Dear Competitors,

The 81st Monte Carlo Rally is held from 15th to 20th January 2013 and will once again be the opening event for the FIA World Rally Championship.
Any driver with a valid international licence is welcome to participate in our event and compete on an equal footing with professionals – a rarity nowadays. There is a promotion class reserved for amateurs, with generous prize-money. The total distance covered by special stages exceeds 450 km.

Programme:
Valence will once again serve as the central hub of this Monegasque event, with special stages held nearby, so that drivers can return to the service park between stages. Ardeche, Haute Loire and Drome will stage thirteen specials and then drivers return to Monaco to contest a further five specials in the department of Alpes Maritimes.

Reconnaissance starts at 8 a.m., on Saturday 12th, and finishes at 7 p.m., on Monday 14th, with a maximum of two runs on the special stage routes allowed.

Administrative checks start at 2 p.m., on Sunday 13th, while all day Monday 14th will be reserved for scrutineering, to ensure that all are present for shakedown on Tuesday 15th. Shakedown will be located on Plateau de Lautagne, near the RD261, south of Valence, less than 10 km from the service park (which is located in the Parc des Expositions).
On the same day, at 6 p.m., the Starting Ceremony takes place in the Champ de Mars (near the Peynet kiosk) where all competitors will present themselves for the competition, in order of competition number.

On Wednesday 16th, there will be four special stages in Ardeche, covering more than 130 km: Moulinon - Antraigues and Burzet - St Martial with a return to the Valence service park at 12.30 p.m.

On Thursday 17th, the three specials in Ardeche and Haute Loire will be driven twice, with a halfway stop in Valence at around 12.45 p.m. (130 km).

Friday 18th will comprise three specials, with a long St Jean en Royans - La Cime du Mas stage (33 km) in Vercors. Then, after a stop in the Valence service park, there are two classic Monte Carlo Rally stages on the way back down to Monaco, which haven’t been run for many years: St Nazaire le Desert - La Motte Chalancon  (22 km) and Sisteron - Thoard (37 km). Cars are allowed to arrive at the Monaco time control earlier than the 7.30 p.m. target time.

On Saturday 19th, five stages are scheduled for the 60 highest-ranked teams, with three Col-de-Turini runs (Le Moulinet - La Bollene - 23km), two of which are at night, and two passes through Col St Roch (Lantosque - Luceram - 19km), one of which is at night. The latter is classed as a Power Stage, and awards bonus points to the three top finishers.

In all, 465 km of timed stages will need to be driven to reach the final podium in the Place du Palais, Monaco, at 11 a.m., on Sunday 20th January 2013.