Solberg Survives Scare to Retain Monte-Carlo Lead on Day of Alpine Chaos

MONTE CARLO – The treacherous slopes of the French Alps lived up to their fearsome reputation on Saturday, turning Day 3 of the 2026 Rallye Monte-Carlo into a high-stakes game of survival. In a day defined by black ice, slush, and snowbanks, Toyota’s young sensation Oliver Solberg defied the odds—and physics—to maintain his lead, despite a heart-stopping off-road excursion that nearly ended his fairytale run.

The drama peaked on SS12 (La Bréole / Bellaffaire), where Solberg, pushing to defend his advantage against teammates Elfyn Evans and Sébastien Ogier, lost the rear of his GR Yaris Rally1 on a patch of fresh snow. The car ploughed through a fence and into a field, leaving spectators breathless. In a display of raw talent and luck, Solberg kept the throttle pinned, wrestling the machine back onto the tarmac to not only survive but incredibly win the stage.

"I tell you: my god! That is the craziest stage I've ever done in my life," a shell-shocked Solberg said at the stage end. "I had ruts in my pacenotes, I was just trying to follow them and on one exit there was full snow... I was lucky. Very lucky."

While Solberg escaped, others were not so fortunate. The unforgiving conditions claimed Toyota’s Sami Pajari, who crashed out of fourth place on the morning loop after sliding wide into a snowbank and striking a tree. Hyundai’s Hayden Paddon also fell victim to the ice, sliding off the road and losing over four minutes as spectators scrambled to push his i20 N back into play, dropping him out of the top 10. Rookie Jon Armstrong continued his trial by fire, clinging to an impressive sixth overall despite a puncture and clipping a bridge on SS10.

As the sun set, the action moved to the glitter of the Principality for the SS13 Super Special Stage on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit. Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux dazzled the crowds with the fastest time, but the night belonged to Toyota. The Japanese manufacturer locks out the podium places heading into Sunday, with Solberg holding a precarious lead of just over a minute.

Sébastien Ogier, chasing a record-extending 10th Monte victory, appeared resigned to a podium finish after struggling to match the leader's pace in the slush. "Top spot is too far," the Frenchman admitted. "I didn't put on a show tonight, I think we all look ridiculous here [on slicks], but that's how it is."

Top 10 Overall Classification (After Day 3)

1. O. Solberg / E. Edmondson (Toyota) – 2:11:13.1
2. E. Evans / S. Martin (Toyota) +1:04.7
3. S. Ogier / V. Landais (Toyota) +1:31.3
4. A. Fourmaux / A. Coria (Hyundai) +6:13.8
5. T. Neuville / M. Wydaeghe (Hyundai) +7:29.5
6. J. Armstrong / S. Byrne (M-Sport Ford) +10:06.1
7. L. Rossel / G. Mercoiret (Citroën - WRC2) +11:01.8
8. G. Munster / L. Louka (M-Sport Ford) +11:24.8
9. T. Katsuta / A. Johnston (Toyota) +11:47.1
10. R. Daprà / L. Guglielmetti (Skoda - WRC2) +12:29.5

Sunday Preview: The Col de Turini Awaits
The final day promises a sting in the tail with four stages covering 71.90km. Crews will face two loops of Col de Braus and the legendary La Bollène-Vésubie / Moulinet, which crosses the iconic Col de Turini. With ice reported on the pass, the Power Stage offers one last chance for heartbreak or glory. Solberg stands on the brink of a career-defining victory, but in Monte Carlo, the rally isn't over until the engines are silenced in the harbor.

Report: Neil McDaid 

Toyota Gazoo Racing Ignites the 2026 ARA Championship

 

The sleeping giant has awakened, Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) has officially entered the 2026 American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship, ending years of speculation and setting the stage for a titanic manufacturer war with Subaru..

Leading the charge is American phenom Seth Quintero. Transitioning from his dominant tenure in Dakar and T3 lightweight prototypes, Quintero brings a "maximum attack" philosophy to the cockpit. Beside him sits veteran Finnish co-driver Topi Luhtinen, whose clinical European experience and "ice-in-the-veins" delivery are designed to temper Quintero’s raw desert-bred speed with the discipline required for technical forest stages.

The weapon of choice is a specially homologated Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Optimized for the high-speed gravel sweeps of the Pacific Northwest and the punishing bedrock of the Ozarks, the car features a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine paired with a sophisticated five-speed sequential gearbox. While its footprint is smaller than the competition, its nimble chassis and TGR’s world-class dampers make it a surgical instrument on tight, technical stages.

The path to the podium, however, is blocked by the gold standard of American rallying: Travis Pastrana and the Vermont SportsCar Subaru powerhouse. Quintero faces a steep learning curve; while he possesses world-class car control, he must now battle Pastrana’s decades of "reading" the changing grip levels of North American forests. The Subaru WRX remains a refined beast, and Pastrana’s psychological edge in the ARA is immense. For TGR, the 2026 season isn't just a debut; it is a high-stakes baptism by fire against an icon who knows every crest and jump on the calendar. The battle for North American supremacy will open on round 2 of the ARA Championship, 100AW in March. 

Report: Neil McDaid 

David Higgins set to shake things up at New England Forest Rally.

After departing from his long term commitment with Subaru in 2019, Higgins has been chomping at the bite to make his return. This weekend Higgins returns to tackle New England Forest Rally in a McKenna Motorsports Ford Fiesta, with his sights locked firmly on his old team mate Travis Pastrana.  

Newry Maine: So many scenarios so little time, with the breaking news yesterday that David Higgins will make a return to the ARA Rally Championship this weekend in McKenna Motorsports Ford Fiesta, so many questions come to mind, mainly how his entry will factor in the drivers championship. Theres no question that David is here to help Barry in his quest for win back to back championships, to achieve this Barry has to win every rally from here out. 

 Yes, in case you missed it last year, Barry McKenna a privateer, is the defending 2020 ARA Rally Champion, McKenna managed to better the 2 car Subaru Factory team to take the title in 2020. 

So, scenario 1, road position, road position, road position, especially on day one, dust is nearly always a factor in Maine, much more than loose gravel, there’s currently rain in the forecast for day one, so best case for McKenna would be second on the road that’s assuming we get rain and no dust on day one. 

The Block factor, what role if any will Block play this weekend in Subaru strategy. 

Its not yet clear how many drivers will be in the seated draw, but I expect that Irish driver Marty McCormack who’s also here for a one off drive in Maine in yet another McKenna car has to the speed factor to be in the draw, so there’s no question he will also play a role for McKenna this weekend. 

Scenario 2, the Ken Block factor, so Ken is for the most part running as a privateer, but he is in a Vermont Sports car Subaru Factory spec car, of course Ken is out for the win, he knows no other way, he has vast experience in Maine, but if push comes to shove will Ken play into Subaru’s Championship strategy this weekend, no I did not say “team orders” just strategy. 

 It always Concord Pond this, Concord Pond that, yes of course its one of the most exciting stages in American rally, but its such a short fast stage, theres very little advantage that can be gained. Onto SS3, South Arm, a flat out stage from start to finish, apart from a few pesky chicanes, this is where things will get and have always gotten interesting, winning South Arm and more so the return on Icicle Brook [SS5] often sets a driver up for Saturday and ultimately the overall podium. 

This year the rally organizers have thrown in a little twist between South Arm and Icicle Brook which was always a turnaround stage. They have added Beaver Pond as SS4, this is an old stage that has not been used in years, it’s a fairly short stage with no major challenges but is new to most all drivers, so who knows. So at this time its all eyes on the seeded draw, when we hear the results of the seeded draw then we might take a stab at throwing out a prediction.. or 3