Monte hits out at Ford Puma JWRC runners.

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

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

They managed to continue but lie last of the 15 remaining 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 while lying tenth.

Zimbabwe pairing Conrad Rautenbach and Pete Marsh, competing for the first time outside Africa, 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 right suspension.

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