Tanak fastest as 2025 WRC cars make competitive debut

Hyundai’s Ott Tanak drew first blood as the 2025 non-hybrid World Rally Championship Rally1 cars and new tyre supplier Hankook made their competitive debut in Monte Carlo.

The 3.28km Route de la Garde stage offered the first opportunity for the crews to compete against each other in the less powerful but 87-kilo lighter and more agile Rally1 cars.

It also provided the first barometer for understanding which driver has adapted the best to non-hybrid cars and the all-new Hankook tyres as the Korean firm makes its WRC debut.

Shakedown was held in tricky damp conditions and for some of the field it would be their first time driving in such conditions with the new rubber. Mud dragged onto the road after each pass increased the difficulty for crews.

Hyundai’s Tanak set the pace after the first blasts through the stage, clocking a 2m08.9s effort which proved 0.7s faster than nearest rival Toyota’s returning two-time world champion Kalle Rovanpera, who will contest the full season this year.

Tanak was unable to improve on his second run, ending the stage 1.6s slower, but his first time was enough to end shakedown on top, ahead of Rovanpera.

“It felt quite wet, it’s quite tricky with the grip being so unpredictable,” said Tanak.

Nine-time and record Monte Carlo Rally winner Sebastien Ogier ended shakedown third quickest after the Toyota driver set his best time of 2m10.6s on his second run. The eight-time world champion was 0.1s slower than Rovanpera.

Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans was fourth fastest, a further tenth adrift of Ogier, while defending world champion Thierry Neuville was 0.1s slower than the Toyota in fifth.

Hyundai’s new signing Adrien Fourmaux made the most of his final run to climb to sixth, in front of Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta.

Rally1 debutant Josh McErlean managed to shave 8.8s from his first run with his fourth and last pass through the stage to complete shakedown eighth fastest, driving the second of M-Sport’s Ford Pumas.

McErlean’s more experienced M-Sport team-mate Gregoire Munster was ninth, while the fifth Toyota GR Yaris piloted by Rally1 rookie Sami Pajari rounded out the top 10.

Oliver Solberg topped the Rally2 runners in 11th, as the Swede made his competitive debut driving a Printsport-run Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

The rally begins on Thursday night with an expanded three-stage (54.16km) schedule, held on Monte Carlo’s famous twisting asphalt mountain roads in darkness.