The Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo marks the opening ro🧜und 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 syꩲstem brought their Puma to a halt.

They managed to continue but lie last 🃏of the 15 remaining JWRC ꧂entrants.

Astra team-mate𓆉s 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 Conr🔯ad Rautenbach and Pete Marsh, competing for the first time outside Africa, ret💖ired 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 b𓄧ridge 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] compl꧃etes the top thr🅘ee.