The Monte Carlo Rally kicks off today and it has a reputation as one of the fiercest, and most renowned, events in the WRC calendar. A recent video from DirtFish, famed for its rally school, gives us an idea of why its so fearsome thanks to a POV helmet cam.
Shot during preparations for the race, driver Sean Johnston and co-driver Alex Kihurani take us for a short, flat-out blast down then back up a stage of the mountainous event.
The camera angle immediately reminded me of being behind the wheel in a racing sim like Dirt Rally, which actually caused me to panic because I know how many times I would have gone flying off the side of the road in this three-minute video. Truly, these drivers are brave beyond measure and also talented in a way that I can’t fully wrap my head around.
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Johnston was at the wheel of a Citroen C3 R5, a WRC2 car powered by a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine that makes 282 hp (286 PS/210 kW) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. It sends its power to all four wheels via a five-speed sequential transmission and weighs in at just 1,230 kg (2,712 lbs). All of which sounds pretty potent.
The Monte Carlo Rally will run through the weekend and ends on Sunday, January 23. A classic, many teams will be looking to take the glory of its trophy home with them, which is actually terrifying given how narrow the roads are and how fast a WRC2 car (which falls short of the 500 hp top class racers) appears to be from the driver’s seat.