Ocon to drive in WRC Rally Monte Carlo with Alpine
Formula 1 driver Esteban Ocon is to take part in the opening two special stages of the Monte Carlo Rally in an Alpine A110S sports car.
It will be the Frenchman’s first ever rally experience, and his first proper outing in an A110S since he tried it out at the Nordschleife over the Eifel Grand Prix weekend last year.
Ocon, who will run with his F1 number #31 on the blue-liveried car, will get a morning shakedown in the official VIP course car on Thursday before having a high-speed run when the World Rally Championship season opener gets underway proper.
He will join SS1, which is a 20.58km route from Saint-Disdier to Corps, followed by SS2 between Saint-Maurice and Saint-Bonnet.
Speaking ahead of his outing, Ocon said: “Monte-Carlo for the first time. It’s a legendary event, a jewel in the calendar of motorsport and I know how special being part of it will be.
“I’m looking forward to driving the beautiful Alpine A110S. I had my first taste of the A110 in October with three laps of the Nordschleife. It was great that day; very comfortable and agile to drive. It’s born for this kind of challenge with the tight hairpins and mountain passes.
“Rallying has actually always been a dream for me, so driving the A110S in Monte-Carlo is a brilliant way to begin the year.”
French car manufacturer Renault is shifting its motorsport focus on to the Alpine brand as part of a company overhaul instigated by new CEO Luca de Meo.
Ocon’s outing on the Monte Carlo rally is the first evidence of a heightened brand push, which has included the new identity for its F1 team.
Alpine has a long history at the Monte Carlo rally, having taken its first podium in 1969 when Jean Vinatier and co-driver Jean-Francois Jacob finished third. Its first win came in 1971 when Ove Andersson triumphed as Alpine took a 1-2-3 in the original A110.
It also won in the 1973 event with Jean-Claude Andruet and Michele Petit, which was the first ever official WRC round. Alpine will be competing in the RGT class at the Monte Carlo Rally, with Cedric Robert, Emmanuel Guigou, Philippe Baffoun, Pierre Ragues and Raphael Astier all driving A110 cars.
Read Also:
Related video

Previous article
Ogier expects wide open final WRC season
Next article
Evans on the talking points of WRC 2021

About this article
Series | Formula 1 , WRC |
Drivers | Esteban Ocon |
Teams | Alpine |
Author | Jonathan Noble |
Ocon to drive in WRC Rally Monte Carlo with Alpine
Trending
Arctic Rally Finland: Highlights Stages 6-8
Arctic Rally Finland: Highlights Stages 3-5
What to look out for in the 2021 WRC
As the 2021 World Rally Championship prepares to launch amid tight COVID-19 restrictions in Monte Carlo, here are the eight things unrelated to the pandemic that you should keep an eye on this year
Evans on the talking points of WRC 2021
He came close to the title last year, and now Toyota's Elfyn Evans gives his verdict on what to expect from 2021 as the World Rally Championship prepares to reconvene for the Monte Carlo season opener.
Why Britain's continued WRC absence is a wake-up call
With Rally GB dropping off the World Rally Championship calendar for the second year in a row, one of Britain's best-attended sporting events faces an uncertain future. It's an unfortunate situation that points to troubling times ahead
The Top 10 WRC drivers of 2020
A drastically-shortened 2020 season gave the World Rally Championship protagonists precious little stage mileage to strut their stuff, but as ever the cream rose to the top across the seven events. We rank the year's best performers
The twists and turns of a turbulent 2020 WRC season
The 2020 World Rally Championship bestrode all 12 months of the Gregorian calendar, and in terms of the competition it was a cracker. Moreover, it was an inspiration in dark days for the world and our industry.
The early setbacks that shaped the WRC's greatest driver Loeb
A series of close calls in his formative years threatened to leave rallying's top echelon tantalisingly out of reach for the man who would go on to claim nine WRC titles. In an exclusive interview, Sebastien Loeb recalls the key steps on his road to dominance.
Why the WRC's unorthodox Monza ending was a necessary one
The Monza Rally was an unusual way to end an unusual WRC season, and while far from ideal, without it the series could have faced serious ramifications. To persuade stakeholders to commit to an uncertain future, Monza was an important showcase…
How Monza's lottery winner matched a 27-year-old record
The 2020 World Rally Championship ended in heartbreak for Britain's Elfyn Evans as his 14-point advantage in the drivers' title race was whisked out from beneath him by a patch of Italian snow. Thus Sebastien Ogier claimed his seventh WRC title as Rally Monza joined the calendar for the first time.