2013 Monte Carlo Rally

2013 Monte Carlo Rally
81ème Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo
Round 1 of 13 of the 2013 World Rally Championship
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Sébastien Ogier during Podium
Host country Monaco
Rally baseFrance Valence, Rhône-Alpes
Dates run15 – 20 January 2013
Stages18 (478.42 km; 297.28 miles)
Stage surfaceTarmac and snow[1]
Overall distance1,820.72 km (1,131.34 miles)
Statistics
Crews73 at start, 45 at finish
Overall results
Overall winnerFrance Sébastien Loeb
Monaco Daniel Elena
France Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
5:18:57.2

The 2013 Monte Carlo Rally (formally known as the 81ème Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo) was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over four days between 16 and 19 January,[2] and marked the eighty-first running of the Monte Carlo Rally. After the ceremonial start in Monte Carlo, the rally was based in the French town of Valence. The rally itself was contested over eighteen special stages in the French provinces of Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, covering a total of 468.42 km (291.06 mi) in competitive stages.[3]

The rally was the first round of the 2013 World Rally Championship season, and marked the fortieth anniversary of the World Rally Championship; the 1973 event was the opening round of the championship in its inaugural season.[4] Thirteen World Rally Car crews were entered in the event,[5] including the defending World Drivers' Champion Sébastien Loeb, prior to the start a six-time winner of the Monte Carlo Rally.[6]

The event was run in difficult conditions, with teams reporting during preparations for the event that the stages were subject to the heaviest snowfalls since the 2000 season.[7] The rally was won by Sébastien Loeb, the seventy-seventh of his career and his seventh victory on the Rallye Monte Carlo. The Volkswagen Polo R WRC scored a podium on its competitive debut in the hands of Sébastien Ogier, with Dani Sordo completing the podium in a Citroën DS3 WRC.

  1. ^ "Snowy Rallye Monte-Carlo in prospect". WRC.com. 14 January 2013. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  2. ^ "Itineraires" (PDF). acm.mc. 14 September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  3. ^ "WRC.com preview: Rallye Monte-Carlo". WRC.com. 12 January 2013. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  4. ^ "WRC.com preview: Rallye Monte-Carlo page 3". WRC.com. 12 January 2013. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  5. ^ "81e Rallye Monte Carlo 2013 Entry List" (PDF). rallye-magazin.de. Monte Carlo Rally. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  6. ^ Elizalde, Pablo (27 September 2012). "Sebastien Loeb to compete in World Rally Championship part-time in 2013". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  7. ^ Evans, David (15 January 2013). "Sebastien Loeb thrilled at prospect of snow Monte Carlo farewell". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 16 January 2013.