# 2011 Monte Carlo Rally

The 2011 Monte Carlo Rally, officially 79ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo was the first round of the 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) season. The rally took place between January 19–22, 2011. The event marked the centenary of the creation of the Monte Carlo Rally, which was first held on January 21, 1911.

## Introduction

The rally started in Valence on Wednesday 19 January and covered over 1341 km including 337 km in thirteen special stages. Stages were run both in daylight and at night and included two passes through the famous Col de Turini on a Friday night. A full capacity 120 entries were registered for the event including Le Mans 24 Hours star Stéphane Sarrazin and WRC brothers Petter and Henning Solberg. This was in addition to the regular IRC participants; Jan Kopecký, Freddy Loix, Bruno Magalhães, Thierry Neuville, Guy Wilks and reigning champion Juho Hänninen.
Eurosport expanded their TV coverage of the event showing twelve of the thirteen stages live as part of a total of fourteen hours of television over the three days of the competition.

## Results

Bryan Bouffier won his first and only IRC rally after a tyre gamble on the second day proved fruitful and lifted him from seventh in the rally standings to the lead. He had a commanding lead of 50 seconds into the final day which proved too much for his rivals and led him to victory. Second went to Škoda's Freddy Loix and third place went to Guy Wilks, after Stéphane Sarrazin incurred a 30-second penalty for checking into service three minutes late after the final stage. Sarrazin finished fourth ahead of 1994 rally winner François Delecour, who was making his return to rallying after a lengthy absence.

### Overall

| Pos. | Driver | Co-driver | Car | Time | Difference | Points |
| 1. | Bryan Bouffier | Xavier Panseri | Peugeot 207 S2000 | 3:32:55.6 | 0.0 | 25 |
| 2. | Freddy Loix | Frédéric Miclotte | Škoda Fabia S2000 | 3:33:28.1 | 32.5 | 18 |
| 3. | Guy Wilks | Phil Pugh | Peugeot 207 S2000 | 3:34:15.3 | 1:19.7 | 15 |
| 4. | Stéphane Sarrazin | Jacques-Julien Renucci | Peugeot 207 S2000 | 3:34:17.5 | 1:21.9 | 12 |
| 5. | François Delecour | Dominique Savignoni | Peugeot 207 S2000 | 3:34:18.0 | 1:22.4 | 10 |
| 6. | Juho Hänninen | Mikko Markkula | Škoda Fabia S2000 | 3:34:24.9 | 1:29.3 | 8 |
| 7. | Nicolas Vouilloz | Benjamin Veillas | Škoda Fabia S2000 | 3:37:43.4 | 4:47.8 | 6 |
| 8. | Jan Kopecký | Petr Starý | Škoda Fabia S2000 | 3:40:41.5 | 7:45.9 | 4 |
| 9. | Giandomenico Basso | Mitia Dotta | Peugeot 207 S2000 | 3:41:41.6 | 8:46.0 | 2 |
| 10. | Toni Gardemeister | Tomi Tuominen | Peugeot 207 S2000 | 3:42:04.6 | 9:09.0 | 1 |

### Special stages

| Day | Stage | Time | Name | Length | Winner | Time | Avg. spd. | Rally leader |
| Leg 1 (19 Jan) | SS1 | 10:05 | Le Moulinon – Antraigues | 36.87 km | Stéphane Sarrazin | 23:35.6 | 93.76 km/h | Stéphane Sarrazin |
| Leg 1 (19 Jan) | SS2 | 11:40 | Burzet – St Martial | 41.06 km | Juho Hänninen | 22:39.6 | 108.72 km/h | Juho Hänninen |
| Leg 1 (19 Jan) | SS3 | 14:11 | St-Bonnet-le-Froid – St-Bonnet-le-Froid | 25.22 km | Juho Hänninen | 12:40.0 | 119.46 km/h | Juho Hänninen |
| Leg 1 (19 Jan) | SS4 | 16:20 | St-Bonnet-le-Froid – St-Bonnet-le-Froid | 25.22 km | Freddy Loix | 12:37.2 | 119.90 km/h | Juho Hänninen |
| Leg 2 (20 Jan) | SS5 | 12:23 | St-Jean-en-Royans – Font d'Urle | 23.05 km | Juho Hänninen | 11:51.0 | 116.71 km/h | Juho Hänninen |
| Leg 2 (20 Jan) | SS6 | 13:04 | Cimetiere de Vassieux – Col de Gaudissart | 24.13 km | Bryan Bouffier | 12:50.0 | 112.82 km/h | Juho Hänninen |
| Leg 2 (20 Jan) | SS7 | 16:07 | St-Jean-en-Royans – Font d'Urle | 23.05 km | Bryan Bouffier | 14:57.1 | 92.50 km/h | Bryan Bouffier |
| Leg 2 (20 Jan) | SS8 | 16:48 | Cimetiere de Vassieux – Col de Gaudissart | 24.13 km | François Delecour | 21:16.7 | 68.04 km/h | Bryan Bouffier |
| Leg 3 (21–22 Jan) | SS9 | 09:08 | Montauban-sur-l'Ouvèze – Eygalayes | 29.89 km | Stéphane Sarrazin | 17:45.3 | 101.01 km/h | Bryan Bouffier |
| Leg 3 (21–22 Jan) | SS10 | 19:15 | Moulinet – La Bollène Vésubie | 23.41 km | Nicolas Vouilloz | 16:24.6 | 85.59 km/h | Bryan Bouffier |
| Leg 3 (21–22 Jan) | SS11 | 19:58 | Lantosque – Lucéram | 18.81 km | Giandomenico Basso | 13:28.2 | 83.79 km/h | Bryan Bouffier |
| Leg 3 (21–22 Jan) | SS12 | 23:25 | Moulinet – La Bollène Vésubie | 23.41 km | Stéphane Sarrazin | 16:08.8 | 86.99 km/h | Bryan Bouffier |
| Leg 3 (21–22 Jan) | SS13 | 00:08 | Lantosque – Lucéram | 18.81 km | Stéphane Sarrazin | 13:08.9 | 85.84 km/h | Bryan Bouffier |