from this car but I really enjoyed it."
“It’s a really good season opener and after the disappointment of Friday, the pace on Saturday wasn’t where I wanted it to be but I improved step by step and learned a lot about the car this weekend.”
"I am pleased - that wasn't a bad stage. I don't think we will take any Power Stage points which is sad but otherwise a good weekend! Thanks to the team for their hard work and it was nice to start the weekend like this."
"It didn't go very well for us. I had bad tyre choice today so I was just driving slowly to make sure I finished. For sure it's not my best rally."
"I can see how much progress I made from the beginning to the end of the rally. We had no tyres left before the last stage so I needed to be very careful here. Thank you very much to the team and the gravel crew - they did a brilliant job."
"We tried to get some good times and for this stage the target was to get eighth position. It wasn't the easiest one but sometimes we have some harder rallies."
"Wow! We did it. A big thanks to the M-Sport family for this chance - it's incredible."
"I am very happy - we were fastest R5 car which is great! Thanks to Citroën and my co-driver - it was his first Monte ever!"
"It was a good weekend so I wanted to enjoy the last stage. We came here to win and I think we have proved that we could win - we were faster than everyone. We win our category, we are leading the championship and we are happy!"
SS15
"That didn't feel like such a bad run but obviously the time is not so good. I'm not 100% sure why..."
"I think with that kind of gap it isn't really possible but we will keep trying. The feeling was better in the car compared to on the first stage this morning."
"I had a good stage - I did the maximum. They are all capable of a surprise so I pushed hard!"
"I had one tyre completely destroyed in the stage before and now we have to finish the tyres to try and save the rally so I was very slow."
"I am not thinking too much about the power stage. I am concentrating on my own performance and the overall position."
"It was quite interesting but it's not so bad if you follow the clean line."
"It was a little bit easier than the morning loop but still a challenging stage! I am looking forward to next year also."
"There is a clean line which is helping a lot but hopefully we are somewhere there."
SS14
stopped
"It's special for me because it's my home but I don't know this stage to be honest!"
"I knew in here that I hadn't had a great stage. It's so difficult to find the grip."
"Whatever tyres we put on the car we don't really have the speed at the moment."
"Not a good stage for us - it's not made for a Hyundai! Our car is far too long but I tried to push and the conditions are tricky, so hopefully this compensates a little."
"Our tyres are completely destroyed and I had no grip at the front so I made a little mistake on a tight hairpin! Our tyres are too soft and it's not good."
"I think we had a safe tyre choice as it was not really clear what would happen."
off road
"That was not so nice - in this stage we tried three softs and one super-soft and it was so slippery. We just wanted to test how the car felt but the end part of the stage was really tricky."
"Our main target is to finish the rally so I can not take any big risks. There were some very shiny places which were incredibly tricky but also good for learning."
"It was a challenging stage with a lot of black top places and it's like ice in some places. Hopefully we can do something in the power stage later."
SS13
"Our run wasn't bad, not perfect but that is a good stage from Thierry."
"Not a great stage for us, I was not perfectly comfortable. Like I say, I will never push more than what I feel."
"I tried but the grip was higher than I expected towards the end so I don't know if I pushed enough."
"I tried my best but I was just a bit too careful in the downhills. We had a lot of snow in the information but there was nearly nothing. We will see in the end."
"It was too slippery for me! In the beginning I thought okay, this is going to be spectacular, but when the wall came closer it wasn't so much fun anymore!"
"I started quite carefully because we have nothing to push for and we are just learning new conditions. I was hoping for a better run but I was not so confident."
Some corners were very slippery and I didn't expect that. Okay, no mistakes but I was a little careful."
"The conditions are quite damp but there is a lot of gravel on the last section and it was quite slippery."
SS12
"I enjoyed today but it has been difficult to find a good rhythm. I crossed my tyres for the last stage and was able to push. When you don't push, it's not easy."
spin
"I was too cautious on the ice but there were no real mistakes."
"It's so difficult to judge. I thought I was through so I just touched the throttle and off she went into a ditch. I was lucky but you need that sometimes! There is still a long way to go..."
"I tried hard - they are very slippery conditions and I don't think I can do any better."
small off
"I have been just trying to improve and not concentrating on the guys behind. Tomorrow we will do the same."
spin
"We went with crossed tyres for safety. The snow and ice part was melting more than we expected so with four slicks it would be better. I think we were a bit too safe."
"It was not easy and not enjoyable but we survived and this is how I can learn."
"There was a lot of ice ruts so there was grip but you need to be careful in the line. The ice notes were much better than the stage before."
"Picked up a puncture towards the end - we were like a slush plough in there as there's so much on the road!"
SS11
"It was easier than this morning and the last downhill section was very nice!"
. "I am feeling much better in the car. Now it's my car again and I feel at home, I'm just enjoying it. It's nice!"
"It was very tricky on the first two corners with super-soft. We are here to be safe and it was quite tricky so I went very very slow."
"We have to keep pushing the gap - we are extremely close so let's keep going."
"I was just a bit careful on the ice I think."
"I think it's not enough but I did everything I could. I hope it's a good time but I am not sure."
"Nothing happened but I was just cautious in the downhill sections. I drove well and took no big risks."
"The notes were fine and it was easier to trust them. I was still too slow on the downhill sections but thanks to the safety crew - a big improvement from the morning."
"It's drying out and melting a lot. In some places it was properly dry conditions, but in the downhill sections there is some ice which is tricky."
"With slick tyres it feels good. Every time I drive I am getting better so I am enjoying the car a lot."
"Slicks on the ice! Later on in the downhill section there was ruts where I had grip but I was way too slow in those places."
"I am just gaining some experience - that felt quite clean and I enjoyed it."
SS10
"Made it to the end of SS10 but lost 22 minutes with damage to the rear of the car. Now the focus is to get back to service on time - more than 30 mins late and we are out the rally so everyone cross your fingers"
stopped
"I am not happy with the car at the moment. It's not going well, I am not comfortable but I don't know what is going on The setup is just completely undriveable so we need to go back to something we know."
"I am just keeping position. We have had a minute gap since Thursday so we are just cruising now and watching the guys behind."
"I went quite carefully in this stage. Let's see this afternoon."
"It's okay - I am happy because it was very tricky conditions. I struggled to trust the gravel crew information."
"It was a good run and I felt I was able to be smooth and carry speed in most places. We tried to not destroy the studs in the first part and it's definitely improved since the gravel crews have been through."
"We are much more confident. I thought I had a good stage but when I have seen the time maybe it's not good enough."
"I tried to save the tyres at the beginning but maybe I slowed down too much."
"The pacenotes from the safety crew - as the sun is out it's melting the ice so much but I don't know until it's too late."
"This one was better - I tried to be cleaner on the tarmac sections because I was too aggressive with the car on the previous time."
"I wanted to keep the super-softs as an option for this stage, we didn't use them but it's part of the learning for me."
"I was saving my tyres too much at the beginning because I thought there would be more ice."
"After yesterday, the ice is the last thing I want to see but today is about rebuilding the confidence and enjoying the driving."
SS9
"It's a completely different day today - we are out on the studded tyres. We tried to have a good rhythm and it was not a good stage but it wasn't bad either, so we need to try and keep a good average."
"We went pretty slowly, we have nothing to play for so it is okay."
"I think it was a good stage to start the day and there are very small gaps, so everything is there to take."
"I was a little bit careful in a few places here but overall it was okay."
"We have to see what the guys are doing behind. I had some nice corrections so I was able to drive a good stage with plenty of confidence."
"It was a very tricky stage with a lot of ice and little snow. I was a bit careful because I didn't want to make a mistake."
"The information was not precise enough so I couldn't be confident enough."
"I made a mistake and in the corner there was black ice and I hit the snow bank. We had to stop and get the snow out of the grille."
"It was a really bad stage for me. I don't have so much experience of snow tyre driving so we were really slow."
"Not very good - I was struggling with the studs and I was too careful on the downhill section."
"As soon as you start to get towards the top it's really tricky with a lot of black ice."
stoppef after small off
SS8
"A tricky day - okay, we were very unlucky with the puncture but that's rallying."
"It was okay. I am glad to be through the day and it was a very tricky start to the morning - of course I was disappointed. I know this rally and I know there is always a chance, so I am happy to be back in the lead and we will keep pushing."
"I have had a small problem with my brakes and I have to pump all of the time. I tried to push very hard so that we didn't lose too much time, so let's see."
"I am quite happy that we survived the day. It was not easy of course, especially because I have limited experience in these conditions. Tomorrow we will continue the same way and see how much we can improve."
"It is getting better all of the time. I didn't want to push too much but now the pace is getting better. I still want to do a little better but it's alright at this point."
"It was okay - the two drivers in front are very fast and I could not match the speed so we will try to hold onto this position."
"It was the best stage of the day but the time is not good. I really pushed but clearly I am doing something wrong."
"Not a bad day overall - more muddy than what we expected. We probably could have done something a little bit different but it's okay."
"I had a good stage to be honest. We were fighting a bit today with the corrections from the gravel crew. Not an easy day for us and it is disappointing."
"The conditions are tricky because it is dry tarmac with a lot of mud cuttings making it slippery. We went with a super-soft tyre choice and it was a lot better."
"It's been a tough day - we have tyre wear so we are happy to be here. It's not a bad time."
SS7
off road, damaged wheel
"It was a clean stage - I always feel like I can be a little bit faster but the average is all we need to think about."
brakes issue
"That was much drier than this morning. Step by step I need to go faster but it was good."
"It felt good. I think we made quite a safe tyre choice and because this one was so dry it was better. I can be happy with the time!"
"Maybe we should change the driver...?"
"A couple of tenths or so, but overall it was feeling pretty good so we'll keep our pace."
"I don't have the best tyre choice so I had to try and be careful in this one - the car is moving a lot."
"I tried to push but it is not working like it should. Okay, we still need to work on our corrections of the pacenotes but we are getting that."
SS6
off road
off road
"That's a good time. I have taken some risks with the tyres and I think it is paying off."
”Puncture. I don’t know where it happened, so it’s a bit frustrating. But there is still a long way to go!”
"Now it is more clear. We had a good pace so it's quite okay."
"I tried to be cool and did my best."
stopped
"We can not take any big risks so we took four super-softs. It's not an easy stage but I am getting a better feeling all the time."
changed puncture
"It's really dirty there and it was a very tricky stage. We are still too slow."stopped
"I think Ogier was very fast - we couldn't do much better than that and I am happy with my drive."
"I thought it was a good run but we are losing a lot again... it's a shame."
"It just sucked me into the ditch in one place - not a big deal but very marginal I would say."
"So far Elfyn has been faster so let's see what he is doing, but it was a much more greasy road! We're going in the right direction."
"Very tricky and slippery. There were a lot of surprises for us. I had to read the road a lot myself so it was tricky!"
"It was really muddy and I hope that the rhythm was better, but we will see later."
SS5
"It's good in the beginning, but the second half of the stages I don't have any bite. It's a bit tricky to know the braking points but generally it was a good stage."
"It's a long way to go so we will try to stay focussed."
"Okay, this loop was very tricky and the next one will be muddy everywhere. I will try to push a bit more, but it is going okay."
"I am happy to be here without any mistakes but for sure, in these kind of stages I want to be faster as the conditions are not that difficult in the stages. It's good learning for us."
"There was a lot of gravel on the road... I can not do better than that."
"I was in a field for more than ten-seconds. I can't do any more - I was driving on the limit and over it as well!"
"It's been good - the feeling has been good in the car and the right tyre choice was made as well so thanks to the team for that. It's been great so far."
"We are almost equal at the moment but there is a long way to go. I am still learning the car and I still need to find the limit."
"It was a better stage for me, but tricky conditions. The road is getting a lot more slippery than what the gravel crew has seen so it's really difficult."
"It was quite different. It started to rain and we had soft tyres when we should have had super softs. We tried to do different to E.P to get some good experience."
SS4
"Feeling is okay, especially now on SS4 where I got a good rhythm"
"We had a spin on the SS4, so we had to restart the car. Apart from that everything is fine."
"It's the same as the previous stage - I struggled a bit with the brakes and finding the right braking point. This is a tricky stage, so losing 10-seconds is not too bad - I didn't take any risks."
"I felt good in the car this morning and I'm still feeling good!"
"It's not so bad but my steering is completely on the left side! I thought I had a puncture so I didn't push but it turns out I have no puncture. I have no damage so I don't know..."
"It's a lot of learning! We are doing a lot of things with the car and we aren't looking at the end result."
"It was a very tricky stage and the high-speed sections were very challenging. I enjoyed it a lot."
"The conditions in this one were quite okay. I was still going quite steady but now the time compared to everybody else is much better."
"We are too slow but I can't do any better at the moment. We need to push hard."
"The feeling was pretty okay, but not absolutely perfect. There is already some dirt being pulled out by the other cars but it's okay."
"They are very clean tarmac stages at the moment so it's a bit more enjoyable. I hope Ott is okay - it was a very fast section where he went off with a big compression."
"I was slowed down so much in that section. I knew there was something when I saw Ott's lines so I lost quite a lot of time."
SS3
off road, lost wheel
off road, broken wheel
off road, broken rim
off road
off road
"I touched a rock with my rear - I don't really understand why it damaged the rim."
"I really tried at the beginning and then I saw Mads, so at the end I was a bit more careful. Struggling a little bit with the brakes: I didn't quite have the bite in the second half of the stage."
accident
"This one was tricky - okay, easier than yesterday but still not easy. I am getting more confident now and the car is working well."
Puncture
"We lost quite a lot of time - I was really careful and it was my first time in these kind of conditions."
"It was okay considering the conditions we had - I think the time is not bad because there was a lot of dirt on the road again."
"It was better - clearly. It's crazy how dirty it is, so it's hard to get confidence in the pacenotes."
"Obviously not so easy with very changeable grip, but everything is working well and the notes were all good so it's fine."
"It's okay - we had a moment where we hit a bank and after that it was hard to keep the confidence. I think the next one should be even drier."
"On the corner where it was full of ice, I had to restart so I lost a bit there. It was more slippery than I expected and I struggled with the tyres."
"There was some black ice and it was really slippery. The rhythm generally was quite okay and the car is feeling better."
off road
SS2
"I'm very happy to have made it through without issues and gaining experience, especially in SS2 which was very difficult! Looking forward to tomorrow's stages now."
turbo issue
"All okay - just driving very safely because it is difficult. We have finished the day and that was our only target, but it's difficult."
"There is a lot of support out there which is quite amazing - there is a lot of people on the stage. The car is working quite okay - the conditions are very difficult. I have not been completely happy with today but the rally is long."
"I lost all power, so I don't know."
"It was fantastic - it's very slippery but it was fun. It's a long rally so let's see."
"It's very difficult and tricky. We survived the day but it was changing a lot! Tomorrow I will try to push a little bit more..."
"It was tricky. I was driving for the first time with this car in proper Monte conditions, so I had no idea what to expect. With the crossed tyres it was okay but we were really safe."
"It was really difficult - I am not sure if it was the best tyre choice but okay, we are here and we will see tomorrow."
"In some places the studs helped but in others it hampered us a lot. It was tricky - maybe we should have been a bit faster but who knows."
"I don't know - we have to see what the guys are doing behind with the studded tyres. We didn't take any risks and we could have gone faster, but this is only the beginning."
transmission issue
"They were very tricky conditions. I was trying to read the road as well as I could and not take any risks - I think we have done a good time but we have to see what Ogier does behind."
"I am happy to be alive! That was more of a challenge than I expected."
SS1
off road
"I feel good. The first stage is quite slippery with a lot of cuts so it is not easy to go fast. It felt like the tyres started to overheat at the end."
"It was a difficult stage - I just didn't find my rhythm. I was not happy with my pacenotes and I put a lot of effort into the stage because it was so dark."
"I was careful at the beginning but I enjoyed the start."
"It was nice - we went with the super soft tyres and I was a bit too aggressive so the tyres were heating up. A nice stage, I enjoyed the car."
"There is a lot of gravel on the road already, and some leaves, so it's very slippery!"
overheated engine
overheated engine
overheated engine
"It could have been a lot better but at least we are still here!"
"I think it was one of the easiest stages of the weekend - it was really dry and we can expect tougher conditions in the next one. The end of the stage was better for us even though the tyres were moving a lot."
"It was okay at the beginning. The road was very dirty so I was a bit confused sometimes as there were a lot of cuts that I didn't have in the notes. Towards the end I started to lose the tyres, but I should have better tyres for the next stage."
"The conditions are quite consistent. It's a tricky stage but the conditions are quite okay."