Written by Katie Gregory, Edited by Sean McKean
At the heart of the sport, The WRC (World Rally Championship) and its rich heritage is what makes the series so utterly special. As the 2025 season kicks off this weekend in Monte Carlo, this year promises classic rallies, fan favourites and magical moments on reminiscent roads.
However, 2025 is the year of expansion, divergence and expecting the unexpected. This year will have 14 events across the calendar, and will showcase brand -new rallies in the Canary Islands, Paraguay and Saudi Arabia.
Following this theme, it is only fitting that the season is opened by the most chaotic event of the year — Rallye Monte Carlo.
The roads may appear relatively straightforward, but the unpredictable winter weather of the French Alps places absolute importance on tyre choice.
The mountain passess and icy roads will make it extremely difficult to drive fast, and the careful drivers should be rewarded fruitfully. However — in true Monte Carlo fashion — it would be only fitting for one of our drivers to take a risk, and hope luck is on their side.
To properly preview Monte, we simply must take a look at the off-season developments.
First, the top category of Rally1 cars will no longer use plug-in hybrid units following a regulation change.
Subsequently, the minimum weight has been lowered from 1260 to 1180 kilograms and the air restrictor size reduced from 36 to 35 millimetres to help maintain a similar power-to-weight ratio to before.
The overall sporting regulations have also undergone significant development. The most notable tweak is the change to the points system.
As of 2025, no points will be allocated on a Saturday, and, instead, the Super Sunday will offer up five bonus points.
The technical playing field has also been altered by a change in manufacturer. For the first time ever, Hankook is the sole tyre supplier for the top WRC categories.
New year, same old objectives? Well not for Hyundai - as this season they are prioritising the manufacturer’s title, and are targeting this with more haste than ever before.
This is reflected entirely in their lineup, which includes three full-time drivers, a strategy they haven’t attempted in years.
Leading the lineup is our reigning champion, Thierry Neuville. Coming off such a long-awaited championship victory, Neuville should theoretically be more confident than ever.
However, Neuville won’t have to look far for some serious competition and can find a fierce contender in Ott Tänak.
After impressing so greatly last season, the Estonian driver will want to aim higher than ever, and certainly won’t let anyone stand in his way (teammate or not).
While such an experienced lineup looks favourable for Hyundai, it is their latest addition that could give them that edge they have been looking for.
This missing piece of the puzzle is Adrien Fourmaux — who just made the move from M-Sport to Hyundai.
This burst of ingenuity and fresh talent will pair perfectly with the more experienced drivers in the lineup, and could help Hyundai secure the elusive crown that has been exclusively Toyota’s since 2021.
Acutely aware of their ravenous rivals, Toyota have also expanded and strengthened their respective lineup.
Double world champion Kalle Rovanperä will return to full-time competition and will pose a considerable threat to the field.
Toyota’s lineup also boasts Elfyn Evans, who finished 2024 as the championship runner-up.
Not to be forgotten, Toyota driver Sébastien Ogier will have high hopes for this rally weekend - as he is targeting a record-extending tenth victory at Rallye Monte Carlo.
Having a home advantage will come in handy, but the part-time driver will certainly need some luck on his side to secure another victory here.
These three crews will be competing for manufacturer’s points for Toyota, with Takamoto Katsuta completing their lineup as the fourth entry.
Sami Pajari, the 2024 WRC2 champion, will begin his first full season in the top category. Pajari’s GR YARIS Rally1 is entered under a second team: TGR-WRT2.
As per usual, Rallye Monte Carlo will as usual start and finish in Monaco’s Casino Square.
Departing on Thusday afternoon, crews will then tackle three opening stages in before heading back to the service park.
Friday will feature a loop of three stages both east and north of Gap, running either side of mid-day service.
Saturday will see a similar layout with three repeated tests to the west, including the new Aucelon–Recoubeau-Jansac stage.
The challenge will continue on Sunday, as the final stretch repeats two of Thursday’s stages before the Power Stage.
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