OGIER’s MILESTONE MONTE WIN CROWNS TOYOTA GAZOO RACING ONE-TWO

Sébastien Ogier has claimed a record-extending 10th victory on the legendary Rallye Monte-Carlo as TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team scored a one-two finish to launch its 2025 FIA World Rally Championship campaign with a maximum points haul.

  As usual the rally brought a wide range of changeable conditions during the weekend. It provided a challenging first event for the teams and drivers with the revised technical package for 2025, with the top class of Rally1 cars no longer featuring hybrid units and also running on Hankook tyres for the first time.

  Despite these challenges, the battle for victory remained tight throughout the weekend and went down to the very last stage across the iconic Col de Turini on Sunday afternoon. The rally-ending Power Stage featured a true mix of conditions, with a largely dry ascent and descent but with some ice atop the famous Col de Turini. In the three drivers opted for a mix of slick and studded tyres and it was Ogier who set the, all of the top best time, just 0.215s quicker than Evans – who ran wide and brushed a bank on the rapid descent to the finish.

  Ogier’s win is also his 15th for TGR-WRT, drawing him level with team-mate Kalle Rovanperä and their fellow two-time champion Carlos Sainz as the drivers who have achieved the most WRC victories for Toyota.

  Evans and co-driver Scott Martin start their season strongly, also topping the Super Sunday classification to earn five extra bonus points.  With a different tyre strategy, Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen were consistent across all conditions on the final day and beat Ott Tänak to fourth overall, securing a solid haul of 18 points from a challenging weekend.

  Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari built their confidence and pace through the rally. Starting the final day sixth and seventh, both would unfortunately slide off the road in Sunday’s first stage.

  The next Rally Sweden (February 13-16) is the only full winter event of the season held on snow and ice. Metal studs inserted into the tyres bite into the surface to provide grip and allow for some of the highest speeds of the year.

Please read the details on the team’s official web site: