Neuville delivered statement win to announce his title credentials as the championship adjusts to the fact that reigning world champion Kalle Rovanpera has elected to contest a partial campaign this season.
The drive was arguably Neuville’s greatest of his WRC career as he defeated an inspired Ogier by 16.1s. But Ogier’s performance was made all the more impressive given the nine-time Monte Carlo winner had to manage the emotions of losing an inspirational family member in the lead up to the rally.
The tense battle for victory played out in the backdrop of WRC’s new radical points scoring system that has divided opinion, which made its debut at the famous asphalt rally.
Among those to benefit from the new points system was title favourite Elfyn Evans, who finished third overall after leading the rally through Thursday and Friday. While the Welshman left Monte Carlo disappointed, he bagged 21 points to trail Neuville by nine as the championship heads to Sweden later this month.
To mark the start of the new season, the Gravel Notes podcast has returned after a hiatus to discuss all the talking points from Monte Carlo.
This week Autosport WRC reporter Tom Howard is joined by rally journalist Luke Barry to analyse all the key topics from Monte Carlo.
