Monte Carlo Rally has broken its own rules for the 2026 season to ensure no driver misses out on the 94th edition of motorsports most iconic winter event.
While its initial capacity was at 60 entries, the rally will now welcome 66 crews when it gets underway from 22nd to 25th January as the opening round of the FIA World Rally Championship. The expansion required what organisers called a “logistical tour de force”, particularly for managing the service park at Gap Fontreyne.
Leading the charge will be world champions Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. The Hautes-Alpes native is hunting a record-breaking 11th Monte Carlo victory, though he faces stiff competition from 10 other Rally1 machines.
Toyota has entered five crews while Hyundai and M-Sport Ford field three each. Among the main challengers are two-time Monte Carlo winners Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe, plus Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria, who impressed with third place in 2025. Meanwhile, Grégoire Munster will attempt the demanding double of competing at both the Dakar Rally and Monte Carlo within days of each other.
Following, the WRC2 category has attracted 25 entries and features one of the weekend’s biggest storylines: Lancia’s official return to rallying. The Italian marque will field the Ypsilon HF with crews including Yohan Rossel and Nikolay Gryazin among the favourites.
Lastly, a new generation is also making its mark. Oliver Solberg will drive a Rally1 Toyota, while WRC2 features Pablo Sarrazin and Elliot Delecour, sons of formers rally champions.
The full entry list represents 22 nationalities and nine manufacturers, with administrative checks beginning in just 13 days.
France has dramatically escalated penalties for serious speeding violations, reclassifying drivers caught at 50km/h or more over the limit as criminals rather than traffic offenders.
The change, which took place on December 29th, marks a significant shift in how French authorities tackle dangerous driving. What was previously treated as the most serious type of traffic fine has now been upgraded to a criminal offence.
Harsher penalties
The reclassification brings substantially tougher consequences. Fines have more than doubled, starting at €3,750 compared to the previous maximum of €1,500. Courts can now also impose prison sentences ranging from two months to 10 years.
Additional penalties may include driving bands, licence cancellations, and vehicle confiscation. Perhaps most significantly, convictions will now appear on criminal records, potentially affecting employment and travel prospects.
Cases will be heard in criminal courts rather than traffic tribunals, showcasing exactly how seriously French law views these violations.
Rising concerns
The decision follows growing concerns over extreme speeding incidents in French roads. Officials explain that such behaviours pose an unacceptable danger to other road users and pedestrians.
Previously, repeat offenders were already facing criminal charges under the legislation, but the new law means first-time offenders caught at extreme speeds will now face the same legal consequences.
The move forms part of France’s broader efforts to reduce road casualties and deal with road violence.
At just 22, Íñigo López de la Osa Franco is already rewriting Monaco’s equestrian history, becoming the first male Monegasque rider to compete in the FEI Jumping World Cup and qualifying for the 2026 World Championships. Quietly ambitious and relentlessly disciplined, he has emerged as one of the Principality’s most promising sporting talents. We meet the young champion carving his name into the record books.
When Jan Tops, founder of the Global Champions League, personally selects you for his elite circuit, you know you’ve arrived. For Íñigo López de la Osa Franco, that call represented the culmination of years of discipline, sacrifice and an unwavering focus on reaching show jumping’s highest level.
“I was very happy. It’s always been a dream of mine to be part of the Global Champions League,” Íñigo tells me at his family’s stables in Ventimiglia, Italy, reflecting on his selection for the Stockholm Hearts team. “We’d always had a team in the past, but I was too young to be involved. Two years later, I was jumping in bigger classes and thought it would be a great opportunity. I couldn’t be prouder to be competing at that level.”
The Global Champions League is often called the Formula 1 of equestrian sport, and the comparison is apt. Only the world’s best riders compete across seven stages in some of the planet’s most stunning locations. For Íñigo, the step up from junior competitions has been transformative.
“As Jan Tops said, ‘I want the best for the best,'” Íñigo explains. “You’re competing in the most beautiful places in the world. The shows are amazingly organised, and the level is the highest you can have in the sport today.”
An enfant du pays
Born in Monaco in 2003, Íñigo represents a rare breed in the Principality — a true local who has grown up immersed in the Principality’s culture. When he made history as the first male Monegasque rider to compete in the FEI Jumping World Cup in Verona, the achievement carried extra weight.
“Representing Monaco is amazing, especially because I was born here and grew up here,” he says. “I’m an enfant du pays, as we say in Monaco. That makes a big difference for me. Those of us who were born here, who went to school here, who learned the Monegasque dialect — getting the passport is an incredible opportunity. I’m very happy to be riding for Monaco at this stage.”
His path to representing the Principality wasn’t straightforward. Íñigo’s career began with Italy, then Spain — following his father, Spanish champion Íñigo López de la Osa Escribano. At 17, he switched to Monaco when an opportunity arose to build a team with fellow riders Stazia Nielson and Stena Cabanova.
“At 18, I was lucky enough to get the Monaco passport, so I could represent the Principality at any stage,” he says. The decision has defined his career, allowing him to write new chapters in Monaco’s equestrian history.
Training with the best
Since 2024, Íñigo has been based in Metz, France, training under Simon Delestre, the former world number one who won bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The experience of working alongside Olympic medallists daily has shaped his approach to the sport.
“Without hard work, you don’t get anywhere. Simon is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen,” Íñigo says with evident admiration. “He’s always there, trying to achieve perfection, always wanting to do better. For him, every horse is a new story. He studies each one, makes sure he knows every horse inside and out to give us the best chance at every stage. He ensures the horses have the best conditions, and he’ll spend hours at night working on it. That’s what makes him the rider he is today.”
That dedication to excellence has rubbed off. Íñigo’s daily routine reflects the same commitment: mornings spent riding all his horses, afternoons in the gym working on physical conditioning.
“Not many riders actually go to the gym and train. I’m happy to be one of them,” he says. “Since I started training, I’ve definitely improved with the horses. It’s like any sport—if you train, you have a better chance of being successful. You can see the best riders in the world are at the gym, so it’s clearly important.”
The Global Champions League experience
Competing in the Global Champions League has taken Íñigo from Doha to Mexico City, Saint-Tropez to Rome, with each stage presenting new challenges and experiences. His debut in Doha stands out as a particular highlight.
“My debut in Doha was great. Mexico was amazing. Every show had its important moments, but I still think my debut with the team in Doha was the highlight,” he recalls.
But nothing compares to competing at home. When the Global Champions League came to Monaco, Íñigo had the rare privilege of performing not only in front of his home crowd, but also Prince Albert II.
“The day of the team competition, the Prince was there. That was really special. He came to support us, and the Monegasque crowd was fantastic,” he says.
The partnership with horses
With 25 international wins across nine different horses, Íñigo has developed a reputation for adaptability and horsemanship. Building those partnerships, he explains, requires time and genuine connection.
“Spending time with them, getting to know them — it’s important to create a bond,” he says. “Especially when you reach the most critical moment in competition. It’s very stressful for everyone, but if you know your horse, you know it will be okay. You just have to create that bond.”
One partnership stands above the rest. Jade, a mare he’s competed with at the Junior European Championships, holds a special place.
“She’s one of my best horses and has a special place in my heart,” Íñigo says. “We’ve been through a lot together — beautiful moments, but also difficult ones. She’s always been there for me. She was the first of many, so I’d definitely say she’s my favourite.”
His love for working with horses is evident. “They’re amazing, they’re sweet,” he says. “I enjoy being with them, spending time with them. Some are naughtier than others, but you always appreciate the sweeter ones.”
The reality of elite sport
Show jumping, Íñigo is quick to point out, is not a sport for those seeking constant validation. Success is rare, and failure is frequent.
“It’s a sport where you fail more than you succeed,” he says candidly. “Sometimes you have weekends you just want to forget. But when you have a good weekend, enjoy it — because you never know when the next one will come. It’s a very difficult sport. We’re always humble, calm and focused. And these are animals, they have feelings too. We’re two beings working together, which is perhaps the most difficult part.”
His biggest challenge thus far has been maintaining consistency at the top level. “I had a bit of bad luck this year. It was a good year, but there were some difficult moments. Staying at the top is the challenge,” he reflects.
Yet he’s quick to credit the team around him. “I have an incredible team, they’re the real people behind all of this, they take care of the horses. They’re the most important ones, because without them I wouldn’t be here.”
Engineering and show jumping
Between competitions, Íñigo is studying Industrial Engineering at the University of Eindhoven. The choice, he admits with a laugh, came through a process of elimination rather than burning passion.
“I was watching Netflix and thought, ‘I want to become a lawyer’ — you know, from watching Suits. But I realised it was too much reading, so not for me,” he explains. “My father studied medicine, so I’d have loved to be a doctor, but I can’t stand the sight of blood. Engineering was the third option. I think I made the best choice — I’m very happy about it.”
More seriously, he sees the degree as essential insurance. “It’s important to always have something on the side. Many things can happen in this sport, so having a back-up is very important.”
Looking ahead
The next 12 months hold significant challenges. Beyond the 2026 World Championships in Germany — where he’ll be the first male rider to represent Monaco at this level — Íñigo has the Mediterranean Games on his calendar.
“It’s like the Olympics for Mediterranean countries, so there are two important competitions ahead,” he says. “I always try to stay at the top level. I’ll have a good number of horses next year, between six and eight, which is ideal. But it’s just about keeping working, keeping improving, and we’ll see what happens.”
Looking five years ahead, his ambitions remain grounded yet determined. “We’re producing a lot of young horses, so hopefully we’ll be competing at the top level with them. That would be amazing.”
For now, Íñigo López de la Osa Franco is focused on the present — training daily, competing at the highest level, and continuing to make history for Monaco. From an 11-year-old who simply told his father “I want to ride” to competing alongside Olympic medallists in the Global Champions League, his journey exemplifies what dedication, discipline and genuine love for the sport can achieve.
As Monaco’s show jumping scene continues to grow, Íñigo remains at its forefront — serious, ambitious, and hungry for the next challenge.
France declared solidarity with Denmark on Monday following fresh threats by US President Donald Trump to take over Greenland.
“Borders cannot be changed by force,” French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux told television channel TF1. “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and the Danes, and it is up to them to decide what to do with it.”
The French statement came after Trump doubled down on Sunday on his claim that the autonomous Danish territory should become part of the United States, declaring “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”
Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela last week, which resulted in the seizure of President Nicolas Maduro who is now detained in New York, has intensified European concerns about his territorial ambitions. The US president announced Washington would “run” Venezuela indefinitely and tap its vast oil reserves.
France denounces violation of UN Charter
Confavreux said international law had not been respected during the US intervention in Venezuela. “We will not mourn” Maduro, who “had lost his legitimacy,” the spokesman stated, but added it was the duty of “prominent, permanent members” of the UN Security Council such as France to denounce any violation of the United Nations Charter.
“We deplore it, we are preparing for this advent of the law of the strongest, but we are not resigned to it,” he said.
The French position reflects growing alarm in Paris about what officials view as an increasingly aggressive US foreign policy that challenges post-war international norms. As a permanent Security Council member, France has positioned itself as a defender of multilateralism and the UN Charter against what it characterises as unilateral American actions.
Denmark warns NATO at stake
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen delivered a stark warning on Monday that any US military action against Greenland would destroy 80 years of transatlantic security arrangements.
“If the United States decides to militarily attack another NATO country, then everything would stop—that includes NATO and, therefore, post-World War II security,” she told TV2 network.
Frederiksen called on Washington to stop “threatening its historical ally” and described US claims on Greenland as “absurd.”
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told Trump on social media: “That’s enough now. No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation.” He added the territory was open to dialogue “but this must happen through the proper channels and with respect for international law.”
European solidarity emerges
France joined a chorus of European support for Denmark. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “only Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark” could decide the territory’s future, whilst leaders from Finland, Sweden and Norway issued similar statements.
EU foreign policy spokesperson Anitta Hipper told reporters the bloc was committed to defending the territorial integrity of its members.
The controversy escalated after Katie Miller, wife of Trump adviser Stephen Miller, posted an online image on Saturday showing Greenland in the colours of the US flag with the caption “SOON.”
Stephen Miller, widely seen as architect of many Trump policies, told CNN on Monday: “The United States should have Greenland as part of the United States. Nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland!”
Strategic Arctic prize
Greenland sits on the shortest missile route between Russia and the United States, and Washington maintains a military base there. The territory holds untapped rare earth deposits and could become strategically vital as polar ice melts, opening new shipping routes.
Trump has ramped up pressure over recent months, claiming in December that Russian and Chinese ships were “all over” the territory’s coast. China’s foreign ministry hit back on Monday, urging Washington to “stop using the so-called China threat as an excuse to seek personal gain.”
Aaja Chemnitz, who represents Greenland in the Danish parliament, accused Trump of “spreading lies about Chinese and Russian warships” and told Agence France-Presse that “the people of Greenland should go into preparation mode.”
Trump told reporters he would discuss Greenland again “in about two months” or “in 20 days,” suggesting continued pressure on Denmark.
The Fairmont Monte Carlo will hold a major recruitment day on Tuesday 20th January, seeking 300 new staff members to join its teams ahead of Monaco’s busy season of prestigious events.
Interviews will run from 9:00am to 5:30pm in the hotel’s Salle d’Or, with positions available across departments as the hotel prepares for the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters, Monaco E-Prix, Formula 1 Grand Prix, Monaco Yacht Show and summer season.
The hotel is highlighting competitive conditions that make working in Monaco particularly attractive, with salaries averaging 28 percent higher than comparable positions in France, alongside higher tips and position-adjusted remuneration.
Benefits package
Staff receive transport allowances of €17 per month for those living within 8km of Monaco and €56 per month for those residing further away. A monthly food allowance of €253.20 is provided, whilst the hotel covers Monaco Parking charges.
Employees also receive exclusive discounts on hotel services including restaurants, spa and fitness facilities, and the hair salon.
“The Fairmont Monte Carlo operates in a constantly evolving environment,” said Johanna Lamand, human resources director. “Our ambition this season is to attract committed talent, ready to make a difference and contribute to sustainable growth, building strong, innovative teams focused on the future.”
Prospective applicants can find more information on available positions at group.accor.com/fr-FR/careers or contact the hotel directly at fmc.recrutement@fairmont.com.
The Théâtre Princesse Grace of Monaco is set to present an intimate portrait of one of the 20th century’s most celebrated French playwrights this month.
Il ne m’est jamais rien arrivé (Nothing ever happened to me), based on the personal journals of Jean-Luc Lagarce, will take to the stage on Tuesday 20th January at 8pm. The one-hour production, performed without an interval, offers audiences a glimpse into the private life of the acclaimed dramatist.
French actor and comedian Vincent Dedienne brings Lagarce’s diaries to life under the direction of Johanny Bert. The performance draws from the writer’s intimate reflections, chronicling his experiences as a young man moving between Paris and Besançon during the 1980s.
The journals reveal a complex portrait of a theatre enthusiast navigating a solitary yet deeply emotional life during a turbulent period in French history. Lagarce’s writings document the emergence of the AIDS crisis and the deaths of French cultural icons Coluche and Simone Signoret.
The production is adapted from Le Journal de Jean-Luc Lagarce, published by les Solitaires Intempestifs.
January programme
The production is part of a diverse January season, which also includes David Lescot’s ‘Je suis trop vert‘ on January 6th and Clea Petrolesi’s ‘Personne n’est ensemble sauf moi‘ on January 13th.
Theatre enthusiasts can also attend the Philosophical Encounters of Monaco on January 15th, focusing on the theme of redemption. On January 28th at 8pm, the theatre also presents a special film screening of Claude Autant-Lara’s ‘Occupe-toi d’Amélie‘ in partnership with the Institut Audiovisuel de Monaco.
The month concludes with Léna Breban’s staging of Beaumarchais’ classic ‘Le Mariage de Figaro‘ on January 30th.
Tickets are available through the theatre’s box office on +377 93 25 32 27 (Monday to Friday, 9:30am-1pm and 2pm-5pm), by email at spectateurs@tpgmonaco.mc, or online at montecarloticket.com.
