Munster's maiden WRC stage win "deserved" after 3am repair job

The Ford squad lifts the lid on a mammoth effort to keep Munster in the Monte Carlo Rally

Gregoire Munster's maiden World Rally Championship stage win in Monte Carlo was a "deserved" reward for both the driver and the team that worked until 3am to repair a mechanical fault.

Munster was one of the star performers through Friday running as high as fourth and was on course to end the day in sixth before a mechanical issue on the final road section forced the Luxembourger to retire his Ford Puma.

M-Sport-Ford team principal Richard Millener has since revealed that his team had to work long into the early hours of the following morning to repair the problem, before checking in the car to rejoin the rally with two minutes to spare.

Munster immediately repaid the team by winning Saturday's opening stage after making the most of starting first on the road in a stage that became dirtier with every pass.

Munster's drive was however impressive to pip Monte Carlo master and rally leader Sebastien Ogier to the stage win by 0.8s. It also provided further proof of the pace Munster had shown through Friday.

"It is a big thank you to the team for the job they did last night," said Munster.

"For sure, it is a bit of a pity as there was good momentum and an opportunity of this rally but that is how it is and that is motorsport. In the next stage we didn't have the right tyre choice so I didn't want to risk anything after that high."

Grégoire Munster, Louis Louka, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Photo by: M-Sport

Millener praised the "big effort" from his team revealing that most of the personnel returned to the service park at 6am following the overnight repair.

"Sadly it was more mechanical than electrical but sadly it meant he had to retire which was a massive shame for him," said Millener.

"We weren't expecting it at all he was driving back to service and the car just cut out and wouldn't restart.

"It shocked all of us and it took a lot of fixing to get things right and I think we left here at 3am and came back at 6am. The guys put in a really big effort to get it done and the car checked in with about two minutes to spare before it was out of the rally for good.

"There is a hell of a lot that went on that nobody saw and to get the stage win this morning in some ways is just as deserved for them, but also fantastic for Greg.

"We have got to put the penalty of last night behind us but Greg has had a really strong weekend and backed that up again this morning."