So its started 30 mins ago 🙂

Classic event to begin down in Monaco (region)
The greatest rally driver of recent years back to compete
Our own Kris Meeke with a proper full season ahead

Awesome 🙂

Who’s going to win this time out?

Loeb is clearly the best man on 4 wheels

He’ll simply drop back into it like he hasn’t been away

And I predict Meeke will run out of cars and spares 😆
Series recording too so go steady on spoilers please!

Kubica will crash!

Gosh

Stage 1 😯

Thu 20:04 And Loeb is through – he’s 22s faster than anyone else!

Gosh indeed!

Has there – in any sport – been someone so dominant as Loeb?

Is TV coverage just daily highlights on Motors TV this year or is itv4 coveting it?

Kubica clears ss1 with slight damage to the front. Loeb is a legend.

Is TV coverage just daily highlights on Motors TV this year or is itv4 coveting it?

Spotted it listed as LIVE on BT Sport…. I dont have BT sport :0(

It was a shame the F1 boys whiffled about licence rules to stop Loeb having a go 🙂

Nobody tried to stop him, they wanted him big time

Perhaps some advantage from road position but still….

Good return from Tanak too

Ogier must be gutted. Loeb will get more publicity and adoration for this 1 stage as he got for being World Champ

I was scanning down wondering where Tanak was- looked back up the stage times- 2nd!

Did they (FIA) not refuse him a “Superlicence”?

After all, they give F1 guys rally licences and that works out really well…..

He didn’t qualify for a SL

What channel is it on? Ta

BT Sport

He drove very well in WTCC last season but Lopez showed the difference of a real F1 level racer. Loeb did amazingly to get so close to touring car king Muller.

Loeb is a god in a rally car all the same 😉

Cheers Jota – not available on my crappy hotel TV sadly. Found Tour Down Under on Sky though!

So continuing today….

Damn exciting battle between the 2 frenchmen

Ogier has continued to endear himself to the world by stating he was cutting in way to bring crap onto the road to effect later starters.
He sure knows how to be a hero 🙂

Meeke is gradually rising to the position his skills deserve

Some brilliant stage times from Kubica too. Sad that he lost time last night with an electrical reset midstage.

Loeb is exceptional, if he was in the VW then you’d expect it but not only is he beating the champ for the last two years he’s doing it in a different car.

However the driver/car to watch is Francois Delecour in the Tuthill 997, proper car, proper noise and a no hold barred driver. What’s not to like.

Has there – in any sport – been someone so dominant as Loeb?

Vouilloz?

I always thought the car was the major element responsible for recent domination of a few individuals in this sport . Seems not – no excuses for meek then ..

The Tutthill Porsche is amazing, proper rally car that, the noise!!! And a great driver..

Kubica testing for Monte Carlo 😯

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZQKepbGKiI[/video]

Didn’t know Loeb was back! I used to follow the WRC quite fastidiously but lost touch over the past few years.

I see Hirvonen has also retired & made a farewell video. Its perhaps a little cheesy but I enjoyed it.
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPv6AbjaAec[/video]

So what is the current spec of the top cars 2 ltr turbo, 1.6 turbo or what else.
Not got the Bt sport option but not enough info on car spec these days, actual horse power cant be trusted because these cars are way quicker than the old Group B, compression must be massive with the glowing tail pipes

these cars are way quicker than the old Group B

Are they? Didn’t a Delta S4 have a 0-60 <2.5 seconds? Surely they’re not that quick. Sure they’re quicker over a stage, as they’re somewhat more manageable, but in headline speed are they still?

Even National championship top runners pull out out of corners way quicker than i remember the Group B cars
presume the plc driven/ sensored transmission is making a difference as well

And your memory is that good than 20 years on you can really tell? Impressive.

Current WRC cars run 1.6 turbo 4 cylinder engines with 33mm restrictors producing around 320-350BHP. Their speed comes from the traction they can generate – suspension, transmissions and especially tyres have come a very long way since group B – so do not look as spectacular as are they are flatter and more stable in the corners, which is where the stage times come from.

Watched some of the world rallycross this morning and in a demo run Block was quicker to the first corner in his Fiesta than Hamilton in his Merc. Different specs but highlights how quick these little cars are.

News: Lobe’s made a mistake http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/breaking-news-sebastien-loeb-makes-mistake-1681358117/

As I said at national level,6r4 very impressive and brings it all back
But no match for modern fare, just look at the results

wheres the muck and bullets of yesteryear.. i saw vatenan in the black escort on the circuit and IOM. i drank milk with henri T . i saw the r5 turbos, i ve seen a 037 on col de turini with super driver at the helm ( alen) ive seen 911’s at ypres THATS rallying… a long time ago..

Loeb is lucky there as from stage 9 onwards he would have been out the rally all together under the new regs.