Sébastien Ogier has described the 2018 edition of Rallye Monte Carlo "really extreme" after experiencing some of the toughest conditions the World Rally Championship has encountered in recent seasons at the French venue.
Although Ogier led from start to finish, he came under huge pressure from former team-mate Ott Tänak as the pair traded blows over the course of the four-day event.
Ogier eventually won with an almost one minute advantage, but at times that was just a matter of seconds after the Frenchman made some errors on the tricky stages, some bigger than others with an off into a ditch costing him almost 40 seconds.
"We always face tough conditions at Rallye Monte-Carlo but this year they were really extreme," he said. "I don’t think I’ve ever struggled so much with the tyre choices, so to have come out on top is fantastic.
"I think everyone made mistakes this weekend – myself included – but it was almost impossible to have the perfect drive. Luckily we only had some small mistakes and once we had a good gap it was just a case of trying to manage it – but that is never easy in these conditions either!"
Ogier now leads the championship after the first event as he looks to secure a sixth-straight title – and a second with M-Sport.
"It’s the best way to start the season and I need to congratulate the team because everyone has worked really hard and I know that they will also be super happy with this result. The competition is going to be stronger than ever and we’ve made a strong start which is really important."
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