Promising start as Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT take manufacturer's championship lead
Elfyn got the new 2024 FIA World Rally Championship season off to a solid start with a podium on the opening round at Rallye Monte Carlo, finishing third after storming into an early lead.
The iconic season-opener got off to an exciting start with two Thursday night stages providing an adrenaline-filled atmosphere for fans in the mountains around Gap. Despite the presence of any snow, there were still some frosty and ice sections which required caution, and Elfyn went fastest through both stages to hold an early overnight advantage of 15.1 seconds.
He powered through the Friday stages, which offered inconsistent and changing conditions, dropping some time to the chasing pack but maintaining a slender lead going into Saturday.
However, he struggled with the feeling of the car on the dirty and tricky Saturday roads and wasn’t able to maintain the same pace to stay in the battle for the lead. He dropped back to third and, although his confidence was better on Sunday, he kept that position through the final day to return to Monaco with a podium to start the season.
With team-mate Sebastien Ogier taking second, it was a double podium for his Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT with their new-look GR Yaris Hybrid as they held a slender manufacturer championship lead.