The years pass but the champions remain.

Aboard brand new cars now hybrid in the world championship (WRC), Ogier (Toyota), 38, and Loeb (M-Sport Ford), 47, are once again living up to their immense track records.

Neither Ogier (eight times world champion since last year), nor Loeb (nine times between 2004 and 2012) will make a full season and therefore will not play for the title.

But they are the ones who lead the dance, with a nice advantage for Ogier (21.1 seconds) on Saturday evening.

Paradoxical situation for the WRC, those who will fight for the coronation do not follow the rhythm.

2020 and 2021 world vice-champion, Elfyn Evans (Toyota), who was less than ten seconds before SS11, hit an embankment in a section that was however dry, before ending up parked in the ditch.

He was able to start again but is out of the race (twenty minutes away).

For Hyundai, Ott Tänak did not finish the day after an accident and a puncture, Thierry Neuville is more than seven minutes behind after mechanical problems and Oliver Solberg crashed into a tree (he is still driving but 40 minutes behind ).

As a result, Craig Breen (M-Sport Ford) finds himself 3rd more than a minute behind Ogier.

Loeb: "we are a bit far"

As always in Monte-Carlo, the important thing is to avoid the pitfalls.

The strategy and the choice of tires also play a key role.

Ogier knows this more than anyone, so he adapted to his only rival before the last special of the day: the second passage between Saint-Geniez and Thoard (Alpes-Maritimes), where icy or snowy sections alternated with other very dry.

Where the other competitors broke their teeth.

"I had planned to take the snow tires because it was the safest option, but I saw that Seb (Loeb) was taking slicks, so I changed at the last minute," he said. - he smiled.

"It was tricky in places on the ice but cool on the dry parts."

Winning bet: it was here that he took 16 seconds from Loeb, who could only note: "Now we are a bit far".

"We tried it (with the slicks, editor's note), but Ogier saw it and he changed too. It was really tricky, very easy to make a mistake, so the main thing is to have finished", said he relativized.

Sébastien Loeb answers questions from journalists, before the start of the 1st special of the Monte-Carlo Rally, on January 20, 2022 in Monaco Valery HACHE AFP

Eight-time world champion since 2021, Ogier also became the record holder for victories over Monte-Carlo last year with an eighth success.

It is about to add a ninth.

But Loeb is still there, for history: he could become, at soon 48 years old, the oldest winning driver in the WRC.

On the Sunday programme, cascading hairpins and surprise ice along two loops of two specials in the Alpes-Maritimes (La Penne/Collongues SS14 and SS16; Briançonnet/Entrevaux SS15 and SS17).

The last special could be a final between the two Frenchmen.

Their pursuers will want to grab the bonus points of the Power Stage, failing the prestigious victory over the port of Monaco.

© 2022 AFP