WRC - Changes to the fore as WRC is go for 2024

Sport news New rules, new rides and new rallies are among the highlights in store during the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship, which gets back to action on next week’s Rallye Monte-Carlo. Taking place from January 24-28 and signalling the start of season three of the Rally1 hybrid era, Rally Monte-Carlo’s 92nd edition will shine the spotlight on several rule changes recently approved by the World Motor Sport Council.   Instead of awarding points to the top 10 at the completion of a WRC event on a sliding scale of 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1, points will now be allocated at the end of Saturday’s leg as follows: 18-15-13-10-8-6-4-3-2-1. However, points won’t be assigned if a crew fails to complete the entire rally route with the pairing finishing behind collecting their scores instead.   A separate classification for the Sunday stages awards points to the top seven (7-6-5-4-3-2-1) with the aim of discouraging the practice of drivers opting to go slower through Sunday morning’s stages ahead of a push on the Wolf Power Stage, which has adversely affected the spectacle for fans watching the final day of a WRC event unfold. The 5-4-3-2-1 Wolf Power Stage points will continue to be handed out to the fastest five crews on the event-deciding test.   While the points system has changed for 2024, Rallye Monte-Carlo’s legendary status and challenging reputation remain unaltered.   First run in 1911, Rallye Monte-Carlo is ranked as one of the most demanding events on the WRC calendar. With snow and ice often making narrow, winding mountain roads even more testing amid changing and inconsistent grip levels, selecting the right tyre for the conditions can mean the difference between victory or defeat.   A capacity 70-car entry has been assembled for the opening event of the WRC season, which consists of 17 stages over a competitive distance of 324.44 kilometres.   Several hundred volunteer marshals and officials will provide their expert support and assistance to the rally organiser, the Automobile Club de Monaco.   Meanwhile, Rally1 drivers can choose between official supplier Pirelli’s P Zero soft and supersoft tyres plus its Sottozero snow tyre with or without studs for Rallye Monte-Carlo. Teams can use a maximum of 38 tyres per car including four for Shakedown.   The ceremonial start on Thursday 25 January in Monaco will take place in attendance of FIA Deputy President Sport Robert Reid.   THE ROUTE IN SHORT   With the event relocating to Gap from Monaco in search of more wintry weather, a significantly altered route is in store. Kicking off with Shakedown on a 3.28-kilometre stage close to the rally’s hub in Gap from 16:31 local time on Wednesday January 24, much of Thursday is devoted to several fan and media activities in Monaco. These include the FIA WRC Meet the Crews live interview session, autograph signing and the traditional ceremonial start in front of the principality’s famous casino. However, there’s also some serious competition courtesy of the opening two stages in the departments of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes. Run at night, the Thoard-Saint-Geniez (21.01 kilometres) and Bayons-Bréziers (25.19 kilometres) stages provide a tough but spectacular early test.   Following service and an overnight halt in Gap, the rally resumes on Friday with the action (two loops of three repeated stages) located host of the host city in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes.   At 120.40 timed kilometres, Saturday’s leg west of Gap is the longest of the rally. Three stages each run twice are held in the Hautes Alpes, Drôme and Isère.   The long journey south to Monaco on Sunday includes three stages with the iconic La Bollène-Vésubie / Col de Turini test forming the Wolf Power Stage. The prize giving ceremony in Monaco’s Casino Square is due to begin at 16:15.   RALLYE MONTE-CARLO DATA   Stage distance: 324.44 km Total distance:  1649.89 km Number of stages:  17   RALLY1 CONTENDERS   Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT:  Sébastien Ogier, the eight-time world title winner, will go for a 10th Rallye Monte-Carlo victory at the start of his third partial season in the WRC. Having opted to join Ogier as a part-time contender, reigning world champion Kalle Rovanperä won’t be in action on the season opener. Elfyn Evans, WRC runner-up in 2023, and Takamoto Katsuta complete the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid line-up. Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team:  Ott Tänak returns to Hyundai after a season away competing for M-Sport and will join Thierry Neuville in mounting a full-season campaign. Esapekka Lappi, Andreas Mikkelsen and Dani Soro will share the squad’s third Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid across the season with Mikkelsen on Rallye Monte-Carlo duty. M-Sport Ford World Rally Team:  Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster bring a youthful enthusiasm to the British squad, which made history in 2022 when it won the first event of the Rally1 era with its Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid.   SUPPORTING CATEGORIES   Twenty-two crews are eligible for WRC2 points on Rallye Monte-Carlo with  Yohan Rossel  leading the entry in a Citroën C3 Rally2. His fellow Frenchman  Nicolas Ciamin  is the top Hyundai i20 N Rally2 competitor, with Spain’s  Pepe López  the highest-seeded Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 driver.  Stéphane Lefebvre  gives the all-new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 its WRC debut as  John Wartique  (Ford Fiesta Rally2) prepares to make his first WRC start. Having won the FIA ERC4 Championship in 2023,  Roberto Daprà  steps up to WRC2 level for 2024 and brings support from the ACI Team Italia driver development programme.  Nikolay Gryazin , who switches to Citroën power in 2024, tops the list of WRC Challenger contenders. 2019 ERC champion  Chris Ingram  enters in a Škoda Fabia RS with female co-driver Hannah McKillop at his side, while  Mauro Miele  starts his bid to reclaim the WRC Masters Cup title that he lost in 2023.  Sami Pajari  (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) and  Oliver Solberg  (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) haven’t nominated Rallye Monte-Carlo as one of their seven scoring rounds but will be in contention for RC2 category honours.  Jan Černý  (Ford Fiesta Rally3) and  Ghjuvanni Rossi  (Renault Clio Rally3) are among the FIA WRC3 Championship runners.    WHAT ELSE IS NEW FOR 2024?   Points are no longer awarded to the fastest three FIA WRC2 crews on the Power Stage to make the distribution of points fair for all due to the unavoidable gaps in event running orders.  Poland returns to the WRC roster for the first time since 2017, while Latvia makes its debut in the championship following its elevation from the FIA European Rally Championship, when the event ran as Rally Liepāja. Safari Rally Kenya is back to its traditional Easter calendar slot having run in June in recent seasons. The Central European Rally is scheduled to run one week later than in 2023.  Secto Rally Finland is included on the FIA Junior WRC Championship schedule after a break of five years. The one-make category for Rally3 cars on Pirelli tyres begins on next month’s Rally Sweden.  A maximum of three new hybrid units can be used per eligible Rally1 car in 2024 – compared to the previous nine – under rules to reduce the cost of competing.  Rally1 cars can compete on WRC events without running the standard plug-in hybrid system. However, they must carry the equivalent weight of the full EV system in ballast and won’t be eligible for Manufacturers’ championship points. Providing the FIA Technical Delegate is informed and is given the opportunity to seal the new engine before its use, there will be no penalty to change a failed engine between pre-rally scrutineering and TC0 – the formal start of an event. However, each manufacturer must not use more than two engines per car per season with each engine assigned to a specific car name. For 2024, no more than two engines may be sealed per car name.   Priority 2 crews can utilise the services of route note crews for sections of a WRC event run entirely on asphalt.  To set the running order for Priority 2 crews, championship positions (at the end of the previous season for Rallye Monte-Carlo) are considered in addition to expected performance.  Key media, influencers, celebrities and other VIP guests can experience the thrill of a high-speed passenger ride – and sample Rally1 hybrid technology – on all rounds of the WRC to further increase promotion of the championship.  Drivers and co-drivers competing for FIA WRC3 honours can count their best six scores from a maximum of seven rallies. To score WRC Masters’ Cup points, drivers and co- drivers must be born on or before January 1, 1974, while co-drivers must be paired with an eligible driver. The best six scores from seven starts can be counted but there is no longer the possibility to add a bonus score from an event outside Europe.  Failure to have a timecard marked or signed at a control, for a time entry not to appear on a timecard or for a timecard not to be presented at a control, can no longer result in exclusion from an event, if it can be proved the crew has correctly passed a control.   SEASON AHEAD Follow this link to view the FIA World Rally Championship event schedule for 2024. MEDIA INFORMATION Media accreditation Media accreditation must be collected in person by accredited pass holders from the Accreditation Desk, Media Centre, Centre Omnisport COSEC, Avenue de Traunstein, 05000 Gap, France. Media Accreditation – Opening hours: Monday 22 January:  14:00-20:00 hrs Tuesday 23 January: 08:00-20:00 hrs Wednesday 24 January: 08:00-21:00 hrs Thursday 25 January: 08:00-21:00 hrs     Media Centre The Media Centre is located as follows: Centre Omnisport COSEC, Avenue de Traunstein, 05000 Gap, France. The following opening hours apply:   Media Centre - Opening hours Monday 22 January: 14:00 – 20:00 hrs Tuesday 23 January:  08:00 – 20:00 hrs Wednesday 24 January:  08:00 – 21:00 hrs Thursday 25 January:   08:00 – until last accredited media representative leaves Friday 26 January:  07:30 – until last accredited media representative leaves Saturday 27 January:   06:30 – until last accredited media representative leaves Sunday 28 January:  06:00 – until last accredited media representative leaves A subsidiary Media Centre is located at One Monte-Carlo, 1 Place du Casino, 98000 Monaco. It’s open from 06:00 until the last accredited media representative leaves on Sunday 28 January. Rallye Monte-Carlo - Media Activities and Opportunities     Wednesday 24 January   12:00 – 12:30 hrs Mandatory Tabard Media Safety Briefing (Media Centre) 15:00 – 15:20 hrs  Autograph Signing (team service areas) 16:31 – 18:30 hrs Shakedown for P1/P2/P3 crews (Route de la Garde, Gap) 18:30 – 20:30 hrs Shakedown for all crews (Route de la Garde, Gap) 19:00 – 20:30 hrs   FIA WRC Media Pen with P1/P2 drivers and P1 Team Principals (Fan Zone, Gap)     Thursday 25 January   15:00 – 15:20 hrs  Autograph Signing with all P1 crews (Place du Casino, Monaco) 15:20 – 15:30 hrs WRC Rally1 Hybrid cars official photograph (Place du Casino, Monaco) 15:30 – 15:40 hrs WRC official photo with P1 & French-nationality P2 crews (Place du Casino, Monaco) 15:40 – 16:10 hrs FIA WRC Meet the Crews live interviews (Place du Casino, Monaco) 16:10 – 16:40 hrs WRC line-up ‘grid-style’ presentation for TV crews (Place du Casino, Monaco) 16:52 hrs Ceremonial Start, start of Section 1 (Place du Casino, Monaco) 22:58 hrs (approx.) Media Zone TC2A, Service Park, Gap     Friday 26 January   07:45 hrs  Start of Section 2 (Service Park, Gap) 13:12 hrs (approx.) Media Zone TC5A, Service Park, Gap 19:17 hrs (approx.) Media Zone TC8A, Service Park, Gap 19:40 hrs (approx.) Meet the Crews feat. P1 Team Principals & Top 3 drivers (Fan Zone, Gap)*     Saturday 27 January   06:54 hrs       Start of Section 4 (Service Park, Gap) 12:26 hrs (approx.) Media Zone TC11A, Service Park, Gap 18:26 hrs (approx.) Media Zone TC14A, Service Park, Gap 19:00 hrs (approx.)  Meet the Crews feat. P1 Team Principals & Top 3 drivers (Fan Zone, Gap)*     Sunday 28 January   06:03 hrs Start of Section 6 (Service Park, Gap) 14:05 hrs (approx.) Media Zone TC17A, Monaco 15:30 hrs FIA Post-event Press Conference (Place du Casino, Monaco) 16:15 hrs Prize-giving ceremony (Place du Casino, Monaco)     *Earlier start time expected   Media zones Media Zones attended by all drivers and selected team representatives will operate in the Media Zone area located on the entry to the Service Park (and in Monaco for TC17A) as follows: TC2A, TC5A, TC8A, TC11A, TC14A, TC17A FIA WRC Meet the Crews live interviews, Place du Casino, Thursday January 25   15:40 – 15:50 hrs - FIA WRC SUPPORT CHAMPIONSHIPS  (appearing from Start ramp, Monaco) FIA WRC2 - AEC - DG Sport Competition – Yohan Rossel (FRA), Citroën C3 Rally2 FIA WRC2 Challenger - Bryan Bouffier (FRA), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 FIA WRC2 Challenger - Hannah McKillop (IRL), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 FIA WRC3 - Jan Černý (CZE), Ford Fiesta Rally3 FIA WRC Masters Cup - Mauro Miele (ITA), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 15:50 – 16:00 hrs: FIA WRC TEAM PRINCIPALS  (joining live from the Fan Zone, Gap) Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT - Cyril Abiteboul (FRA) M-Sport Ford WRT - Richard Millener (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT - Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN)   16:00 – 16:10 hrs: FIA WRC DRIVERS  (appearing from Start ramp, Monaco) Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT – Elfyn Evans (GBR), Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT – Sébastien Ogier (FRA), Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT – Ott Tänak (EST), Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid M-Sport Ford WRT - Adrien Fourmaux (FRA), Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid FIA Post-event Press Conference, Place du Casino, 15:30hrs, Sunday 28 January   Top 3 in overall classification Representative of winning manufacturer Winning FIA WRC2 drivers (WRC2, WRC2 Challenger) Winning FIA WRC3 driver Winning FIA WRC Masters Cup driver   * The Thursday 25 January FIA WRC Meet the Crews and Sunday 28 January FIA Post-event Press Conference interviews will be broadcast live on the official WRC social channels and YouTube. 2023 RALLYE MONTE-CARLO MANUFACTURER ENTRIES   Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Elfyn Evans (GBR)/Scott Martin (GBR) - #33   Sébastien Ogier (FRA)/Vincent Landais (FRA) - #17   Takamoto Katsuta (JPN)/Aaron Johnston (IRL) - #18     Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL) - #11   Ott Tänak (EST)/Martin Järveoja (EST) - #8   Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)/Torstein Eriksen (NOR) - #9     M-Sport Ford WRT Adrien Fourmaux (FRA)/Alexandre Coria (FRA) - #16   Grégoire Munster (LUX)/Louis Louka (BEL) - #13 RALLYE MONTE-CARLO 2023 RESULTS   1. Sébastien Ogier (FRA)/Vincent Landais (FRA) Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 3h12m02.0s 2. Kalle Rovanperä (FIN)/Jonne Halttunen (FIN) Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +18.8s 3. Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL) Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +44.6s RALLYE MONTE-CARLO RECENT WINNERS 2023 Sébastien Ogier (FRA)/Vincent Landais (FRA) Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 2022 Sébastien Loeb (FRA)/Isabelle Galmiche (FRA) Ford Puma Rally1 2021 Sébastien Ogier (FRA)/Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Toyota Yaris WRC 2020 Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Nicolas Gilsoul (FRA) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 2019 Sébastien Ogier (FRA)/Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C3 WRC   World Rally Championship WRC WRC2 WRC SEASON 2024 Sport Rallies 1SportWorld Rally ChampionshipRalliesWRCSEASON 2024WRCWRC201 Friday, January 19, 2024 - 4:13pm Friday, January 19, 2024 - 4:13pm