Stephane Lefebvre led from start to finish to win the WRC2 support category for the first time at Rallye Monte Carlo.

The reigning FIA Junior WRC champion won by 2min 14.0sec in Citroen’s DS3 R5, but his win was not as easy as it appears. 

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Lefebvre and Martin Koci were virtually inseparable until Koci broke a driveshaft on his Ford Fiesta R5 on Saturday afternoon.

Lefebvre was then able to cruise through the final day and said at the finish: “It was a difficult race and Rallye Monte Carlo is a very big legend. It’s the perfect start to the year and I hope for some more victories as well.”

Craig Breen, driving a Peugeot 208, leapt from fifth to second in two stages as a four-car battle for the remaining podium places came to a climax in the legendary Col de Turini test on Sunday.

Koci retired after hitting a tree in an icy section and Eric Camilli dropped more than two minutes after swiping a rock and damaging his Fiesta R5’s suspension. Breen swept past Armin Kremer’s Skoda Fabia S2000 to take the runner-up spot by 13.0sec with Camilli fourth. 

Jonathan Hirschi and Quentin Giordano completed the top six.