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15th
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The fifth decade of world class rallying kicked off today with a snowy shakedown ahead of the 2013 Rallye Monte-Carlo, round one of the 2013 World Rally Championship.
Forecasters had predicted that snow would sweep across France during the night and they were right.
The WRC cars were off to run the 3.58km shakedown stage. The clerk of the course authorised the use of studded tires for this morning's test.
Not all the top crews were on studded tires for the first pair of runs, however. All the Citroën runners had chosen the tiny metal tips, for example, as did VW's Latvala and Ford's Hanninen, but Ogier, Ostberg, Novikov and Neuville went out on snow tires.
For the second visit later in the morning, the Citroëns remained on studs, Latvala switched to snow tyres, Ogier tried studs, and all the Ford drivers opted for Michelin snow tires.
So Neuville emerged quickest, in front of Sebastien Loeb and Evgeny Novikov.
Shakedown times:
1. Neuville (Ford), 2m26.1s.
2. Loeb (Citroen), +2.6s.
3. Novikov (Ford), +2.7s.
4. Hirvonen (Citroen), +3.3s.
5. Latvala (Volkswagen), +4.3s.
6. Ogier (Volkswagen), +4.4s.
7. Sordo (Citroen), +5.7s.
8. Ostberg (Ford), +6.8s.
Etc.
Forecasters had predicted that snow would sweep across France during the night and they were right.
The WRC cars were off to run the 3.58km shakedown stage. The clerk of the course authorised the use of studded tires for this morning's test.
 |
| Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R. (Photo: Michelin) |
Not all the top crews were on studded tires for the first pair of runs, however. All the Citroën runners had chosen the tiny metal tips, for example, as did VW's Latvala and Ford's Hanninen, but Ogier, Ostberg, Novikov and Neuville went out on snow tires.
For the second visit later in the morning, the Citroëns remained on studs, Latvala switched to snow tyres, Ogier tried studs, and all the Ford drivers opted for Michelin snow tires.
So Neuville emerged quickest, in front of Sebastien Loeb and Evgeny Novikov.
Shakedown times:
1. Neuville (Ford), 2m26.1s.
2. Loeb (Citroen), +2.6s.
3. Novikov (Ford), +2.7s.
4. Hirvonen (Citroen), +3.3s.
5. Latvala (Volkswagen), +4.3s.
6. Ogier (Volkswagen), +4.4s.
7. Sordo (Citroen), +5.7s.
8. Ostberg (Ford), +6.8s.
Etc.