World Rally Championship |
---|
Current season |
Support categories |
|
Current car classes |
Related lists |
The World Rally Championship (WRC) is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13 three-day events driven on surfaces ranging from gravel and tarmac to snow and ice. Each rally is split into 10–25 special stages which are run against the clock on closed roads.
Sébastien Loeb holds the record for the most event victories, having won 80 times. [1] Sébastien Ogier is second with 57 wins and Marcus Grönholm is third with 30 wins. Sébastien Loeb holds the distinction of having the longest time between his first win and his last. He won his first rally in 2002 at the 2002 Rallye Deutschland, and his last in 2022 at the 2022 Monte Carlo Rally, a span of 19 years, 4 months and 28 days. Shekhar Mehta and Jean-Luc Thérier share the record for the longest period of time between two wins–almost six years between the 1973 Safari Rally and the 1979 Safari Rally for the Kenyan driver and 1974 Press-on-Regardless Rally and 1980 Tour de Corse for the French driver. [2] Loeb holds the record for the most consecutive wins, having two six-win streaks (2005 Rally New Zealand–2005 Rally Argentina and 2008 Wales Rally GB–2009 Rally Argentina). [3] Kalle Rovanperä is the youngest winner of a World Rally Championship event; he was 20 years, 11 months and 17 days old when he won the 2021 Rally Estonia. [4] Loeb is the oldest winner of a World Rally Championship event; he was 47 years and 331 days old when he won the 2022 Monte Carlo Rally. [4] Neuville holds the record for the most event wins (19) without ever winning a championship.
As of the 2023 Rally Mexico, there have been 80 different World Rally Championship event winners. [5] The first rally winner was Jean-Claude Andruet at the 1973 Rally Monte Carlo, and the most recent driver to score their first win was Kalle Rovanperä at the 2021 Rally Estonia. [6]
All figures correct as of the 2024 Rally Sweden. In total of 643 WRC events. [5]
Bold | Driver has competed in the 2024 season |
Italics | World Rally Champion |
All figures correct as of the 2024 Rally Sweden. [7]
Rank | Country | Wins | Driver(s) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | France | 205 | 18 |
2 | Finland | 191 | 16 |
3 | United Kingdom | 49 | 5 |
4 | Sweden | 43 | 10 |
5 | Italy | 30 | 8 |
5 | Spain | 30 | 3 |
7 | Estonia | 24 | 2 |
8 | Belgium | 21 | 2 |
9 | Germany | 17 | 3 |
9 | Norway | 17 | 3 |
11 | Kenya | 8 | 3 |
12 | Austria | 2 | 2 |
12 | Japan | 2 | 1 |
14 | Argentina | 1 | 1 |
14 | Canada | 1 | 1 |
14 | New Zealand | 1 | 1 |
14 | Portugal | 1 | 1 |
Race number | Year | Rally [8] | Winner | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Driver | Manufacturers | |||
100 | 1982 | Monte Carlo Rally | Walter Röhrl | Opel |
200 | 1990 | Rallye de Portugal | Miki Biasion | Lancia |
300 | 1998 | Acropolis Rally | Colin McRae | Subaru |
400 | 2005 | Rally Argentina | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën |
500 | 2012 | Rally Finland | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën |
600 | 2020 | Rally Estonia | Ott Tänak | Hyundai |
All figures correct as of the 2024 Rally Sweden. In total of 643 WRC events. [5]
Bold | Won the World Championship in the same year |
* Season still in progress.
The WRC events have been won by 103 different co-drivers. All figures correct as of the 2024 Rally Sweden. [9]
Bold | Driver has competed in the 2024 season |
Italics | World Rally Champion |
21 different constructors have won a rally as of the 2024 Rally Sweden. [10]
Rank | Constructor | Wins |
---|---|---|
1 | Citroën | 102 |
2 | / Ford | 94 |
3 | Toyota | 85 |
4 | Lancia | 73 |
5 | Peugeot | 48 |
6 | Subaru | 47 |
7 | Volkswagen | 44 |
8 | Mitsubishi | 34 |
9 | Hyundai | 28 |
10 | Audi | 24 |
11 | Fiat | 21 |
12 | Datsun / Nissan | 9 |
13 | Alpine-Renault | 6 |
Renault | 6 | |
Opel | 6 | |
16 | Saab | 4 |
17 | Mazda | 3 |
18 | Talbot | 2 |
BMW | 2 | |
Porsche | 2 | |
Mercedes-Benz | 2 |
Sébastien Loeb is a French professional rally, racing and rallycross driver. He is the most successful driver in the World Rally Championship (WRC), having won the world championship a record nine times in a row. He holds several other WRC records, including most event wins, most podium finishes and most stage wins. Loeb retired from full time WRC participation at the end of 2012. He currently drives part time in the WRC for M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, and full time in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) for Bahrain Raid Xtreme.
Daniel Elena also known as "Danos" is a Monégasque rally co-driver working most notably with Sébastien Loeb. Between them the pair have won the World Rally Championship (WRC) nine times with Citroën, later competing with Hyundai. Their 79 wins together make him the co-driver with the most victories in the history of the WRC.
Harri "Rovis" Rovanperä is a Finnish rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 1993 to 2006. He drove for SEAT (1997–00), Peugeot (2001–04), Mitsubishi (2005) and Red Bull Škoda Team (2006). Rovanperä was known as a loose surface specialist. He is the father of 2022 and 2023 World Rally driver's championship winner Kalle Rovanperä. He was married to Tiina Rovanperä.
The Citroën C4 WRC is a World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing to compete in the World Rally Championship. It is based upon the Citroën C4 road car and replaced the Citroën Xsara WRC. The car was introduced for the 2007 World Rally Championship season and has taken the drivers' title each year since in the hands of Sébastien Loeb, as well as the manufacturers' title in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
The Citroën Total World Rally Team was the Citroën factory backed entry into the World Rally Championship (WRC), run by Citroën Racing.
Sébastien Eugène Emile Ogier is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is currently teamed with the co-driver Vincent Landais. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Championship 8 times, in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021.
Ott Tänak is an Estonian rally driver and the 2019 World Rally Champion. He is currently teamed with Martin Järveoja and is competing for Hyundai Motorsport in the World Rally Championship.
The Volkswagen Polo R WRC is a World Rally Car built and operated by Volkswagen Motorsport and based on the Volkswagen Polo for use in the World Rally Championship. The car, which made its début at the start of the 2013 season, is built to the second generation of World Rally Car regulations that were introduced in 2011, which are based upon the existing Super 2000 regulations, but powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine rather than the naturally aspirated 2-litre engine found in Super 2000 cars.
The Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team is a competitor of the World Rally Championship (WRC) based in Finland, serving as the entry for the car manufacturer Toyota. Its team principal is former WRC driver Jari-Matti Latvala and its drivers for 2023 include reigning champion Kalle Rovanperä, alongside Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and Sébastien Ogier. The team made its debut during the 2017 season, where it entered the Toyota Yaris WRC.
The 2018 FIA World Rally Championship was the 46th season of the World Rally Championship, a rallying championship recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) as the highest class of international rallying. Teams and crews were competing in thirteen events—starting with the Monte Carlo Rally in January and finishing with Rally Australia in November—for the World Rally Championships for Drivers, Co-drivers and Manufacturers. Crews were free to compete in cars complying with World Rally Car and Group R regulations; however, only Manufacturers competing with 2017-specification World Rally Cars were eligible to score points in the Manufacturers' championship. The series were once again supported by the World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3 categories at every round and by the Junior World Rally Championship at selected rounds.
Kalle Rovanperä is a Finnish professional rally driver who competes in the World Rally Championship (WRC) for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, alongside co-driver Jonne Halttunen. He is the double reigning World Champion. As the son of former WRC driver Harri Rovanperä, he garnered international attention by starting rallying at an exceptionally young age.
The 2018 Rally Catalunya was a motor racing event for rally cars that took place between 25 and 28 October. The event was open to entries competing in World Rally Cars and cars complying with Group R regulations. It marked the fifty-fourth running of Rally Catalunya and was the twelfth round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship, the highest class of competition in international rallying. Seventy-six crews, including manufacturer teams and privateers, were entered to compete in the World Rally Championship, the FIA World Rally Championship-2 and FIA World Rally Championship-3 support series and the Spanish national Rally Championship and Peugeot Rally Cup Ibérica championship. The 2018 event was based in Salou in Tarragona and consisted of eighteen special stages. The rally covered a total competitive distance of a 331.58 km and an additional 1,132.79 km in transport stages.
The 2019 FIA World Rally Championship was the forty-seventh season of the World Rally Championship, a rallying championship recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) as the highest class of international rallying. Teams and crews competed in fourteen events for the World Rally Championships for Drivers, Co-drivers and Manufacturers. Crews were free to compete in cars complying with World Rally Car and Group R regulations; however, only Manufacturers competing with World Rally Cars homologated under regulations introduced in 2017 were eligible to score points in the Manufacturers' championship. The series was once again supported by the World Rally Championship-2 category at every round, which was split into 2 classifications: the World Rally Championship-2 Pro for manufacturer entries and the World Rally Championship-2 for private entries, and by the Junior World Rally Championship at selected events. The World Rally Championship-3 was discontinued in 2018.
The 2019 Rally Sweden was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over four days between 14 and 17 February 2019. It marked the sixty-seventh running of Rally Sweden and was the second round of the 2019 World Rally Championship. It was also the second round of the World Rally Championship-2 and the newly created WRC-2 Pro class, and the first round of the Junior World Rally Championship. The 2019 event was based in the town of Torsby in Värmland County and consists of nineteen special stages. The rally covered a total competitive distance of 319.17 km (198.32 mi).
The 2019 Rally Chile was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over four days between 9 and 12 May 2019. It marked the first running of Rally Chile, and was the sixth round of the 2019 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2 and the newly-created WRC-2 Pro class. The 2019 event was based in Talcahuano of Concepción Province in Bío Bío Region and consists of sixteen special stages totalling 304.81 km (189.40 mi) competitive kilometres.
The 2020 FIA World Rally Championship was the forty-eighth season of the World Rally Championship, a rallying competition organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Teams and crews competed in seven rallies for the World Rally Championships for Drivers, Co-drivers and Manufacturers. Crews were free to compete in cars complying with Rally1 and Rally2 regulations; however, only manufacturers competing with World Rally Cars homologated under regulations introduced in 2017 were eligible to score points in the Manufacturers' championship. The championship began in January 2020 with the Rallye Monte-Carlo and concluded in December 2020 with Rally Monza. The series was supported by the World Rally Championship-2, World Rally Championship-3 and Junior World Rally Championship categories at selected events.
The 2022 FIA World Rally Championship was the 50th season of the World Rally Championship (WRC), an international rallying series organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Teams and crews competed for the World Rally Championships for Drivers, Co-drivers and Manufacturers; each won by Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen and Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT.
The 2021 FIA World Rally Championship was the forty-ninth season of the World Rally Championship, a rallying competition organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Teams and crews competed in twelve rallies for the World Rally Championships for Drivers, Co-drivers and Manufacturers. Crews were free to compete in cars complying with World Rally Car, Rally Pyramid and Group R regulations; however, only manufacturers competing with World Rally Cars homologated under regulations introduced in 2017 were eligible to score points in the Manufacturers' championship. The championship began in January 2021 with the Rallye Monte-Carlo and concluded in November 2021 with Rally Monza. The series was supported by the World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3 categories at every round of the championship and by the Junior World Rally Championship at selected events.
The 2023 FIA World Rally Championship was the fifty-first season of the competition organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) as the highest class of international rallying. Teams and crews competed for the World Rally Championships for Drivers, Co-drivers and Manufacturers. Crews were free to compete in cars complying with Groups Rally1 to Rally5 regulations; however, only manufacturers competing with Rally1 cars homologated were eligible to score points in the manufacturers' championship. The championship began in January 2023 with the Monte Carlo Rally and concluded in November 2023 with the Rally Japan. The series was supported by the World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3 categories at every round of the championship and by the Junior World Rally Championship at selected events.