Mini fans would love to have celebrated a win in the 80th Monte Carlo Rally this past weekend. It would have been a fitting win to accompany the Mini’s triumphant one-two victory in the Dakar Rally a week earlier.
However, it was not to be as eight-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, took their sixth win in the Principality, driving a Citroen DS3 WRC.
Nevertheless a second place finish for Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio in a Mini John Cooper Works WRC was still a great accomplishment as it was only the team’s seventh FIA WRC event since being formed last year by Prodrive. It was the third podium finish for the Spanish crew.
It was in 1964 that a Mini Cooper S, driven by Paddy Hopkirk first won the Monte Carlo Rally by beating a Ford Falcon. It has become one of the most famous wins in motor racing history and certainly helped propel Mini to icon status.
Third place in the 2012 Monte Carlo Rally went to Petter Solberg and Chris Patterson in a Ford Fiesta WRC. It was the first event for the new Fiesta with Solberg as a Ford factory driver.
Related posts:
- Monte Carlo or Bust
- Erik Carlsson in Monte Carlo
- Mini and Ford Raptor Surprise Entries in 2011 Dakar Rally
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