Sawt Falasteen - Veteran Ogier roars into Monte Carlo Rally lead

Eight-time world champion Ogier, who hails from nearby Gap, jumped from third to first overall as Belgian Neuville and Welsh driver Elfyn Evans struggled on the slippery Alpine roads.

"It's a good end to the day," said Ogier.

"I had to fight for that. Earlier today I didn't have a mega feeling, I was really on the back foot and I couldn't find the perfect rhythm, but the last two stages were good for me."

Chasing an unprecedented 10th Monte Carlo triumph in the season-opening rally, Ogier had paid for errors on Thursday.

But by Friday evening, the 41-year-old was back in control, finishing 12.6sec ahead of fellow Toyota driver Evans with France's Adrien Fourmaux 14.2sec off the pace for Hyundai.

Evans, a four-time runner-up in the drivers' championship, had pulled ahead of Neuville early with the Belgian then damaging his suspension on a downhill hairpin.

Evans' lead was cut to 1.5sec by midday and a spin on an icy patch handed the advantage back to Ogier.

"I was proper steady, it just started to go and I couldn't recover, I was on the ice," said Evans after the eighth stage.

"It's like that. It's Bambi on ice! A half spin and we lost some time."

Ott Tänak damaged his car after hitting a telegraph pole on SS6, with fellow Hyundai driver Fourmaux impressing in his first WRC outing with the team, with a stage win and two second-fastest times.

Kalle Rovanpera, also with Toyota, won the world championship in 2022 and 2023, and is making a comeback after only competing part-time last year.

The Finn won the morning's opening stage and climbed from sixth to fourth.

He ended the day 24.3sec behind Fourmaux but held an 8.8sec cushion over Tänak.

Neuville, leader after Thursday's three night-time stages, now occupies provisional ninth place, almost four minutes behind the leader.

The Hyundai driver lost almost two minutes after going off the road late on SS6.

Saturday is the rally's longest day and includes with eight special stages totalling 131.4km with the race finishing on Sunday.

Y.Shaath--SF-PST