Bryan Bouffier was the surprise leader of Rally Monte Carlo after the opening day of action on Thursday as Team Citroen Abu Dhabi pairing Kris Meeke and Mads Ostberg both made good starts to their respective World Rally Championship (WRC) careers with the French manufacturer.
Changeable weather conditions that saw some stages start in the dry, only to end in heavy snow, led to chaotic scenes. The unheralded Bouffier, who has only competed in six WRC events before this, finished out in front in his M-Sport Ford with a lead of 38.8 seconds.
The Frenchman told Autosport: “It’s working well. The car is fantastic and that’s helped me a lot in these conditions.”
Meeke, who had played down his expectations of a good result before the event, clearly found the conditions to his liking as the Briton took second place, just 0.7 seconds ahead of former Formula One driver Robert Kubica, who had led the first two stages on Thursday.
Meeke lost time in the afternoon’s three stages compared to the morning’s trio, and he said: “I’ve never driven on this winter tyre in these conditions and I’m struggling for confidence. If you don’t have the confidence here, you can lose a lot of time.”
World champion Sebastien Ogier had struggled initially, down in ninth at one stage, but posting the fastest times on the final two stages moved the Frenchman up to fourth in his Volkswagen, pulling ahead of the second Citroen of Mads Ostberg, who is fifth, in the process.
Five more stages take place on Friday before the event ends on Saturday with a further four.
sports@thenational.ae
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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