Lead changes three times on Friday at Rally Monte-Carlo

Irish pair Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy remain twelfth in their Ford Puma Rally1. 

Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota Yaris Rally1) lead Rallye Monte-Carlo the first round of the World Rally Championship. Picture: Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool.

The lead changed on three occasions during Friday's six stages of this Rally Monte-Carlo as local hero Sebastien Ogier (Toyota Yaris Rally1), who lost the lead on Thursday night's final stage is back at the top of the leaderboard, 12.6s ahead of his teammate, Welsh driver, Elfyn Evans. 

Hyundai's new recruit, French ace Adrien Fourmaux, is just 1.6s further behind. Irish pair Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) remain twelfth.

Running first on the road and with a lack of grip, Thierry Neuville lost the lead on the day's opener with Evans moving a fraction of a second ahead. A medical incident involving a spectator forced the cancellation of the day's second stage (SS5). 

On an action packed sixth stage Neuville, Ott Tanak and Ogier were all involved in incidents. Neuville lost two minutes at a downhill hairpin when his Hyundai slid wide and damaged the rear left suspension that left the wheel dragging on the road for the remainder of the stage. Teammate Tanak slid his car into a ditch and lost part of its rear wing. Ogier clipped a bank but didn't lose too much time, remarkably he closed to within 1.5s of leader Evans with Fourmaux, who posted his first fastest time with Hyundai, third.

Derry's Josh McErlean and his Cork co-driver Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) in action during Rallye Monte-Carlo, the opening round of the World Rally Championship. Picture: Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool .

Evans extended his advantage to 7.9s with a strong performance on SS7 but Ogier mastered a difficult SS8 to move 6.8s ahead as Evans, who was caught on an icy stretch where his Toyota Yaris had a half spin. 

Stage winner Ogier remarked, "So many of my family and friends are on that stage and I've never won it before." 

On the evening's final stage Neuville went off on the very same corner as earlier in the morning, this time finishing the stage with little rubber on the left front wheel. Ogier was quickest to extend his lead as he bids for a tenth Monte victory.

Elsewhere, McErlean/Treacy were untroubled as they continue to acclimatise to their Ford Puma Rally1. Eamonn Boland/Mickey Joe Morrissey (Ford Fiesta Rally2) are lying third in the WRC Masters Cup.

Rallye Monte-Carlo (Round 1, World Rally Championship) Gap (Positions after Leg 2): 1. S. Ogier/V. Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 1h. 27m. 00.6s; 2. E. Evans/S. Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+12.6s; 3. A. Fourmaux/A. Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+14.2s; 4. K. Rovanperä/J. Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+38.5s; 5. O. Tänak/M. Järveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+47.3s; 6. G. Munster/L. Louka (Ford Puma Rally1)+1m. 33.7s; 7. T. Katsuta/A. Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+1m. 37.7s; 8 S. Pajari/M. Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+3m. 32.9s; 9. T. Neuville/M. Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N)+3m. 58.6s; 10. Y. Rossel/A. Dunand (Citroën C3 Rally2)+5m. 04.0s; 12. J. McErlean/E. Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1)+5m. 51.0s.