The Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo marks the opening round of the Junior World Rally championship [JWRC] but it was a disappointing day for the three𓆏 Ford Puma crews.

Finns Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila, drivin🐲g for Astra Racing, lost 20 minutes on the first competitive stage when water in the engine management system brought their Puma to aꦜ halt.

They managed to 🍷continue but lie last of the 15 reﷺmaining JWRC entrants.

Astra team-mates Abdo Feghali and Joseph Mattar meanwhile retired on the final stage [SS6] when they hit a wall and ripped off a wheel whileಌ lying tenth.

Zimbabwe pairing Conrad Rautenbach and Pete Marsh, ꧅competing for the first time outside Afric🍨a, retired midway through the third stage after a bizarre incident when Rautenbach understeered into a bridge.

Damage was light, but while reversing back onto the road, a following car hit the Puma from behind, pushing it back into the bridge and breaking the front righ👍t suspen♏sion.

At the end of leg 1 the category is lead by Kosti Katajamaki, ten seconds ahead of fellow Suzuꦏki team-mate U🎶rmo Aava, while Nicolas Bernardi [Renault Clio] completes the top three.