2026 WRC Season Kicks Off at Rallye Monte-Carlo as Sébastien Ogier Chases Historic 11th Win

Monte-Carlo, Monaco: The 2026 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) roars into action this week with the iconic Rallye Monte-Carlo, as reigning champion Sébastien Ogier begins his title defence on home soil with history firmly in his sights.

Fresh from clinching a record-extending ninth world title in Saudi Arabia, Ogier returns to the event that has defined his legendary career. Born in Gap—once again serving as the rally’s base—the Toyota GAZOO Racing star has already claimed 10 victories at Monte-Carlo across WRC and Intercontinental Rally Challenge competition. A win this weekend would see Ogier become the most successful driver ever at a single WRC event.

Rallye Monte-Carlo opens a 14-round 2026 WRC season and carries added significance as the final year of the Rally1 regulations. While the cars remain largely unchanged, the challenge promises to be formidable, with heavy snow forecast to complicate conditions across the weekend.

Renowned as the championship’s most unpredictable event, Monte-Carlo will test crews over 17 demanding stages covering nearly 340 competitive kilometres. Drivers must navigate constantly changing asphalt conditions—ranging from dry and wet to icy and snow-covered, sometimes within the same stage—where tyre strategy can prove as decisive as outright speed.

Ogier leads a formidable Toyota line-up that includes Elfyn Evans, still in pursuit of a maiden world title after five runner-up finishes, and new recruit Oliver Solberg. Toyota has also entered Takamoto Katsuta and rising star Sami Pajari, both aiming to translate flashes of pace into consistent results on one of the WRC calendar’s toughest rallies.

Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team arrives at Monte-Carlo determined to seize early momentum in what is a pivotal season. The squad is led by 2024 world champion Thierry Neuville, a two-time Monte-Carlo winner, alongside Adrien Fourmaux, who impressed on his Hyundai debut at the event last year. Adding to the intrigue, New Zealand’s Hayden Paddon returns to Rally1 competition for the first time since 2018 in the third Hyundai i20 N Rally1.

M-Sport Ford fields a youthful and ambitious line-up at the season opener. Grégoire Munster makes a one-off appearance after securing his maiden WRC stage win at Monte-Carlo in 2025, while Josh McErlean builds on a solid Rally1 debut campaign. Northern Irishman Jon Armstrong steps up to the top class following a breakthrough FIA European Rally Championship season.

In WRC2, Rallye Monte-Carlo also marks a historic moment with the return of Lancia to the World Rally Championship. The debut of the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale signals the brand’s first WRC appearance since 2000, fittingly at an event where Lancia remains the most successful manufacturer in history.

The 2026 Rallye Monte-Carlo gets underway on Thursday afternoon and concludes on Sunday in Monaco. Adding to the spectacle, Saturday night will feature a competitive super-special stage through the streets of Monaco around Port Hercule—the championship’s first visit to the iconic harbour section since 2008.