Monte-Carlo: raised plateau

It was this Monday that the Automobile Club of Monaco unveiled the list of 63 entries for the Rally Monte-Carlo, opening round of the 2010 IRC season. If the number of registered participants is not very high, since it is slightly down compared to last year (64), the quality of the drivers present promises some great fights.

Clan?? of the Peugeot 207 S2000 is the most supplied, with ten cars. Kris Meeke, winner of the IRC 2009, and Sébastien Ogier, Citroën driver in WRC and winner of the rally last year, will be expected. Stéphane Sarrazin is also to be placed in the list of favorites, while Jean-Sébastien Vigion, Franz Wittmann and Bruno Magalhaes will try to do well.

Faced with the 207, Skoda decided to provide its ranks. Five Fabias will be at the start of the rally, including that of the Peugeot defector, the Frenchman Nicolas Vouilloz, winner of the IRC 2008. He will support the usual drivers of the Czech brand's cars, Jan Kopecky and Juho Hanninen. Guy Wilks, winner of the Scottish Rally in November with the Fabia, will also be there.

Mikko Hirvonen should be put first in the list of favorites. The vice-world rally champion, before the start of the WRC season, will prepare for 2010 and continue the development of the Ford Fiesta S2000, which is entering competition after hitting the road in Scotland last November. The Finn, despite the youth of his car, can aim for overall victory due to his experience in this rally. He notably finished second in 2008, during Monte-Carlo's last appearance in the WRC. A second Fiesta S2000 will be driven by Frenchman Julien Maurin.

Another Finn, Toni Gardemeister, will want to play his role in this Monte-Carlo Rally. At the wheel of the Abarth Grande Punto S2000, the driver will try to compete with the best, he who held second place for a long time last year before having to retire. However, his lack of preparation could penalize him.

Finally, among the 63 engaged, we note the presence of fifteen Renault Clio R3, almost a quarter of the total field, for the opening of the Renault Clio European Trophy. We find Kris Princen, title holder, Pierre Campana, Mathieu Arzeno, Eric Mauffrey, Thomas Barral? but also Robert Kubica, who came to compete in his third rally in a Clio R3 after the Taormina-Messina rally and the Var rally in 2009.

The festivities begin next Tuesday, with an 8-kilometer prologue, before three intense days of competition.