Should we be worried about the level for the rest of the WRC season?

Facts : For four days, Sébastien Loeb, winner of his 80th rally in Monte Carlo, and Sébastien Ogier, leader until the penultimate special, fought a heroic battle in the Riviera hinterland. So much so that the two captains were completely out of reach for the usual pilots holding the WRC. The two Sebastiens having not yet planned a possible return, should we be worried about the level in their absence? 

YES, by Jérémy Satis

The painting is as magnificent as it is disturbing. Sébastien Loeb, 48, who did not drive in the WRC in 2021 and who two days earlier was still in the middle of a rodeo in the Saudi dunes, has just wiped out the competition at Monte-Carl', with the help of his non less legendary compatriot Sébastien Ogier. For the first time in eighteen years, neither of these two, who share 17 of the last 18 world championship titles in the discipline, will play the entire season. Considering the dancing these two hoop geniuses inflicted on the rest of the field all weekend, there's reason to be concerned, right?

If we already look at the fight for the title, by eliminating the two Sébastien who are ghosts in the general, it is therefore Kalle Rovanperä who virtually leads the world. The same one who took 20 to 30 seconds in the bag during each special on Thursday and Friday, in total delicacy with his new Yaris Hybrid. Third in the rally, Craig Breen drove all weekend with the handbrake, in order to secure extremely important points and who was the first surprised by his 3rd place given his cautious pace in the special.

The real good news from this Rally is the advent of the Ford Puma, thanks to the work of Malcolm Wilson's teams at M-Sport. Having the three manufacturers so close in pure performance will perhaps save the interest of this 2022 edition. But on the contrary, see the Hyundai at this point in difficulty is not intended to reassure. Ott Tänak went through a series of galleys, when Thierry Neuville scared himself at every turn, pointing out the precarious – not to say zero – balance of his Hyundai i20. Naturally, we should not draw hasty conclusions. The Monte-Carlo round is a special rally, where experience is key and there are many pitfalls. And the Korean manufacturer can only improve! 

But in pure speed, only Elfyn Evans was able to catch Loeb and Ogier. The Welshman made a mistake, as happens to him two or three times a year, but we do not see, behind him, who would be able to box in the same category over time. Maybe Rovanperä, who woke up well on Saturday and Sunday? At Ford, we will have to see how it bounces back Fourmaux after his crash, but Irishman Craig Breen currently seems best equipped to fight up front, even if his last year as a starter dates back to 2018 with Citroën. We just want to see, but after the exhilaration of an exceptional Monte-Carl' privatized by the two gluttons in the category, beware of a hangover! 

ALSO READ > Monte-Carlo 2002: when Loeb and Elena became greats  

Elfyn Evans was the only one capable of keeping up with the pace of the two Sebastiens, until he made a mistake. © Gregory Lenormand / DPPI

NO, by Fabien Gérard 

It's hard not to be shocked by the performance established by Sébastien Loeb and Isabelle Galmiche this weekend on the roads of Monte Carlo. If the Alsatian is a formidable and incredible winner, it is also because the competition offered to him by Sébastien Ogier and Benjamin Veillas was grandiose. What about the rest of the competitors in the World Rally Championship (WRC)? This gaping hole that exists between our two French legends and the new generation of the world elite will not jeopardize the interest and balance of the rest of the season. ?

Apart from Loeb and Ogier, not many of them have won a special stage in this 2022 edition of Monte Carlo. Only Rovanpera and Greensmith managed to put their names at the top of the timesheet. It's poor, it's not much and it shows to what extent the two "veterans" have flown through this edition of Monte Carl'. But let's be honest, if the performance of Loeb and Ogier plunged the majority of the field into the shadows, the WRC 2022 crews are not a bunch of amateurs.

There is no reason to be concerned about the level of competitiveness of the WRC this season. Just read a list of entries: Evans, Tänak, Neuville, Breen, Fourmaux… these names are sure values ​​of modern rallying and they will fight for the world crown. This fight, I can assure you, can go down in the annals of world rallying. Apart from Tänak in 2019, this will be the first time since 2004 that a Frenchman will not put his title back on the line. Which therefore heralds a very open season! I think we can expect a different winner in each round and it is consistency that will be rewarded in 2022. It's a bit like if you remove PSG and OM from the French football championship, you don't You no longer have your classico but the level of competition in France remains pleasant and the posters honorable, with greater homogeneity. There is no reason why this 2022 season should not be very good and not crown a great champion. Well, afterwards, if Loeb and Ogier want to stay, we won't complain...