2017 Monte Carlo Rally events announced

The Monte Carlo Rally will be in its 85th year, and will see the return of Toyota and Citroen who will be competing against Volkswagen, Hyundai and Ford in Round 1 of the WRC.

Compared to the 2016 event, 2017's course will be almost completely different, with 85 percent of the route being new to the drivers. Starting in Monte Carlo the cars will head out to undertake two night time stages in the Alpes de Haute Provence region and then onto Gap for a further three stages before heading back towards Monaco. The event takes place from 16th to 22nd January 2017.

Starting shortly after this the 20th edition of the Monte Carlo Rally Historique will take place from 25th January to 1st February 2017. This rally pays homage to the original 1967 event and is open to all cars that took place in the event between 1955 and 1980.

Drivers can set out from either Stockholm, Glasgow, Lisbon, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Reims or Bad Homburg and will converge in Digne les Bains on January 28th before heading towards the Gorges du Verdon, Entrevaux, the col de Felines and finally on to Monaco. After this there are a number of stages to complete including the challenging Col de Fontbelle and the Col de l’Echarasson.

In celebration of the 20th edition of this event, 10 classic cars per city will also be allowed to take part in the concentration leg to Monte Carlo, in the 'Rally Monte Carlo Classique.' These cars must be a model that took part in the Monte Carlo rally since 1926 and will not need FIA or FIVA papers to take part.

Each event promises to be both challenging for the drivers and cars, as well as great events for spectators to come and watch. January 2017 should be a definitive date in the diary for any rally or classic car enthusiasts.