The 2026 World Rally Championship season erupted into life on the dry, sun-drenched asphalt of the
Gap
hills on Wednesday afternoon, January 21, 2026. While the pristine blue skies offered a momentary respite, they did nothing to mask the underlying tension of a 14-round championship reaching its Rally1 crescendo.The story of the 4.25 km shakedown was a clinical display of dominance by Toyota Gazoo Racing, which secured a staggering lockout of the top five positions. Takamoto Katsuta stunned the service park by setting a blistering 2:31.8 on his very first run—a benchmark that remained untouched for the rest of the three-hour session.
However, the drama wasn’t confined to the timesheets. Hyundai Shell Mobis suffered a nightmare start to their campaign. Thierry Neuville, the 2024 world champion, saw his session end prematurely when he ripped a front right wheel off his i20 N during his second run, leaving him buried in 14th place. Teammate Hayden Paddon, making a high-profile return to the WRC, also endured a "moment" at the bridge, stalling and shedding aerodynamic components early on.
Top 5 Shakedown Results
| Rank | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 2:31.8 |
| 2 | Sébastien Ogier | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 2:33.1 |
| 3 | Oliver Solberg | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 2:34.4 |
| 4 | Elfyn Evans | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 2:35.0 |
| 5 | Sami Pajari | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 2:35.1 |
Voices from the Service Park
- Takamoto Katsuta (1st): "New season, fresh mind... I will try everything I can to do things in a bit more of a clever way than last year. I'm happy and really confident".
- Sébastien Ogier (2nd): "Happy to be here like always. Monte Carlo is a special place. Sunshine today [but] may be the last of the week".
- Oliver Solberg (3rd): "It is incredible, it is a dream come true. I’m so excited to start. I was a bit nervous... but all good".
- Hayden Paddon (10th): "It was just a small moment... This is going to be a tough rally and we are in the deep end".
- Jon Armstrong (7th): "My nerves are not too bad but obviously it is a tricky rally to start with... a lot of new pace notes".
Report: Neil McDaid
