What Is WRC Racing? How To Explain World Rally Championship?

In short, WRC racing is a competition on rally cars. While the major driver is at the wheel and the co-driver reads pace notes to the crew running special stages from point A to point B with maximal performance. However, the event covers 3 – 4 days and attracts millions of fans worldwide. In essence, WRC is about pulling at top speed through the heat on dusty gravel, the wind, snow on ice, and through wild areas of picturesque destinations. These are just words, as all kinds of drama feature in the World Rally Championship. Rallying includes defeats, crashes, fortunate turns, victories through sweat, tears, and pure happiness on the podium. Here is our full guide to what WRC is and how it works.

The WRC rally history: how did it start?

Second – Emile Levassor and Rene Panhard presented the first race car. The vehicle participated in the first race “Paris-Rouen” in 1894. However, more than 100 cars were assembled in 1909 for a promo. In the following 1910, there was a Good Roads Rally to attract attention to the roads in Charleston.

The first rally

Third and finally, “rally” became official with Prince Albert I and “Sport Automobile Vélocipédique Monégasque” when they launched the first ever Rallye Monte-Carlo in 1911 to demonstrate the best cars and promote Monaco to rich motorists.

As the story began, it was kicking off. Despite the slow recovery after a major war in the 1950s, there were many long-distance rallies that took place.

In 1953 the FIA (formerly FISA) started the European Rally Championship. However, that was the FIA International Championship for Manufacturers that launched a rally series and was held from 1970 to 1972.

The automotive industry was developing rapidly at that time. IMC was held in nine locations, where Rally Monte Carlo, Acropolis, Safari Rally, Sweden and Wales Rally Great Britain are the oldest.

Even though the International Championship for Manufacturers has a brief history, there were 18 manufacturers with German Porsche, French Alpine-Renault and Italian Lancia being the most successful.

At that time, the Alpine A110 achieved the first manufacturer’s world championship title. Alpine-Renault was the first world champion, followed by Lancia’s three-year win streak with the Ferrari V6-powered Lancia Stratos HF – the first car designed just for rallying.

The IMC was the father of the WRC as soon as in 1973, it transformed into the World Rally Championship.

The story of WRC began in 1973 with 12 rallies on four continents and 13 countries worldwide. Man and rally car must master everything from snow-packed forest tracks in intense cold to rock-strewn mountain passes in blistering heat.

How does WRC racing work?

To make our guide more complete and simple, we break all the WRC Rally down into three sections: preparation, maximal attack, and Sunday’s final.

Step #1: Preparation.

During the two days drivers run the route at a limited speed to assess the route. With the major behind the wheel of the rally car, the co-driver in the passenger seat gives a running commentary on the directional changes, turns and road conditions ahead. The crew makes pace notes.

Meanwhile the WRC teams unwrap the service park zone – the major scene of action for the teams, as rally crews will visit it several times during the weekend.

The rally route has been designed around this point as it will be the epicenter for the WRC teams during the entire rally. You can check it on rally maps.

Service park

Competitors visit the service park at pre-determined times to allow team technicians to perform mechanical work on their cars.

Often, there are three service sessions in a day. An initial 15-minute visit in the morning before the opening stage, a 40-minute session midway through a day’s competition and an end-of-day session for 45 minutes.

They need the last session to re-prepare the rally car for the following day. Competitors will be penalized for exceeding the stay time.

Outside of the service park, only a driver and co-driver can work on their car, using only tools and spare parts carried onboard.

At the end of each day’s rally, cars run in a secure parc fermé overnight with no access for team members or competitors.

What is WRC shakedown?

Thursday morning starts with shakedown, where crews pass a full-speed test – the last opportunity to fine-tune their car’s set-up as the terrain is similar to the rally before the event starts.

Competitors must drive through the shakedown stage at least three times, with all passes timed. In simple terms, it is like free practice in Formula 1. While shakedown doesn’t determine the starting grid, it provides insight into crew speed advantages.

Running in order

The starting order or the running order for the opening two days is determined by the drivers’ championship standings, with the leader starting first.

However, the starting order changes for the Power Stage. Crews tackle the stages according to the rally classification in reverse order, with the leader starting last. The rule applies to Priority 1 and 2 drivers only.

Priority drivers in WRC.

P1 drivers compete for WRC teams, while P2 drivers compete for Rally2 cars – WRC2. P1 cars that retire and restart the next day run before all the P1 and P2 crews.

Following everything being prepared, pace notes and route checked, everyone awaits the opening ceremony to make the tentative breakthrough at the first special stage of the rally.

Step #2: The start of WRC Rally or the maximal attack.

Each rally starts with a festive opening ceremony, which is traditionally held on Thursday’s evening. The crews drive onto a podium, greet the fans and give a quick interview. The event takes place against spectacular backdrops or in the centre of the host city.

Thursday

After the opening ceremony, there are 1-3 stages that crews drive as fast as they can to set their first time. This is the time recorded from the standing start to the flying finish – the end of a stage where the timing stops.

Each WRC rally features competitive special stages and non-competitive road sections (liaison sections or public roads) that gather all stages together.

While rally crews complete specials with maximum push, at the liaison legs they have a target time – officially allowed for a WRC car to complete the section. If competitors check-in earlier or later than their target time, they will be penalized.

Each WRC rally has between 15 and 25 special stages. Drivers battle one at a time to complete these stages as quickly as possible. Therefore, to make it as efficient as possible, the co-driver reads detailed pace notes explaining the route accuracy as much as the driver can racing with the closed eyes.

After time control – the place where cars must stop, the driver gives the interview, while the co-driver gives the time card. Time card is a record of stage times and time control arrival times throughout the rally. As the rally progresses, officials stamp the card and prove a competitor’s whereabouts in case of a dispute.

Maximal attack

But even the fastest time on Thursday does not guarantee success, since conditions change. If Thursday’s WRC racing program is held in the city during the evening, crews head to different conditions on Friday.

Saturday and Friday are the most challenging days when major drama comes, and everything is possible. Crews pass the most special stages on Friday or Saturday, depending on the rally racing program.

Sometimes the route may include a Super-Special Stage (SSS), which has two parallel tracks that enable two drivers to race each other. Super-special stages are run in city centre locations and set up in sports stadiums, like Rally Japan in 2022 at Toyota Stadium.

However, for those who survive after Friday and Saturday, there is Sunday’s finale.

Step #3: Sunday’s finale and the Power Stage

Sunday mornings start early and after a few stages, there is a nervous break before the last chance to score.

The crew that completes all the stages in the shortest cumulative time is the rally winner. They allocated WRC points to the top 10 finishers on a 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 basis in both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships.

Power Stage is the final stage of WRC Rally, where the five fastest crews get extra World Championship points in the driver’s standings: 5-4-3-2-1.

That is where the drama arises as the drivers compete against each other. Nervousness is launched long before the start and remains long after the finish.

Remarkably, Ott Tänak, Thierry Neuville and Sébastien Ogier lead the most points in the Power Stage

So that is how WRC works – the serious test of rally champions’ professional features!

What challenges do rally drivers face racing the WRC Rally?

Every WRC driver and co-driver has been preparing for the rally for a long time. That is for a reason. While race fans start with breathtakingly fast rally cars, drivers must pass a comprehensive test during each rally. In short, it is all about physical endurance, rallying skills, the ability to adapt fast to changing conditions, patience and accuracy.

Rally drivers must be ready for:

Weather conditions are changing.

WRC teams also have strategists on staff, but it is the driver who is most responsible for maintaining pace in various weather conditions. Whether the sun shines or rains on the dust, rally drivers feel the changes firsthand.

Therefore, the ability to adapt to changing conditions and find the right strategy is crucial in WRC racing.

2022 Rally Croatia became a real challenge, when on the second day thick fog covered the roads and made rallying dangerous. Hyundai drivers Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville faced visibility problems. Kalle Rovanperä just switched to the conditions, adapted quickly to the fog, and found the best tyre strategy. Finn made the world talk about his brilliant victory.

Finding the most effective rally car set-up

Rally car set-up is the choice of tires, suspension adjustments and many other elements to give a WRC car maximum performance. Thus, even in ice and snow, rally cars can cope easily, as special rally winter tires have studs – metal spikes fitted to their treads to give maximum grip.

The WRC car, however, is a tough machine with many optional set-up variations.

WRC Rally car insights

The FIA WRC championship switched to hybrid rally cars in 2022. WRC Rally1 cars are equipped with 1.6-litre turbocharged engines, with a 100kW (134bhp in old money) motor fed through Regen braking – aka hybrid. With recouping energy, drivers get a three-second boost worth roughly 500 hp (372 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque with petrol and electricity combined.

WRC rally cars are fast and accelerate from 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds. However, in 2022 Rally Sweden, Hyundai I20 rally cars reached the fastest average speed of around 192 km/h (with peaks around 200 km/h).

However, the rally cars need to be set up for such performance. WRC Rally racing has some key focus points.

Aerodynamics

Rally cars have big spoilers, splitters and other shaped panels on the bodywork to direct cool air around the engine, gearbox and brakes. Another option for aerodynamic elements is to create more downforce and enable more grip at high speeds. WRC cars literally fly at high speeds.

Damper settings

Rally cars have four dampers – one connected to each wheel hub. Dampers absorb road bumps. Soft or hard, dampers are altered to rebound or ride height. Drivers adjust damper settings between stages.

Sequential gearbox

The WRC cars are four-wheel drive and have five-speed sequential gearboxes, where gear selections are typically made by a steering wheel-mounted paddle rather than the traditional ‘H’ gate manual system.

Turbocharger

All WRC cars are equipped with a turbocharger, which develops 4-5 times the pressure of road turbos. While the Anti-Lag System – ALS keeps a car’s turbocharger spinning to ensure turbo boost is always available. Most hybrid Rally1 technical issues relate to the turbocharger.

Further, the WRC uses fossil-free P1 Racing Fuel, a blend of synthetic and biodegradable elements. All these parts explain why WRC rally cars cost so much.

Kalle Rovanperä’s Toyota set-up led him to win the Croatia Rally in 2022, of course. Understanding how to set up the car efficiently is always crucial in changing conditions and mixed road surfaces.

For example, Rally Monte Carlo is one of the oldest and toughest rallies in the WRC. In Monaco, the road surface is composed of gravel, followed by snow, ice, and even snow banks.

Because of the hidden ice, many drivers have retired from the 2022 Rally Monte Carlo. Sebastien Loeb’s surprising victory is another example of rally champion skill.

Because of the hidden snow ice, many drivers have retired from the, while Sebastien Loeb’s surprising victory is yet another example of how skilled a rally champion is.

To show the best in rally racing no matter what.

The challenges in WRC racing may be unpredictable, which is why we love it. Puddles, stones, or rally jumps can be natural obstacles or manually created, like gates or circles on central streets.

Despite the time advantage, Elfyn Evans was forced to withdraw from Rally New Zealand in 2022 after spinning in a huge puddle near a mound of gravel.

In 2019 Rally Mexico, Andreas Mikkelsen lost time opening a gate that was closed during the second running of the Guanajuatito stage in 2019.

Seems to be such a trivial matter, but for drivers it may be crucial and that makes WRC even more thrilling.

Each rally is unique in terms of conditions, but it is Rally Finland where fans can see how rally cars fly, passing the WRC rally best jumps!

Another challenge is wild nature. Rally Safari literally runs alongside African animals like elephants or giraffes.

As such, each driver must be prepared to face the challenge. Otherwise it could happen like when Gus Greensmith crashed his M-Sport Ford at the final Power Stage of Rally Portugal in 2019.

To keep the rules and regulations right

Aside from the above, rally drivers must remember the rules and regulations on special stages and public roads. They must obey all applicable traffic laws regardless of how fast their cars are.

On the final day of the 2021 Croatian Rally, Sébastien Ogier was involved in an accident on a public road. Eight time world rally champion has received a suspended ban and €7000 ($8468) fine. However, Ogier finished the day with a stunning victory at Rally Croatia.

The WRC’s rules and regulations are outlined in the Sporting and Technical Regulations and regulated by the FIA – The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile.

WRC Rules & Regulations

However, rally drivers don’t think about safety, instead they have their own rules to follow, which are also described in the Sporting regulations. Sounds simple, but it is challenging and crews often get time penalties. Sometimes these are well deserved, sometimes not.

Crews are penalized if they arrive late at control points, such as the entrance and exit of the service park or special stage starts.

Regulations

Rally crews are penalized 10 seconds for every minute the car is late to a time control–for instance, a stage start, service-in control, or service-out control. Checking-in early to a time control carries a stiff penalty of one minute for every minute early.

Retirement also has its own rules. Competitors who retire due to mechanical issues or accidents may restart the following day, subject to their car being safe to continue. For every special stage missed following retirement, a competitor incurs a 10-minute penalty. This penalty is added to the fastest stage time recorded by a crew in their technical category.

One of the most interesting aspects of the regulations is that there is no remote service outside of the service park. Drivers and co-drivers are the only engineers outside the service, and their wit is the finest tool they have. And that makes WRC racing even more thrilling.

With the introduction of the hybrid Rally1 car in 2022, the FIA restricted boosting regulations. This is tightly regulated, as there are areas where it is available and others where it is not. These ‘topic’ rules have been the stumbling block in recent times.

Ott Tanak has lost the early lead at Rally New Zealand 2022 in the World Rally Championship. He was given a five-second penalty for overusing a hybrid boost on the opening stage.

DirtFish recently published amazing insights into WRC penalty systems that we recommend you read.

WRC Racing Safety rules

Safety is the FIA’s primary concern. Thus, each stage always starts with a Zero Car- a course car driven through a stage before competitors start to alert spectators that the section is live. Triple zero and double zero cars precede the zero car.

Moreover, safety crews or gravel crews support priority drivers. During asphalt rallies, they report back on weather and surface conditions before competitors.

Also there are scrutineers working at the rally. FIA-sanctioned technical officials check WRC cars’ legality before, during and after each event.

However, spectator safety is the steward’s responsibility. The three-strong panel of officials – the Chairman and one member – are appointed by the FIA and must be of a different nationality from that of the organising country. The third member is appointed by the ASN of the country organising the rally. Stewards can change events and apply penalties if rules are broken.

Like in Formula 1, yellow flags are used in WRC racing. The emergency warning system instructs competitors to immediately reduce speed. The flags may be waved on stage by marshals at radio points.

Additionally, a yellow flag LED light situated on the FIA Emergency Console in every competing car will flash and an alarm will sound in the cockpit. Crews must confirm acknowledgement of the electronic yellow flag by pressing the OK button as soon as they see it. They must immediately reduce speed and maintain this until the end of the stage.

WRC drivers’ safety

Additionally, the FIA improved driver safety. Thus, the crew sits inside a super-strong protective cell surrounded by a roll cage. The Roll Cage is a structure of high carbon steel tubes welded inside the passenger compartment. It is designed to keep the driver and co-driver safe in an impact or roll-over of the rally car.

Crew members are strapped in with six-point wide-strap safety belts, similar to those used in military fighter planes.

The WRC car also features side-impact protection and an automatic fire extinguisher system and the crew wear flameproof overalls and underwear. As in Formula 1, WRC drivers use safety helmets and a head and neck support system – aka HANS device.

One of the most horrific accidents happened with Ott Tanak at Rally Monte Carlo in 2020. The Estonian rally driver ran off the road at high speed exiting a right-left kink. His i20 Coupe WRC dropped down a ditch then entered a lengthy barrel roll. Both he and co-driver Martin Jarveoja escaped injury.

Furthermore, the commission works not only if an accident occurs, but if there are hesitations regarding safety: for example, a dangerous spectators zone or unsafe route may be declined.

In some cases, the WRC safety delegate observes areas where safety issues may arise. As a result, Michele Mouton, the best female rally driver in the past, personally attended the SS5 (special stage) at Rally Finland in 2022. The stage was cancelled.

Remarkable that even motorsport journalists have to pass the safety course, which is necessary to obtain accreditation to work at a rally event.

What is the secret to the World Rally Championship’s popularity?

Imagine that Rally Sweden 2023 watched over 417,000 viewers during Sunday’s finale. With a 20 percent viewership, it was a fifth of all television viewers.

Why is WRC racing so attractive? Is it the combination of high-speed action, technical driving, and spectacular scenery? Or is this the case in different conditions due to the diversity of the destinations? However, rally cars make racing fans stop and stare, as it is impossible to imagine how powerful these monsters are!

Whether these are groups A, B, and N, World Rally cars or hybrid Rally1, these vehicles have millions of fans worldwide. The WRC is so popular because rally cars attract attention.

From Group B cars in the 1980s to hybrid technology in 2022, WRC rally cars have changed.

What are the different WRC categories?

Today, WRC racing includes categories with different types of rally cars: WRC, WRC2, WRC3 and Junior WRC. Both WRC2 (Manufacturer) and WRC3 (Private Teams) are supported series and split into two separate classes.

From safety to cost-savings, WRC classes are about different rally driving levels and engine power. All rally cars are foul wheel driven, but their power varies.

WRC

This is an elite class, which features rally cars of the RC1 technical class, or “World Rally Cars”, or hybrid Rally1 vehicles.
The fastest and most powerful WRC Rally1 cars are the most expensive. Only factory teams and privateers can afford WRC cars due to their massive costs.

With a power-to-weight ratio of 3.1 kg/hp, their 1.6-litre turbo engine delivers more than 380 hp and the four-wheel-drive transmission includes a central differential.

These rally cars are fitted with 36 mm restrictor to limit their power, but they still reach speeds over 200 km/h.

WRC2

WRC2 is another four-wheel-drive category of the FIA World Rally Championship and the home to all Rally2-specification cars, the sport’s second tier behind the hybrid-powered Rally1 cars.
However, this category is complex, as it is suitable for RC2 class and cars like Rally2, NR4 over 2,000 cm3 or Group S2000 with a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. However, R5 is still the latest, fastest and most powerful car in WRC2. R4 cars or “production rally cars” are cheaper alternatives to R5.

With 4.2 kg/hp power to weight ratio, their chassis is modified to incorporate the transmission tunnel and the FT3 fuel bladder, widen the wheel arches and track, and transform the rear suspension into a pseudo McPherson set-up. The engine derived from one used in a series production car, is also modified to achieve 290 hp. Four-wheel drive transmission lacks a central differential.

Moreover, the WRC2 championship works differently.

How does the WRC2 championship work?

The WRC2 class covers every round of the WRC. However, drivers and co-drivers can score points – no more than in seven rounds, as WRC2 teams enter up to six rallies in Europe and one long-haul event.

Thus, the team nominates two drivers per rally to score. Their five highest European scores and the long-haul rally will determine their final standing. Three fastest drivers on the Power stage scored three, two and one points towards their overall championship standing.

WRC3

WRC 3 is even cheaper and more accessible than WRC2, making it a significant starting point for young talents and small teams.
Rally3 cars run in WRC3 and are suitable for the RC3 sporting class. With a 5.6 kg/hp power to weight ratio, Rally3 cars can be described as Rally4s with four-wheel drive. Their chassis must be modified to integrate the four-wheel-drive transmission tunnel and the rear pseudo McPherson suspension. The bodywork, however, remains in its original form. Visually, the Rally3 stands out with its rear wing.

However, the WRC3 racing program is less than other categories. Drivers and co-drivers may nominate five events to score points, counting their best four results.

Thus, a budding rally driver with a private car in the junior class cannot compete against someone from the current WRC. Despite that, it offers an excellent opportunity to begin a racing career in the World Rally Championship.

JWRC

The JWRC or Junior World Rally Championship remains standalone from the WRC support championships, WRC2 and WRC3. M-Sport Poland manages and promotes the competition under contract with the FIA.

The drivers race in identical rally cars, provided and serviced by M-Sport on the entrants’ behalf. The championship takes place over five rounds.

Drivers competing are limited, as the JWRC only accepts racers under 30 years old. However, Sébastien Ogier, Dani Sordo, Elfyn Evans and Thierry Neuville started their careers at JWRC.

Is WRC racing better than F1?

There was a time when WRC was as popular as Formula 1. That was in the 1980s, when Groups A, N and B raced in the World Rally Championship and almost every rally was labeled ‘dangerous’.

The answer depends on personal race fans’ preferences, as these are two quite different racing disciplines that cannot be compared. Rallying, however, is a sport very close to its public, and that is the main difference to Formula 1 with its own pros and cons.

Formula 1 is about racing based on cars’ speed and performance on a designed racing circuit. The World Rally Championship is about racing effectively on closed roads.

However, F1 and WRC cars are bred for speed and cornering. All design elements are designed to achieve the best downforce and speed performance.

F1 and WRC racing are both dangerous and difficult, but in different ways. In the WRC, more elements interfere with the battle, since it involves off-road racing. Therefore, the WRC is more dangerous than Formula 1. The FIA introduced all the latest innovations in driver safety in both disciplines, so both are equal in safety.

Remarkable, but F1 drivers and rally drivers respect and admire their counterparts in other disciplines. Rally cars’ speed amazed McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris at the Ypres Rally Belgium 2022.

Today, F1 is more popular than the WRC. However, the FIA authorities are trying to transform rallying into the F1 Championship. But as a result, it leads to the extinction of the sport, as it opposes rallying’s very nature.

We love WRC because of its amazing rally cars that compete against scenic backdrops. This is where skilled drivers display their outstanding skills through challenges. Here are some insights we always focus on before and during the WRC rally.

WRC Rally racing: what do we focus on?

First, we set up the time widget on our phone (the rally destination point), sync the schedule, and set reminders.

In the second part, there are a few ways to watch WRC racing: through the All Live suscribition (paid), the livestream provided by local TVs (free), and via the new Rally TV that the WRC promoter announced. We use the first option. Besides, rallies highlights are available on YouTube and Red Bull TV.

Third, shakedown results. The pace rally drivers demonstrated on Thursday morning at shakedown are most likely to be repeated. Thus, the top five drivers in shakedown results are naturally the ones who claim victory.

Four, the route and the conditions. According to the WRC schedule, and the route we are also publishing in preview, you can find how many stages and when drivers will pass them. Thus, it’s imperative to remember the distance each day. If rally crews race long distances without services, every error could be critical to them.

Fifth, keep in mind the weather, road surface, and tire choice. You can watch insights on WRC tire choice on YouTube.

Sixth, no conclusions before Sunday. That is our primary rule, since defeat on Friday doesn’t mean the game is over.

Seventh, the start ceremony. In each country, the opening and award ceremonies are authentic and inspiring. Furthermore, the stages along the city streets look very festive.

Eight, remember that the final Power stage always releases rally drivers’ inner demons into the wild. Therefore, the most drama happens here, as it is a chance to fight back, when the tension sometimes is out of control in both senses.

Concluding

Millions of fans follow WRC champiobnship because it is a whole racing world with its own rules, regulations, and terminology. As opposed to Formula 1, the World Rally Championship has quite a different atmosphere, with picturesque views and more unpredictable actions.

Moreover, born from metal, rally cars are true speed monsters, with racing passion in every detail.

Therefore, despite the changes of ages in the WRC, the racing discipline will always hold a special place in race fans’ hearts all over the world.

Frequently asked questions about WRC racing.