Reigning World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb won the 2012 WRC opener Rally Monte Carlo. Together with his codriver Daniel Elena Loeb was 2,45 minutes ahead of the closest competitor, in a Citroën DS3 WRC. Second fastest was Spaniard Dani Sordo in a Mini and third Petter Solberg in his Ford-comeback.

Sébastien Loeb demonstrated his skil by winning also the Power Stage giving him three extra WRC-points, maximum 28 points. This was his sixth victory in Rally Monte Carlo.

Behind the top three – all in different makes – were Mikko Hirvonen, Citroën, Evgeny Novikov, Ford, Francois Delecour, Ford, Pierre Campana, Mini, Ott Tänak, Ford, Martin Prokop, Ford and Armindo Araujo, Mini.

Ford´s first driver Jari-Matti Latvala made an impressing start but had to resign on the first day.

Unfortunately the only Swede in the rally had to retire. In a clear lead of the S2000 and SWRC-class Per-Gunnar Andersson and Emil Axelsson had to resign with only two stages left. Their Proton Satrina Neo S2000 burst into flames.

– It started with a fuel leakage and suddenly in a hairpin the car blew, a disappointed Per-Gunnar Andersson reported on his website.

Last year´s Junior WRC Champion , Craig Breen, won the SWRC-class and the PWRC- class was won by Michal Kosciuszko.

Photo: McKlein