2020 World Rally Championship

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Sebastien Ogier Rally Monte Carlo 2016 001.jpg
Sébastien Ogier won his seventh drivers' championship title.
ADAC Rallye Deutschland 2013 - Empfang der Stadt Koln - Julien Ingrassia-4471 (cropped).jpg
Julien Ingrassia won his seventh co-drivers' championship title.
Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC of Dani Sordo Rallye Deutschland 2018.jpg
Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT (i20 Coupe WRC pictured) claimed the manufacturers' title for the second straight year.

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 various 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 WRC2, WRC3 and Junior WRC categories at selected events. [1]

The championship was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirteen events were planned prior to the pandemic, but with several events being cancelled due to the pandemic, and some new ones added as replacements, eventually seven events were held. This was the fewest completed rallies of any season in the history of the series.

Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja were the defending Drivers' and Co-drivers' Champions, having secured their maiden titles at the 2019 Rally Catalunya. [2] Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT, the team Tänak and Järveoja compete for, were the defending Manufacturers' Champions. [3] [lower-alpha 1] Hyundai won their maiden manufacturers' title when the final round of the 2019 championship was cancelled. [5]

At the conclusion of the championship, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia won their seventh world titles after winning the 2020 Rally Monza. In doing so, Ogier and Ingrassia became the first crew to win the championship with three different manufacturers. [6] [lower-alpha 2] Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin finished second, trailing Ogier and Ingrassia by eight points. Defending World Champions Tänak and Järveoja were third, a further nine points behind. In the manufacturers' championship, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT successfully defended their title, five points cleared of Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, with M-Sport Ford WRT in third.

Calendar

A map showing the locations of the rallies in the 2020 championship. Contested events are in green, while cancelled events are in blue. Event headquarters are marked with a black dot. WRC2020.png
A map showing the locations of the rallies in the 2020 championship. Contested events are in green, while cancelled events are in blue. Event headquarters are marked with a black dot.

The 2020 championship was due to be contested over thirteen rounds in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, North and South America, and Oceania, [7] [8] but the calendar was reduced to seven rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [9]

RoundStart dateFinish date Rally Rally headquartersSurface Stages DistanceRef.
123 January26 January Flag of Monaco.svg Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo Gap, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur [lower-alpha 3] Mixed [lower-alpha 4] 16304.28 km [10]
213 February16 February Flag of Sweden.svg Rally Sweden Torsby, Värmland Snow11171.64 km [lower-alpha 5] [12]
312 March15 March Flag of Mexico.svg Rally Guanajuato México León, Guanajuato Gravel21268.84 km [lower-alpha 6] [14]
44 September6 September Flag of Estonia.svg Rally Estonia Tartu, Tartu County Gravel17232.64 km [15]
518 September20 September Flag of Turkey.svg Rally of Turkey Marmaris, Muğla Gravel12223.00 km [16]
68 October11 October Flag of Italy.svg Rally Italia Sardegna Alghero, Sardinia Gravel16238.84 km [17]
73 December6 December Flag of Italy.svg ACI Rally Monza Monza, Lombardy Tarmac16239.20 km [18]
Source: [9] [19] [20]

The following rounds were included on the original calendar published by WRC Promoter GmbH, but were later cancelled:

Start dateFinish date Rally Rally headquartersSurface Stages DistanceCancellation reasonRef.
16 April19 April Flag of Chile.svg Rally Chile Concepción, Biobío Gravel Political unrest [21]
23 April [lower-alpha 7] 26 April [lower-alpha 7] Flag of Argentina.svg Rally Argentina Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba Gravel16322.36 km COVID-19 pandemic [23] [24]
21 May24 May Flag of Portugal.svg Rally de Portugal Matosinhos, Porto Gravel22331.10 km COVID-19 pandemic [25] [26]
16 July19 July Flag of Kenya.svg Safari Rally Kenya Nairobi Gravel18315.12 km COVID-19 pandemic [27] [28]
6 August9 August Flag of Finland.svg Rally Finland Jyväskylä, Central Finland Gravel24321.87 km COVID-19 pandemic [29] [30]
3 September6 September Flag of New Zealand.svg Rally New Zealand Auckland, Te Ika-a-Māui Gravel COVID-19 pandemic [31]
15 October18 October Flag of Germany.svg ADAC Rallye Deutschland Bostalsee, Saarland Tarmac COVID-19 pandemic [32]
29 October1 November Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Wales Rally GB Llandudno, Conwy Gravel COVID-19 pandemic [33]
19 November22 November Flag of Japan.svg Rally Japan Nagoya, Chūbu Tarmac19307.78 km COVID-19 pandemic [34] [35]
20 November22 November Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Renties Ypres Rally Belgium Ypres, West Flanders Tarmac23265.69 km COVID-19 pandemic [36] [37]
Source: [19] [20] [22]

Calendar changes

With the addition of Rally Chile to the calendar in 2019, the FIA opened the tender process for new events to join the championship in 2020. [38] Bids to revive Rally Japan and the Safari Rally were received, and candidate events were run in 2019. [39] [40] Both events were accepted to the 2020 calendar, as was a proposal to revive Rally New Zealand. [7] However, none of the aforementioned events were run due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [28] [31] [35]

The addition of these events saw the Tour de Corse and the Rallies of Catalunya and Australia removed from the calendar. [8] Organisers of Rally Catalunya agreed to forfeit their place on the 2020 calendar as part of a rotation system that will see European events host rallies in two out of three calendar years. The Tour de Corse was removed in response to concerns from teams about the logistics of visiting Corsica, while Rally Australia was removed as the event's base in a regional centre rather than a major metropolitan area meant that the rally struggled to attract spectators. [8] Rally Chile was included on the original calendar, but was later removed in the face of ongoing political unrest in the country. [21] The FIA sought a replacement event to ensure that the calendar retained its planned fourteen rounds, [43] but were unable to do so. [22]

The Rallies in Italy were postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. [24] Events in Argentina, [44] Portugal, [26] Kenya, [28] Finland, [30] New Zealand, [31] Germany, [32] Great Britain [33] and Japan were cancelled. [35] Organisers of the championship announced that they were considering adding events to the schedule that had not been part of the original calendar. [45] Estonia, Belgium, Latvia, Croatia and Czech Republic were among the countries who had expressed interest hosting the event. [46]

The running date of Rally Turkey was moved forward by a week, which facilitated the opportunity for additional rounds. [47] Further calendar options included Ypres Rally and Croatia Rally. [44] Following the cancellation of Rallye Deutschland, the running date of Rally Sardegna moved forward by three weeks. [48] This decision was intended to avoid the clash with the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix of Formula One. [32]

Estonia (Rally headquarter Tartu pictured) was the thirty-third country to host a World Rally Championship rally. Rally Estonia 2019.jpg
Estonia (Rally headquarter Tartu pictured) was the thirty-third country to host a World Rally Championship rally.

On 2 July 2020, it was announced that the season would return with an updated calendar. The season restarted with newcomers Rally Estonia hosting the resuming round between 4 and 6 September. The country became the thirty-third nation to stage a championship round in the WRC. [49]

Following the cancellation of Rally Japan, it was announced that Ypres Rally, officially Renties Ypres Rally Belgium, would replace Rally Japan to hold the seventh round of the season. The Sunday's route would feature the iconic Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, which would run with the 2020 World RX of Benelux of the World Rallycross Championship. [50] Belgium was set to be the thirty-fourth country to hold a WRC event, [51] but were unable to do so as the rally was eventually called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [9]

Calendar newcomer Rally Monza was the season's finale. MONZA RALLY 2013 - VALENTINO ROSSI 2.JPG
Calendar newcomer Rally Monza was the season's finale.

Rally Monza was announced to be the final round of the season on 9 October. This meant Italy staged two WRC events in one season as the country also stages the Sardinia rally. [52] The rally was based in the famous Autodromo Nazionale di Monza circuit near Milan, where the Italian Grand Prix is held every year. [53]

Route changes

Prior to the Rally Sweden, it was confirmed that the route for the rally had to be shortened due to a lack of snow. [11] The route of Rally Mexico was shortened to allow teams time to pack up and return to their headquarters before several European nations imposed travel bans in a bid to manage the pandemic. [13]

Entries

The following teams and crews were under contract to contest the 2020 championship. [lower-alpha 8] Ford, Hyundai and Toyota were all represented by manufacturer teams and eligible to score points in the FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers. All competitors used tyres supplied by Michelin. [54]

World Rally Car entries eligible to score manufacturer points
Manufacturer EntrantCarTyre No. Driver name Co-driver name Rounds
Ford Flag of the United Kingdom.svg M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta WRC M 3 Flag of Finland.svg Teemu Suninen Flag of Finland.svg Jarmo Lehtinen All
4 Flag of Finland.svg Esapekka Lappi Flag of Finland.svg Janne Ferm All
44 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Gus Greensmith Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Elliott Edmondson 1, 3–7
Hyundai Flag of South Korea.svg Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC M 6 Flag of Spain.svg Dani Sordo Flag of Spain.svg Carlos del Barrio 3, 6–7
8 Flag of Estonia.svg Ott Tänak Flag of Estonia.svg Martin Järveoja All
9 Flag of France.svg Sébastien Loeb Flag of Monaco.svg Daniel Elena 1, 5
11 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Thierry Neuville Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Nicolas Gilsoul All
16 Flag of Ireland.svg Craig Breen Flag of Ireland.svg Paul Nagle 2
42 Flag of Ireland.svg Craig Breen Flag of Ireland.svg Paul Nagle 4
Flag of France.svg Hyundai 2C Competition Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC M 7 Flag of France.svg Pierre-Louis Loubet Flag of France.svg Vincent Landais 4–6
96 Flag of Norway.svg Ole Christian Veiby Flag of Sweden.svg Jonas Andersson 7
Toyota Flag of Japan.svg Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Yaris WRC M 17 Flag of France.svg Sébastien Ogier Flag of France.svg Julien Ingrassia All
33 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Elfyn Evans Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Scott Martin All
69 Flag of Finland.svg Kalle Rovanperä Flag of Finland.svg Jonne Halttunen All
Sources: [55] [56] [57] [58] [59] [60] [61]
World Rally Car entries ineligible to score manufacturer points
ManufacturerEntrantCarTyreNo.Driver nameCo-driver nameRounds
Citroën Flag of France.svg Saintéloc Junior Team Citroën C3 WRC P 21 Flag of Norway.svg Petter Solberg Flag of Norway.svg Andreas Mikkelsen 6
Ford Flag of Finland.svg JanPro Ford Fiesta WRC M 65 Flag of Finland.svg Kimmo Kurkela Flag of Finland.svg Reeta Hämäläinen 4
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta WRC M [lower-alpha 9] Flag of Lithuania.svg Deividas Jocius Flag of Lithuania.svg Mindaugas Varža 1–3
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg MP-Sports Ford Fiesta RS WRC M 22 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Martin Prokop Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Zdeněk Jůrka 6
Flag of Estonia.svg OT Racing Ford Fiesta WRC M 64 Flag of Estonia.svg Georg Gross Flag of Estonia.svg Raigo Mõlder 4
Toyota Flag of Finland.svg Latvala Motorsport Toyota Yaris WRC M 10 Flag of Finland.svg Jari-Matti Latvala Flag of Finland.svg Juho Hänninen 2
Flag of Japan.svg Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Yaris WRC M 18 Flag of Japan.svg Takamoto Katsuta Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Daniel Barritt 1–2, 4, 6–7
Sources: [55] [56] [57] [58] [60] [61]

Summary

Reigning World Champions Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja left Toyota and moved to Hyundai. [4] The Estonian pair chose not to compete with the number 1, [62] which may only be used by the defending champions. [63] Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul remained with Hyundai, marking their seventh season with the team. [64] Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena also renewed their contracts with the team. [65] Loeb and Elena contested the championship on a part-time basis, sharing their car with the crew of Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio. [66] Crews led by Andreas Mikkelsen and Craig Breen were left without drives. [67] Hyundai announced that they could form a second team for Breen and Mikkelsen to contest selected rallies, [67] and entered Breen at the rally of Sweden, [68] Estonia [69] and Belgium. [70] Mikkelsen returned to action at the Rally Sardegna, co-driving with 2003 World Drivers' Champion Petter Solberg. They contested the rally in Shakedown and Power Stage with Pirelli tyres to be used for the 2021 season. [71]

The Citroën World Rally Team had committed to entering two full-time entries instead of three, continuing the policy they introduced in 2019. Sébastien Ogier and Esapekka Lappi were under contract to lead the team's crews until the team announced that they would withdraw from the championship with immediate effect. Citroën cited Ogier's decision to leave the team as the reason for withdrawing, [72] [lower-alpha 10] but pledged support for independent teams competing with the R5 variant of the Citroën C3 WRC in the championship's support categories. [73] The company also expressed a willingness to sell or rent their C3 WRCs to teams looking to compete in the sport's premier category. [74]

Nineteen-year-old Finn Kalle Rovanpera made his debut in the sport's top class with his fellow co-driver Jonne Halttunen. KalleRallySweden2020(1).jpg
Nineteen-year-old Finn Kalle Rovanperä made his début in the sport's top class with his fellow co-driver Jonne Halttunen.

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT featured an entirely new line-up in 2020. [75] Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia replaced Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja, while Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin were recruited from M-Sport Ford WRT. Reigning WRC2 Pro champions Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen made their competitive début in Toyota's third car. Toyota entered an additional two cars for Jari-Matti Latvala and Takamoto Katsuta on a part-time basis. [76] [77] Katsuta contested all of the European rallies under the Toyota Gazoo Racing name while Latvala planned to contest two eventswith further starts depending on his budgetas an independent entrant. [76] Former Toyota Gazoo Racing driver Juho Hänninen became Latvala's co-driver, replacing Miikka Anttila. [78] Anttila moved to WRC3, partnering Eerik Pietarinen. [56] Kris Meeke remained under contract with the team, [79] but stepped back from full-time competition. [80]

M-Sport Ford WRT continued their policy of entering two crews on a full-time basis and a third crew contesting selected rounds. Teemu Suninen and Jarmo Lehtinen were retained, [81] while Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm replaced Evans and Martin in the team's second car. [82] Gus Greensmith and Elliott Edmondson, who contested three rounds of the 2019 championship with the team, contested an expanded programme in 2020. [82]

Norwegian driver Ole Christian Veiby made his World Rally Car debut in Monza. Ole Christian Veiby 2014-07-05 001.jpg
Norwegian driver Ole Christian Veiby made his World Rally Car debut in Monza.

Reigning WRC2 champions Pierre-Louis Loubet and Vincent Landais made their debut in a World Rally Car in Estonia. [83] Loubet was set to combine his World Rally Championship programme with a factory-supported drive in WRC2, but was unable to do so. [84] Ole Christian Veiby made his World Rally Car debut in Monza, taking over Loubet's i20. [85]

Regulation changes

Sporting regulations

Other than the normal approach to the WRC Manufacturer Championship, the FIA introduced a new regulation of "WRC Team" this year. A WRC team is eligible to score points only when there is a team scoring points in the WRC Manufacturer Championship with the same car homologation. [86]

The FIA implemented a temporary testing ban in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ban was imposed because the three manufacturer teams were based in different countriesHyundai in Germany, M-Sport in Britain and Toyota in Finlandeach with their own restrictions. This created the potential for one team to gain a competitive advantage because of their home nation's restrictions. [87]

The road order was revised in response to the shortened route at the calendar newcomers, Rally Estonia. Saturday's morning loop was started as championship order, while the afternoon loop was reverted to the standard reversed order, which usually comes into effect on the second leg. [88]

Season report

Opening rounds

The 2020 FIA World Rally Championship started in Monaco. The sport saw a series of crew changes in the off-season, which included reigning world champions Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja moving to Hyundai. [4] Tänak and Järveoja's title defence started poorly when they suffered a high-speed crash on the fourth stage of the rally, which saw their Hyundai i20 flying off a 40 m (131.2 ft) high cliff at 180 km/h (111.8 mph), rolling end-over-end through a series of trees and landing on the road below; both Tänak and Järveoja walked away uninjured. [89] Following the crash, Hyundai's hopes rode on the shoulders of Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul. Despite holding the lead on Thursday night, Friday saw the Toyota crews of Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia and their teammates Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin take the lead. [90] [91] The lead would swing backwards and forwards throughout the rally until Neuville and Gilsoul won seven out of the eight final stagesincluding winning the Power Stage to record their first win in Monte Carlo. [92]

A lack of snow forced the Rally Sweden to be shortened. LappiRallySweden2020(1).jpg
A lack of snow forced the Rally Sweden to be shortened.

As championship leaders, Neuville and Gilsoul became the first crew on the road in Sweden. [93] This saw them struggle throughout the weekend as their road position meant they swept loose gravel away from the faster road base underneath, which was further complicated by the rally being shortened due to a lack of snow. [11] The rally was eventually won by Evans and Martin. They dominated the rally, winning five stages out of nine, to take victory; Evans' second and a first for Martin. [94] They then led both drivers' and co-drivers' standings for the first time in their careers. [95] Their teammate Kalle Rovanperä recorded his first stage win at the sport's highest level when he and co-driver Jonne Halttunen won the Power Stage. Rovanperä and Halttunen also achieved their maiden podium finish. [96] At the age of nineteen, Rovanperä became the youngest driver ever to claim a WRC podium finish. [96]

As the championship continued on to Latin America, the world began to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the Rally Mexico began as planned, the final leg of the rally was cancelled to allow teams enough time to return to their home bases in Europe before travel restrictions came into effect. [97] This meant the rally was shortened to two legs. Tänak and Järveoja were leading the first leg until suspension damage saw them drop over forty seconds. [98] Neuville and Gilsoul were running third overall, but they had to retire from the day with electrical problem. [98] Hyundai's third entry of Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio suffered a radiator pipe issue on the morning loop of Friday which lost them five minutes, [99] and they ultimately retired with a terminal engine fault. [98] Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm also retired when their Fiesta caught fire. [100] Ogier and Ingrassia enjoyed a trouble-free weekend and won their first rally of the season. [101] With a consistent performance in the early season, the six-time world champions took an early lead in the championships. The result also saw Toyota expand their lead in the manufacturers' championship, twenty-one points ahead of defending manufacturer champions Hyundai. [101]

Season resumption

The season restarted in the calendar newcomer Estonia. [102] The rally marked the return of the FIA World Rally Championship after a half-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and was the 600th event since the championship was founded back in 1973. [103] [104] Winning the warm-up event, local favourites Tänak and Järveoja were determined to prevail their home soil for the third straight year. [105] The reigning world champions showed impressive speed throughout the weekend, leading almost the entire rally to win their first rally for Hyundai in their home country. [106] Teammate Neuville and Gilsoul had another weekend to forget. The Belgian crew retired on Saturday afternoon after they damaged their rear-right suspension. [107] Things went from bad to worse after rejoining the rally on Sunday as another electrical issue in the penultimate stage meant no chance for consolation points from the Power Stage. [108] Hyundai's third entry of Craig Breen and Paul Nagle finished second after a consistent performance to complete a Hyundai 1–2. [106] Rovanperä became the youngest driver to lead a WRC rally at the age of nineteen when he was briefly leading the event at an early stage, but a one-minute time penalty was given after his co-driver Halttunen illegally removed the radiator blanking plate. [109] Takamoto Katsuta and Daniel Barritt were running fifth overall until they rolled their Yaris on Sunday morning. [110] The Japanese driver lost what would've been a career-best finish. [111] Pierre-Louis Loubet and Vincent Landais also retired from their top-class debut as they broke their steering. [106]

Moving to Rally Turkey, where crews had to face the challenge of rock storms, [112] Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena took an early lead on Friday. At the age of forty-six, Loeb became the oldest driver to lead a WRC event. [113] Saturday saw reigning world champions Tänak and Järveoja retire from the day. The Estonian crew's i20 speared off the road because of a steering issue. [114] Ogier and Ingrassia led the rally on Saturday morning until a puncture and hydraulics issue dropped them over half a minute, which gave the lead to Neuville and Gilsoul. [115] Sunday's first pass through the Çetibeli stage saw tyre dramas, with five crews suffering punctures, including the crew of Neuville and Gilsoul, Loeb and Elena, Ogier and Ingrassia, Rovanperä and Halttunen, and Lappi and Ferm, with two more crews retiring from the rally. This massively changed the overall rally standingsEvans and Martin moved up three places to become the new rally leaders. [116] By contrast, teammate Ogier and Ingrassia's weekend went even worse. The engine of the French crew's Toyota Yaris caught fire during the second test through Çetibeli. The six-time world champions had no choice but to stop in the stage and retire from the rally. [117] Eventually, Evans and Martin safely complete the event to record a second win of the season with a margin of over thirty seconds over Neuville and Gilsoul, who won the Power Stage. [118] Without retirements, Evans and Martin regained the championship lead. [119] Gus Greensmith and Elliott Edmondson were the leading M-Sport crew. They had a rather trouble-free rally to finish a career-high fifth place. [118]

Closing rounds

The thin layer of slippery gravel of Sardegna meant a late road position would be helpful for a good result. [120] Sordo and del Barrio made full use of this advantage to build a commanding lead of over thirty seconds going onto Sunday. [121] The Spanish crew eventually won the rally for the second straight year although their i20's rear subframe was inspected and deemed to be underweight post-race. [122] There was an epic battle for the runner-up spot between the crew of Neuville and Gilsoul and world champions Ogier and Ingrassia, with Neuville and Gilsoul ultimately coming out on top. [123] The top three crews were separated by only 6.1 seconds, the smallest margin to cover the podium places in WRC history. [124] With a 1-2 finish, Hyundai reclaimed the championship lead. [125] Rovanperä and Halttunen had a weekend to forget. The Finnish crew first rolled their Yaris in the Shakedown on Thursday, [126] and then retired from the rally on Saturday when they crashed out. [127] Lappi and Ferm also retired from the event due to a terminal engine failure. [128] A suspension issue saw reigning world champions Tänak and Järveoja only manage to complete the rally in sixth position, but they won the Power Stage to score five bonus points. [128] Pierre-Louis Loubet and Vincent Landais enjoyed a trouble-free weekend, scoring their first points in a World Rally Car by finishing seventh overall. [123]

2018 Rally de Portugal - stage (cropped).jpg
Hyundai vinner Rally Sweden 4 (cropped 2).jpg
Elfyn Evans (left) and Scott Martin (right) were leading the drivers' and co-drivers' championships throughout almost an entire season, but an error in the final round cost them both titles.

The championship finished in Monza, featuring tricky weather conditions, which spelt trouble for all terms. [129] The very first stage saw Katsuta and Barritt overshoot a corner and crash into a wall. [130] Neuville and Gilsoul had a mathematical chance of winning the titles coming to the event, but it was smashed during the fourth stage when a pool of heavy standing water drowned out their car as their i20's right-front suspension was damaged earlier in the stage. [131] Greensmith and Edmondson were caught out during the first test of Saturday's afternoon loop, while Ole Christian Veiby and Jonas Andersson also retired from the rally at the same spot after a violent crash. [132] The very next stage saw championship leader Evans and Martin go off the road on the icy and slushy surface, which left the championship wide open. [133] The other major retirement of the rally was the M-Sport Ford crew of Teemu Suninen and Jarmo Lehtinen. An unfixable misfiring engine led their season to an early end. [134] Ogier and Ingrassia were the crew who won the season's finale after overcoming a limited-visibility issue. [135] Benefiting from their rivals' retirements, the French crew won their seventh world titles. Hyundai had a 2–3 finish in the final weekend, which was enough to secure their second consecutive manufacturers' title. [136]

Results and standings

Season summary

RoundEventWinning driverWinning co-driverWinning entrantWinning timeReportRef.
1 Flag of Monaco.svg Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Thierry Neuville Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Nicolas Gilsoul Flag of South Korea.svg Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT 3:10:57.6 Report [137] [138]
2 Flag of Sweden.svg Rally Sweden Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Elfyn Evans Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Scott Martin Flag of Japan.svg Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 1:11:43.1 Report [139] [140]
3 Flag of Mexico.svg Rally Guanajuato México Flag of France.svg Sébastien Ogier Flag of France.svg Julien Ingrassia Flag of Japan.svg Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 2:47:47.6 Report [141] [142]
4 Flag of Estonia.svg Rally Estonia Flag of Estonia.svg Ott Tänak Flag of Estonia.svg Martin Järveoja Flag of South Korea.svg Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT 1:59:53.6 Report [143] [144]
5 Flag of Turkey.svg Marmaris Rally of Turkey Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Elfyn Evans Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Scott Martin Flag of Japan.svg Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 2:43:02.7 Report [145] [146]
6 Flag of Italy.svg Rally Italia Sardegna Flag of Spain.svg Dani Sordo Flag of Spain.svg Carlos del Barrio Flag of South Korea.svg Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT 2:41:37.5 Report [147] [148]
7 Flag of Italy.svg ACI Rally Monza Flag of France.svg Sébastien Ogier Flag of France.svg Julien Ingrassia Flag of Japan.svg Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 2:15:51.0 Report [149] [150]

Scoring system

Points were awarded to the top ten classified finishers in each event. In the manufacturers' championship, teams were eligible to nominate three crews to score points, but these points were only awarded to the top two classified finishers representing a manufacturer and driving a 2017-specification World Rally Car. There were also five bonus points awarded to the winners of the Power Stage, four points for second place, three for third, two for fourth and one for fifth. Power Stage points were only awarded in the drivers' and co-drivers' championships. [151]

Position1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th
Points251815121086421

FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers

Pos.Driver MON
Flag of Monaco.svg
SWE
Flag of Sweden.svg
MEX [lower-alpha 11]
Flag of Mexico.svg
EST
Flag of Estonia.svg
TUR
Flag of Turkey.svg
ITA
Flag of Italy.svg
MNZ
Flag of Italy.svg
Points
1 Flag of France.svg Sébastien Ogier 2243134Ret331122
2 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Elfyn Evans 3414421444293114
3 Flag of Estonia.svg Ott Tänak Ret242131726122105
4 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Thierry Neuville 116216Ret2122Ret87
5 Flag of Finland.svg Kalle Rovanperä 53155143Ret580
6 Flag of Finland.svg Esapekka Lappi 4555Ret76Ret4452
7 Flag of Finland.svg Teemu Suninen 83836Ret5Ret44
8 Flag of Spain.svg Dani Sordo Ret153542
9 Flag of Ireland.svg Craig Breen 72525
10 Flag of France.svg Sébastien Loeb 63524
11 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Gus Greensmith 6398525Ret16
12 Flag of Sweden.svg Pontus Tidemand 156158101014
13 Flag of Japan.svg Takamoto Katsuta 79RetRet20113
14 Flag of Finland.svg Jari Huttunen 1011889
15 Flag of Norway.svg Andreas Mikkelsen 68
16 Flag of Poland.svg Kajetan Kajetanowicz 14Ret79148
17 Flag of Sweden.svg Oliver Solberg 2517Ret91878
18 Flag of Russia.svg Nikolay Gryazin 1621719Ret6
19 Flag of France.svg Pierre-Louis Loubet RetRet76
20 Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg Marco Bulacia Wilkinson 8141011165
21 Flag of Norway.svg Mads Østberg 1012101494
22 Flag of France.svg Adrien Fourmaux 1518139Ret492
23 Flag of France.svg Eric Camilli 9Ret2
24 Flag of Norway.svg Ole Christian Veiby Ret1310Ret12Ret1
Pos.Driver MON
Flag of Monaco.svg
SWE
Flag of Sweden.svg
MEX [lower-alpha 11]
Flag of Mexico.svg
EST
Flag of Estonia.svg
TUR
Flag of Turkey.svg
ITA
Flag of Italy.svg
MNZ
Flag of Italy.svg
Points
Source: [152] [153]
Key
ColourResult
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd place
GreenPoints finish
BlueNon-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
PurpleDid not finish (Ret)
BlackExcluded (EX)
Disqualified (DSQ)
WhiteDid not start (DNS)
Cancelled (C)
BlankWithdrew entry from
the event (WD)

Notes:
1 2 3 4 5 Power Stage position

FIA World Rally Championship for Co-Drivers

Pos.Co-Driver MON
Flag of Monaco.svg
SWE
Flag of Sweden.svg
MEX [lower-alpha 11]
Flag of Mexico.svg
EST
Flag of Estonia.svg
TUR
Flag of Turkey.svg
ITA
Flag of Italy.svg
MNZ
Flag of Italy.svg
Points
1 Flag of France.svg Julien Ingrassia 2243134Ret331122
2 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Scott Martin 3414421444293114
3 Flag of Estonia.svg Martin Järveoja Ret242131726122105
4 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Nicolas Gilsoul 116216Ret2122Ret87
5 Flag of Finland.svg Jonne Halttunen 53155143Ret580
6 Flag of Finland.svg Janne Ferm 4555Ret76Ret4452
7 Flag of Finland.svg Jarmo Lehtinen 83836Ret5Ret44
8 Flag of Spain.svg Carlos del Barrio Ret153542
9 Flag of Ireland.svg Paul Nagle 72525
10 Flag of Monaco.svg Daniel Elena 63524
11 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Elliott Edmondson 6398525Ret16
12 Flag of Sweden.svg Patrik Barth 156158101014
13 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Daniel Barritt 79RetRet20113
14 Flag of Finland.svg Mikko Lukka 1011889
15 Flag of Norway.svg Anders Jæger-Amland 68
16 Flag of Poland.svg Maciej Szczepaniak 14Ret79148
17 Flag of Ireland.svg Aaron Johnston 2517Ret91878
18 Flag of Russia.svg Yaroslav Fedorov 16217366
19 Flag of France.svg Vincent Landais RetRet76
20 Flag of Norway.svg Torstein Eriksen 1012101494
21 Flag of Italy.svg Giovanni Bernacchini 8RetRet4
22 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Renaud Jamoul 1518139Ret492
23 Flag of France.svg François-Xavier Buresi 9Ret2
24 Flag of Argentina.svg Marcelo Der Ohannesian 141011161
25 Flag of Sweden.svg Jonas Andersson Ret1310Ret12Ret1
Pos.Co-Driver MON
Flag of Monaco.svg
SWE
Flag of Sweden.svg
MEX [lower-alpha 11]
Flag of Mexico.svg
EST
Flag of Estonia.svg
TUR
Flag of Turkey.svg
ITA
Flag of Italy.svg
MNZ
Flag of Italy.svg
Points
Source: [152] [153]
Key
ColourResult
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd place
GreenPoints finish
BlueNon-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
PurpleDid not finish (Ret)
BlackExcluded (EX)
Disqualified (DSQ)
WhiteDid not start (DNS)
Cancelled (C)
BlankWithdrew entry from
the event (WD)

Notes:
1 2 3 4 5 Power Stage position

FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers

Only the best two results of each manufacturer at each rally were taken into account for the World Manufacturers’ Championship.

Pos.Manufacturer MON
Flag of Monaco.svg
SWE
Flag of Sweden.svg
MEX
Flag of Mexico.svg
EST
Flag of Estonia.svg
TUR
Flag of Turkey.svg
ITA
Flag of Italy.svg
MNZ
Flag of Italy.svg
Points
1 Flag of South Korea.svg Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT 1221212241
5562323
2 Flag of Japan.svg Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 2113131236
3344445
3 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg M-Sport Ford WRT 4435554129
665667Ret
4 Flag of France.svg Hyundai 2C Competition RetRet6Ret8
Pos.Manufacturer MON
Flag of Monaco.svg
SWE
Flag of Sweden.svg
MEX
Flag of Mexico.svg
EST
Flag of Estonia.svg
TUR
Flag of Turkey.svg
ITA
Flag of Italy.svg
MNZ
Flag of Italy.svg
Points
Source: [152] [153]
Key
ColourResult
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd place
GreenPoints finish
BlueNon-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
PurpleDid not finish (Ret)
BlackExcluded (EX)
Disqualified (DSQ)
WhiteDid not start (DNS)
Cancelled (C)
BlankWithdrew entry from
the event (WD)

Notes

  1. Tänak and Järveoja won their titles with Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT but left the team to join Hyundai for the 2020 championship. [4]
  2. Juha Kankkunen won four drivers' championships with three manufacturers, but he did not have the same co-driver each time.
  3. The rally base of the Monte Carlo Rally was located in France.
  4. The Monte Carlo Rally is run on a tarmac and snow surface.
  5. The route of Rally Sweden was shortened from 301.26 km over 19 stages to 9 stages totalling 148.55 km. The route was shortened due to a lack of snow and bad weather conditions. [11]
  6. The route of Rally Mexico was shortened by 56.01 km. [13]
  7. 1 2 The running dates of Rally Argentina were initially scheduled to be 30 April to 3 May. [22]
  8. Every crew that entered a World Rally Championship eventincluding WRC2, WRC3, Junior WRC and privateer entrieswas eligible to score points in the World Championship for Drivers and the World Championship for Co-Drivers.
  9. The crew of Devidas Jocius and Mindaugas Varža competed with multiple numbers throughout the championship. [55] [56] [57]
  10. Citroën had previously announced that they would withdraw at the end of the 2021 championship, co-inciding with the planned introduction of hybrid powertrains. The planned withdrawal was attributed to Citroën's existing partnership with Formula E team Techeetah. [73]
  11. 1 2 3 4 The Power Stage was removed from the Rally Mexico route as the final leg was cancelled. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ott Tänak</span> Estonian rally driver (born 1987)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thierry Neuville</span> Belgian rally driver (born 1988)

Thierry Jean Neuville is a Belgian rally driver who is competing in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. During his career, he has finished as runner-up in the drivers' championship five times. He helped Hyundai win their first manufacturers' title in 2019, as well as repeating the feat in 2020. His current co-driver is compatriot Martijn Wydaeghe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rally Estonia</span> Rallying competition held in Estonia

Rally Estonia is a rallying event organised each year in Estonia. It is the largest and most high-profile motorsport event in the country and runs on smooth gravel roads in the south of the country, some of which are purpose-built for the rally. The city of Tartu hosts the ceremonial start and finish, with the rally headquarters and service park usually based in the Estonian National Museum in Tartu. From 2014 to 2016, Rally Estonia was a round of the FIA European Rally Championship. Rally Estonia was the official WRC Promotional Rally in 2019 and joined the World Rally Championship calendar in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 World Rally Championship</span> 2017 edition of the World Rally Championship

The 2017 FIA World Rally Championship was the 45th 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 contested in thirteen events—starting in Monte Carlo on 19 January and ending in Australia on 19 November—for the World Rally Championships for Drivers, Co-drivers and Manufacturers. Drivers 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 supported by the WRC-2 and WRC-3 championships and the newly created WRC Trophy at every round, and by the Junior WRC at selected rounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC</span> Hyundai World Rally Car

The Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC is a World Rally Car built by Hyundai for use in the World Rally Championship starting in 2017. It is based on the Hyundai i20 subcompact car, and is the successor to the Hyundai i20 WRC used between 2014 and 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 World Rally Championship</span> 46th season of the World Rally Championship

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 WRC2 and WRC3 categories at every round and by the Junior WRC at selected rounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Rally Finland</span>

The 2018 Rally Finland was a motor racing event for rally cars that held over four days between 26 and 29 July 2018. It marked the sixty-eighth running of Rally Finland, and was the eighth round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship and its support categories, the WRC-2 and WRC-3 championships, and the fourth round of the Junior WRC championship. The event was based in Jyväskylä in Central Finland and consisted of twenty-three special stages totalling 317.26 km (197.14 mi) in competitive kilometres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Wales Rally GB</span>

The 2018 Wales Rally GB was a motor racing event for rally cars that took place over four days from 4 to 7 October 2018. The event was open to entries competing in World Rally Cars and cars complying with Group R regulations. It marked the seventy-fourth running of Rally Great Britain and was the eleventh round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship, the highest class of competition in international rallying. Sixty 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 MSA British Rally Championship. The 2018 event was based in Deeside in Flintshire and consisted of twenty-three special stages throughout North and Mid-Wales. The rally covered a total competitive distance of 318.34 km and an additional 1,083.01 km in transport stages.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Rally Australia</span>

The 2018 Rally Australia was a motor racing event for rally cars that took place between 15 and 18 November. The event was open to entries competing in World Rally Cars and cars complying with Group R regulations. It marked the twenty-seventh running of Rally Australia and was the final round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship and its support series, the WRC-2 and WRC-3 championships. The 2018 event was based in Coffs Harbour in New South Wales and consisted of twenty-four special stages. The rally covered a total competitive distance of a 316.30 km and an additional 698.91 km in transport stages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Rally Italia Sardegna</span> Motor racing event

The 2018 Rally Italia Sardegna was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over four days between 7 and 10 June 2018. It marked the fifteenth running of Rally Italia Sardegna, and was the seventh round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship and its support categories, the WRC-2 and WRC-3 championships. The event was based in Alghero in Sardinia and consisted of twenty special stages totalling 313.46 km (194.78 mi) in competitive kilometres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 World Rally Championship</span> 2019 edition of the World Rally Championship

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 WRC2 category at every round, which was split into 2 classifications: WRC2 Pro for manufacturer entries and WRC2 for private entries, and by Junior WRC at selected events. WRC3 was discontinued in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Monte Carlo Rally</span> 88th edition of Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo

The 2020 Monte Carlo Rally was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over four days between 23 and 26 January 2020. It marked the eighty-eighth running of the Monte Carlo Rally, and was the first round of the 2020 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3. The 2020 event was based in the town of Gap in the Hautes-Alpes department of France and consisted of sixteen special stages. The rally covered a total competitive distance of 304.28 km (189.07 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Rally Turkey</span> 13th edition of Rally Turkey

The 2020 Rally Turkey was a motor racing event for rally cars that held between 18 and 20 September 2020. It marked the thirteenth running of Rally Turkey and was the fifth round of the 2020 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3. The 2020 event was based in Marmaris in Muğla Province, and was contested over twelve special stages with a total competitive distance of 223.00 km (138.57 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 World Rally Championship</span> 50th running of the World Rally Championship

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 World Rally Championship</span> 49th running of the World Rally Championship

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Rally Estonia</span> 10th edition of Rally Estonia

The 2020 Rally Estonia was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over three days between 4 and 6 September 2020. It marked the tenth running of Rally Estonia and was the fourth round of the 2020 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3. The 2020 event was based in the town of Tartu in Tartu County and consisted of seventeen special stages. The rally covered a total competitive distance of 232.64 km (144.56 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Arctic Rally Finland</span> 57th edition of Arctic Rally

The 2021 Arctic Rally Finland was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over three days between 26 and 28 February 2021. It marked the fifty-seventh running of the Arctic Rally, and the first time the event has been run as a round of the World Rally Championship. The event was the second round of the 2021 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3. The 2021 event was based in Rovaniemi in Lapland and was contested over ten special stages totalling 251.08 km (156.01 mi) in competitive distance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 World Rally Championship</span> 51st running of the World Rally Championship

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 World Rally Championship</span> 52nd running of the World Rally Championship

The 2024 FIA World Rally Championship is a motorsport championship that is the fifty-second occurrence of the World Rally Championship, an international rallying series organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and WRC Promoter GmbH. Teams and crews compete for the World Rally Championships for Drivers, Co-drivers and Manufacturers. Crews are free to compete in cars complying with Groups Rally1 to Rally5 regulations; however, only manufacturers competing with Rally1 cars are eligible to score points in the manufacturers' championship. The championship began in January 2024 with the Monte Carlo Rally and would conclude in November 2024 with the Rally Japan. The series is 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.

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