Monte-Carlo Mayhem: Hyundai’s Icy, Gritty Performance
2026 rallye monte carlo 01
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team limped out of Monte-Carlo clutching a haul of hard-won points, a couple of stage wins and the lingering smell of burnt tyres. The team’s leading crew took fourth, the other frontline car finished fifth, and the returning New Zealand pairing completed the job in 11th. Not glamorous, but then Monte-Carlo rarely is.
Conditions That Made Everyone Chew Their Steering Wheels
This edition was vintage Monte-Carlo chaos. Snow, ice, slush and wet tarmac collided like bored weather gods, often within the same stage. Tyre choices became bets on the future and nerves were taxed to the point of audible snapping. The crews who survived were the ones who picked their moments, kept their tempers and forgave the road very little.
French Duo: Stage Wins, Electrical Gremlins, Fourth Place
The French pairing emerged as the team’s best-placed crew, finishing fourth overall after a weekend that swung between brilliance and mild catastrophe. They went off the road in low visibility on Thursday, battled an electrical fault that hampered the handbrake on Friday and still managed to post two top-three stage times. A tidy Saturday – apart from a small moment on SS12 – led to a street-stage victory on SS13, and another stage win on SS16 on Sunday provided the sort of momentum the box-ticking accountants dream about. The result delivered 17 championship points and a reminder that when the car and conditions align, pace is there.
Veteran Crew: Consistency, A Ditch, Then Fifth
The more experienced crew initially led the team’s charge, nailing a couple of top-three times on Friday. Then misfortune arrived in the charming form of a ditch at the start of a final stage, dropping them one place. Saturday was largely about damage limitation, apart from a spin on SS12, and the closing stages were a battle through slush, black ice and tyre damage. A puncture and another spin on Sunday robbed time, but they still brought the car home in fifth for ten points. Imperfect, but resilient.
Kiwi Returnees: Learning By Falling Over
The New Zealand pairing were back in the top category for the first time since 2018 and 2017 respectively, and the plan was simple – stay in the hunt in case others imploded. They executed that brief perfectly on Thursday and Friday, climbing as high as seventh, until Saturday’s SS12 produced a spin that buried them in a snowbank for several minutes. They dug out, learned a lot, and finished 11th overall. Mission accomplished, if a little scuffed.
What The Team Learned And What Comes Next
The weekend underlined the familiar truth: Monte-Carlo reveals strengths and exposes weaknesses like a very expensive X-ray. The team walked away with stage wins, a respectable points tally and a clear list of things to improve, particularly on mixed and tarmac surfaces. The overarching message was one of cautious optimism – small steps forward, plenty to fine-tune.
Hyundai Shell Mobis sits second in the manufacturers’ standings after round one, a respectable position to build from. The championship now heads north for Rally Sweden from February 12-15, where true winter conditions will finally sort the brave from the merely hopeful.
Zachary Skinner is the editor of TechDrivePlay.com, where tech, cars and adventure share the fast lane.
A former snowboarding pro and programmer, he brings both creative flair and technical know-how to his reviews. From high-performance cars to clever gadgets, he explores how innovation shapes the way we move, connect and live.
