World champion Neuville leads the charge into the WRC’s ultimate challenge.
The FIA World Rally Championship launches its 2025 season in spectacular fashion this week as Rallye Monte-Carlo (23 – 26 January) tests the world’s best drivers on its legendary and unforgiving stages.
Renowned as one of the most iconic and demanding fixtures on the calendar, Rallye Monte-Carlo’s mix of hairpin bends, high-altitude passes and unpredictable grip levels on surfaces ranging from dry asphalt to treacherous ice makes it one of the sport’s ultimate challenges. For crews and engineers, the weather forecast is just as important as the pace notes, with sudden changes able to rewrite the script in an instant.
At the heart of it all is reigning world champion Thierry Neuville, who begins his title defence in style. After a stellar 2024 season that saw him clinch his maiden crown, Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe return to Monaco in their Hyundai i20 N Rally1 sporting the coveted number one.
Victory on this very event last year set the tone for their championship-winning campaign, but 2025 introduces an exciting new dynamic in Hankook Tires, debuting as the WRC’s exclusive supplier. Initial feedback from today’s shakedown, topped by Neuville’s team-mate Ott Tänak, confirms the South Korean brand is more than ready for the challenge of the WRC.
Hyundai Motorsport fields a three-car line-up with Neuville and Estonian star Tänak joined by rising talent Adrien Fourmaux. Fourmaux, fresh from a breakthrough 2024 season where he secured five podiums with M-Sport Ford, makes his debut with the team after an eye-catching off-season move.
Reigning manufacturers’ champions Toyota GAZOO Racing have upped the ante with a five-strong GR Yaris Rally1 squad. French legend Sébastien Ogier returns to chase an unprecedented 10th Rallye Monte-Carlo victory, supported by two-time world champion Kalle Rovanperä and Welsh ace Elfyn Evans. Additional cars will be piloted by Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari, who captured last year’s WRC2 title and embarks on his first full campaign in rallying’s top tier alongside returning co-driver Marko Salminen.
Meanwhile, M-Sport Ford turns the spotlight on Grégoire Munster, now the British outfit’s lead driver in his second full Rally1 season. Irishman Josh McErlean makes his debut in the top class after standout performances in WRC2, partnering Munster in the team’s second Puma Rally1.
Adding more intrigue to 2025 is a streamlined points system that puts a sharper emphasis on rally wins. Points will now be awarded to the top 10 finishers, with bonuses available for Super Sunday and Wolf Power Stage performances increasing the maximum score per rally to 35.
The rally officially starts on Thursday (23 January) afternoon in Monaco’s iconic Casino Square, followed by three gripping night-time stages through the French Alps. Competitors then face three more intense days of action before the rally concludes back in Monaco on Sunday afternoon.
