[3] The event, which was based in the town of Gap in the Hautes-Alpes department of France, was contested over seventeen special stages totalling a competitive distance of 394.74 km (245.28 mi).

The itinerary also featured a short stage called "Gap" that allowed the teams to conduct a pre-event shakedown before the ceremonial start in Monaco.

Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja also spun, as did Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia; however, unlike Neuville and Gilsoul, both crews were able to recover quickly.

Ogier and Ingrassia went on to win both stages to take the overnight lead ahead of Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger in second and Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio in third.

Andreas Mikkelsen, second overnight, conceded the position after overshooting a junction in the opening stage before retiring on the following liaison section with a broken alternator in his Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC.

Thierry Neuville, who dropped over four minutes yesterday after sliding into a snow bank, moved up to ninth and set himself the target of a top-six finish.

The Frenchman Sébastien Ogier had more than doubled that advantage to Ott Tänak come day's end, the figures do not paint the full picture of a see-saw scrap that at one point saw him more than a minute clear.

Esapekka Lappi in another Yaris as he moved up the order, with the younger Finn falling behind Britain's Kris Meeke when a mistake precipitated a puncture on SS11.

Elfyn Evans sits sixth overnight in his Ford Fiesta, with Hyundai's similarly delayed Thierry Neuville recovering to seventh courtesy of a brace of stage wins on SS12 and SS13.

The Power Stage this time was dominated by Kris Meeke, who salvaged some consolation for Citroën at the end of a troubled weekend with fourth overall – nearly three minutes behind Latvala – and five additional points.