Rallying-Solberg wins Monte Carlo opener in Toyota podium sweep

Jan 25 : Sweden's Oliver Solberg won the Monte Carlo Rally on Sunday as champions Toyota started the season with a one-two-three finish in the principality.

The 24-year-old son of Norway's 2003 world champion Petter also became the youngest winner of the event in the championship era.

Welsh teammate Elfyn Evans finished 51.8 seconds behind while Sebastien Ogier, the reigning nine-times world champion and a 10-times Monte Carlo winner, was third, a minute and 10 seconds further behind.

"This was the most difficult rally I've done in my life. It's my first rally on Tarmac in the car and here we are, winning the thing," said Solberg.

The Swede joined the team this season as a replacement for departed double champion Kalle Rovanpera, who has gone to pursue a career in circuit racing, after winning the WRC2 title.

He had been 59.3 seconds clear after Saturday's penultimate leg but, on the treacherously slushy, icy mountain roads north-east of the principality, nothing could ever be considered comfortable.

That was emphasised in the second of the final day's four stages when Solberg spun on an icy hairpin and ended up facing the wrong direction, fortunately without consequences.

Evans meanwhile had a clear day and took more Sunday points than anyone, with Ogier a distant threat on roads he has dominated in the past.

Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux was fourth with Belgian teammate Thierry Neuville fifth after clipping a rock and suffering a puncture.

The next round of the championship is Solberg's home rally in Sweden, on snowy roads and through frozen forests around Umea, from February 12-15.