Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Autosport
Autosport
Sport
Tom Howard

Loeb surprised to be leading Monte Carlo Rally on WRC return

The nine-time champion quickly acclimatised to the WRC’s new hybrid era aided by a strong debut performance from the much anticipated M-Sport-built Ford Puma.

Loeb won four of Friday's six stages to transform an overnight 6.7s deficit to reigning world champion Sebastien Ogier into a 9.9s lead heading into Saturday. The duo that share 15 Monte Carlo wins between them have the luxury of being able to push harder, given they are only contesting partial campaigns.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.