Sébastien Ogier is not very far from an eighth success in Monte-Carlo.
Saturday evening, the reigning world champion had a comfortable lead over Sébastien Loeb (MSport-Ford) before the last day, Sunday.
A precisely 21''1 mattress that allows the Toyota driver to envisage the rest of the operations with optimism.
On a regular basis, his biggest rival Sébastien Loeb should have a hard time catching up even if over the 70 km to the finish, anything can still happen.
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Behind the nine-time world champion on Friday evening, Ogier took out the heavy artillery on the extremely tricky roads of the Southern Alps with the crossing, for example of the Col de Font-Belle, the justice of the peace for the 2022 edition. of snow and ice, so dreaded, seriously complicated the task of the crews for the choice of tires.
And in this area as in piloting, Ogier has excelled.
Sébastien Loeb, second before the last stage on Sunday.
GREGORY LENORMAND / PANORAMIC
Winner of two of the five lap times of the day (SS10 and SS11), the Gapençais pushed back the Alsatian who was less comfortable on slippery surfaces, even if the latter made the same choices in terms of tires.
Second overall, Loeb has so far achieved a tremendous result on his return to the WRC after a fifteen-month absence as he prepares to celebrate 48 candles.
Elfyn Evans goes into the background
The two Frenchmen, who posted exactly the same time in the general classification after the first two times of the day, avoided the pitfalls as Elfyn Evans (Toyota) fell right into it on the third special. Ke Briton went into the ditch on a bend after late braking. Help from onlookers trying to get the Yaris back on the road wasn't enough. Evans, favorite for the succession of Ogier since the Frenchman will only complete five or six rounds this season (Loeb only has a one-rally program at the moment), tumbled beyond 30th place. Craig Breen (MSport-Ford) firmly occupies the third step of the podium, but very far from the two untouchable Frenchmen, more than a minute (1'07''5). No doubt,the Marseillaise will once again sound Sunday in Monaco.
