The Rallye Monte-Carlo, this temple of speed on snow, saw Oliver Solberg maintain his position during the last day, facing more than capricious conditions. Between slides and punctures, the Swedish driver managed to navigate this obstacle-laden course while keeping his lead. A true balancing act, where every second counts.
A Morning of Challenges
The final act of the Rallye Monte-Carlo started under a dark sky, with Oliver Solberg determined to preserve his lead. The first special stage of the day, connecting the Col de Braus to La Cabanette over 12.5 km, quickly plunged the drivers back into delicate winter conditions. Snow and ice transformed the hairpins into real traps, where the cars sometimes seemed to struggle to move forward, as if they were engaged in a battle against the elements.
Elfyn Evans and Adrien Fourmaux both recorded the same time, to the tenth, for this first special stage. However, Sébastien Ogier suffered a significant time loss, conceding 16 seconds, as if the snow had decided to target him. At the top of the standings, Oliver Solberg opted for a measured approach. Despite a cracked windshield from the early kilometers, he ceded 8 seconds to Evans. “I’m not thinking about Sunday points,” he wisely stated. “I’m just trying to be clean and safe. A mistake would be too risky.”
It should be noted that a competitor from Rally3 surprised everyone by setting the fastest time: Matteo Fontana! Unfortunately, Grégoire Munster could not start this ES14 due to a technical issue, while Sami Pajari had to retire after suffering significant damage the day before in his Toyota.
A White Blanket on the Turini
The special stage from La Bollène-Vésubie to Moulinet (23.45 km), which passes through the legendary Col de Turini, further highlighted the chaotic nature of this Monte-Carlo. Initially delayed by a quarter of an hour due to a rock that fell on the road, ES15 offered a spectacle worthy of the greatest action films: a start on dry asphalt, then increasingly present snow as the ascent continued, before a descent made perilous by fluctuating conditions.
Thierry Neuville was unfortunate, suffering a puncture right from the start. After a tire change, he faced another setback with a new puncture during the descent, following contact with the rocky wall. Meanwhile, the very aggressive Adrien Fourmaux managed to overtake his teammate after the summit of the pass and recorded an impressive descent, but it was not enough to compete with an even faster Elfyn Evans.
Sébastien Ogier did not escape the puncture curse, and Oliver Solberg also had his dose of adrenaline with a spin in a hairpin, his second scare of the weekend. Although he lost about ten seconds in this delicate maneuver, the rally leader managed to limit the damage. At the finish, Elfyn Evans recorded the best time among Rally1, gaining only 8 seconds and 8 tenths on Solberg, who maintains a comfortable lead of 42 seconds.
The Climax Approaches
The two morning specials will be run a second time to conclude this Rallye Monte-Carlo 2026. As the crews prepare to face these capricious roads once again, all eyes are on Oliver Solberg. His ability to handle pressure will be tested in the final moments of this legendary rally. Every turn can turn into a real headache, every corner is a dance between acceleration and caution.
This rally is a living spectacle, a race where technique and intuition intertwine. Solberg seems to have found the right balance, but the road is still long and fraught with obstacles. Fans of auto sports are eagerly waiting to see if the young prodigy can maintain his lead until the finish line.
