Gregoire Munster Loses Belgian Rally Victory

Gregoire Munster failed to convert a strong start into victory after his home event at the Monteberg Rally in Belgium unravelled following a series of problems during the rally.

Munster immediately showed impressive pace by leading the overall standings after the opening special stage. However, his momentum quickly disappeared when the Belgian driver suffered a puncture on stage two.

The incident handed the rally lead to French driver Stephane Lefebvre, who then controlled the event comfortably and secured victory by more than one minute.

Baca JugaGregoire Munster Gagal Menang di Reli Belgia

Despite losing significant time after the puncture, Munster continued to demonstrate competitive speed by setting several fastest stage times throughout the rally. However, a tactical mistake on stage nine further destroyed his chances after arriving late to the special stage.

Munster eventually finished only 49th overall. The result marked another setback for the Belgian driver following the loss of his seat at M-Sport Ford WRT after last season’s WRC campaign.

This year, M-Sport selected Irish drivers Josh McErlean and Jon Armstrong to lead its Rally1 programme.

The Monteberg Rally was used by Munster as preparation for the Belgian rally championship while rebuilding his profile in Hyundai i20N Rally2 machinery ahead of a hoped-for WRC return next season.

“We used the rally to test different setup combinations and explore the limits of the car.”

“The feeling behind the wheel of the Hyundai i20N was very good and the confidence returned immediately.”

Munster also praised co-driver Diederik Pattyn, who assisted him using French pacenotes throughout the event.

Meanwhile, one of the biggest surprises came from young driver Thomas Martens, who finished second overall in his first event alongside new co-driver Tom Buysen.

The battle for the final podium position was also intense after Erik Cais lost third place following a late mistake. Local driver Christophe Merlevede capitalised on the opportunity and secured third place in his Rally2 debut with the Lancia Ypsilon.