Rallying: Homeboy Ogier turns screw in Monte Carlo
Triple world champion Sebastien Ogier delighted his home town crowd by storming to a commanding lead in the Monte Carlo Rally on Friday, boosting his hopes of a fourth win in the storied race.
The French Volkswagen driver had trailed Citroen's Kris Meeke overnight after the opening stages driven over treacherous icy surfaces.
But the 32-year-old Ogier, born in Gap where the first round of the world championship is based, grabbed four of the day's six stages to end the day with a 9.5sec lead over his Northern Irish rival.
Ogier's VW teammates Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen were third and fourth fastest ahead of Saturday's five stages while the event concludes Sunday with three more runs.
