World Rally Championship - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The World Rally Championship (WRC) is a rallying

Rallying

Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...

series organised by the FIA

Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...

, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13 three-day events driven on surfaces ranging from gravel and tarmac to snow and ice. Each rally is split into 15-25 special stage

Special stage (rallying)

Special stages are the competitive sections of a stage rally event where the goal is to cover a stretch of closed road in the shortest time. On a special stage cars are set off individually at set intervals to reduce the chances of being impeded by other competitors. Each special stage is a...

s which are run against the clock on closed roads. The sport's commercial rights are administered by International Sportsworld Communicators

International Sportsworld Communicators

North One Sports, formally known as International Sportsworld Communicators, is a United Kingdom based company which owns the commercial rights to the World Rally Championship.-History:...

, who also produce the daily event highlights shown in 186 countries.

The WRC was formed from well-known and popular international rallies, most of which had previously been part of the European Rally Championship

European Rally Championship

The European Rally Championship is the European continental championship series in rallying. It is organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile .-History:...

and/or the International Championship for Manufacturers

International Championship for Manufacturers

The FIA International Championship for Manufacturers was a rally series culminating in a champion manufacturer. The championship was run from 1970 to 1972 and it was replaced by the FIA World Rally Championship in 1973...

, and the series was first contested in 1973. The World Rally Car

World Rally Car

World Rally Car is a term used to describe racing automobiles built to the specification set by the FIA, the international motorsports governing body, and used to compete in the outright class of the World Rally Championship...

is the current car specification in the series. It evolved from Group A

Group A

In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed...

cars which replaced the banned Group B

Group B

Group B was a set of regulations introduced in 1982 for competition vehicles in sportscar racing and rallying regulated by the FIA. The Group B regulations fostered some of the quickest, most powerful and sophisticated rally cars ever built. However, a series of major accidents, some fatal, were...

supercars. World Rally Cars are built on production two-litre four-cylinder cars, but feature turbocharger

Turbocharger

A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...

s, anti-lag

Anti-lag

An anti-lag system is a system used on turbocharged engines to minimize turbo lag.- Overview :ALS was first used in the early days of turbocharged cars in Formula One racing circa mid to late 1980s, until fuel restrictions made its use unsuitable...

systems, four-wheel-drive, sequential gearboxes (paddle shift), aerodynamic parts and other enhancements bringing the price of a WRC car to around US$1 million (€700,000 / £500,000) .

The WRC features three support championships, the Junior World Rally Championship

Junior World Rally Championship

The FIA Junior World Rally Championship is a complementary series to the World Rally Championship as is the Production World Rally Championship , and the Super 2000 World Rally Championship . As JWRC was originally envisioned as a series for developing drivers, it is limited to drivers below the...

(JWRC), the Production World Rally Championship

Production World Rally Championship

The FIA Production World Rally Championship, or PWRC, is a companion rally series to the World Rally Championship, and is driven on the same stages. PWRC is limited to production-based cars homologated under the Group N. The series began in 2002, replacing the FIA Group N Rally Championship...

(PWRC), and the Super 2000 World Rally Championship

Super 2000 World Rally Championship

The FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship or S-WRC, is a companion rally series to the World Rally Championship, and is driven on the same stages. S-WRC is limited to production-based cars homologated under the Super 2000 rules...

(SWRC) which are contested on the same events and stages as the WRC, but with different regulations. The production car, super 2000 and junior entrants race through the stages after the WRC drivers.

History

Group Group (Auto Racing) An FIA Group is a category of car allowed to compete in auto racing. The FIA Appendix J to the international motor sports code defines the various Groups....	Group 4 Group 4 (racing) The Group 4 racing class referred to regulations for cars in sportscar racing, GT racing and rallying, as regulated by the FIA. The Group 4 class was replaced by Group B for the 1983 season.-Production requirements:...							Group B Group B Group B was a set of regulations introduced in 1982 for competition vehicles in sportscar racing and rallying regulated by the FIA. The Group B regulations fostered some of the quickest, most powerful and sophisticated rally cars ever built. However, a series of major accidents, some fatal, were...							Group A Group A In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed...										World Rally Car World Rally Car World Rally Car is a term used to describe racing automobiles built to the specification set by the FIA, the international motorsports governing body, and used to compete in the outright class of the World Rally Championship...

Early

The World Rally Championship was formed from well-known international rallies, nine of which were previously part of the International Championship for Manufacturers

International Championship for Manufacturers

(IMC), which was contested from 1970 to 1972. The 1973 World Rally Championship season was the inaugural season of the WRC and began with the 42ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo on January 19.

Alpine-Renault won the first manufacturer's world championship with its Alpine A110

Alpine A110

The Alpine A110, also known as the "Berlinette", was a sports car produced by the French manufacturer Alpine from 1961 to 1977. The A110 was powered by various Renault engines....

, after which Lancia

Lancia

Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...

took the title three years in a row with the Ferrari V6-powered Lancia Stratos

Lancia Stratos

The Lancia Stratos HF, widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a car made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for High Fidelity...

, the first car designed and manufactured specifically for rallying. The first drivers' world championship was not awarded until 1979, although 1977 and 1978 seasons included an FIA Cup for Drivers, won by Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

's Sandro Munari

Sandro Munari

Sandro Munari is a former motor racing and rally driver from Italy.-Career:Born at Cavarzere, Veneto, Sandro Munari began rallying in 1965 and won the Italian Rally Championship in 1967 and 1969, adding the European Rally Championship title in 1973. In 1972 he won the Targa Florio sports car...

and Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

's Markku Alén

Markku Alén

Markku Allan Alén is a Finnish former rally and race car driver. He drove for Fiat, Lancia, Subaru and Toyota in the World Rally Championship, and held the record for most stage wins in the series until 2011...

respectively. Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

's Björn Waldegård

Björn Waldegård

Björn Waldegård from Rimbo is a former Swedish rally driver, and the winner of the inaugural World Rally Championship for drivers in 1979...

became the first official world champion, edging out Finland's Hannu Mikkola

Hannu Mikkola

Hannu Olavi Mikkola is a retired world champion rally driver. He was a seven time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times.- Career :...

by one point. Fiat

Fiat

FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...

took the manufacters' title with the Fiat 131 Abarth in 1977, 1978 and 1980

1980 World Rally Championship season

The 1980 World Rally Championship season was the eighth season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 12 rallies...

, Ford with its Escort RS1800 in 1979 and Talbot

Talbot

Talbot was an automobile marque that existed from 1903 to 1986, with a hiatus from 1960 to 1978, under a number of different owners, latterly under Peugeot...

with its Sunbeam Lotus in 1981

1981 World Rally Championship season

The 1981 World Rally Championship season was the ninth season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 12 rallies...

. Waldegård was followed by German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

Walter Röhrl

Walter Röhrl is a German rally and auto racing driver, with victories for Fiat, Opel, Lancia and Audi as well as Porsche, Ford and BMW.-Career:...

and Finn Ari Vatanen

Ari Vatanen

Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and Member of the European Parliament 1999–2009. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times....

as drivers' world champions.

Group B era

The 1980s saw the rear-wheel-drive Group 2

Group 2 (racing)

The Group 2 racing class referred to regulations for cars in touring car racing and rallying, as regulated by the FIA. Group 2 was replaced by Group A in 1982....

and the more popular Group 4

Group 4 (racing)

The Group 4 racing class referred to regulations for cars in sportscar racing, GT racing and rallying, as regulated by the FIA. The Group 4 class was replaced by Group B for the 1983 season.-Production requirements:...

cars be replaced by more powerful four-wheel-drive Group B

Group B

cars. FISA

Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile

The Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile was the governing body for motor racing events. The organisation's origins date from 1922, when the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile delegated the organisation of automobile racing to the CSI , an autonomous committee that would later...

legalized all-wheel-drive in 1979, but most manufacturers believed it was too complex to be successful. However, after Audi

Audi

Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....

started entering Mikkola and the new four-wheel-drive Quattro

Audi Quattro

The Audi Quattro is a road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, now part of the Volkswagen Group. It was first shown at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show on 3 March.The word quattro is derived from the Italian word for "four"...

in rallies for testing purposes with immediate success, other manufacturers started their all-wheel-drive projects. Group B regulations were introduced in the 1982 season

1982 World Rally Championship season

The 1982 World Rally Championship season was the tenth season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 12 rallies. By this time, the schedule format had become generally stable, with only one or two changes to venues year to year...

, and with only a few restrictions allowed almost unlimited power. Audi took the constructors' title in 1982 and 1984

1984 World Rally Championship season

The 1984 World Rally Championship season was the 12th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 12 rallies following the same schedule as the previous season. Stig Blomqvist beat the defending world champion and Audi teammate Hannu...

and drivers' title in 1983 (Mikkola) and 1984 (Stig Blomqvist

Stig Blomqvist

"Stig" Lennart Blomqvist is a Swedish rally driver. He made his international breakthrough in 1971. Driving an Audi Quattro for the Audi factory team, Blomqvist won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1984 and finished runner-up in 1985...

). Audi's French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

female driver Michèle Mouton

Michèle Mouton

Michèle Mouton is a French former rally driver. Competing in the World Rally Championship for the Audi factory team, she took four victories and finished runner-up in the drivers' world championship in 1982...

came close to winning the title in 1982, but had to settle for second place after Opel

Opel

Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...

rival Röhrl. 1985

1985 World Rally Championship season

The 1985 World Rally Championship season was the 13th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 12 rallies following the same schedule as the previous season. Peugeot Sport's Timo Salonen beat Audi Sport's Stig Blomqvist and Walter...

title seemed set to go to Vatanen and his Peugeot 205 T16

Peugeot 205

The Peugeot 205 is a supermini produced by the French car manufacturer Peugeot between 1983 and 1998. It was declared 'Car of the Decade' by CAR magazine in 1990. The 205 won 1984 What Car? car of the year.-History:...

but a bad accident at the Rally Argentina

Rally Argentina

The Rally Argentina is an Argentine rally competition that has been both a round of the World Rally Championship and also the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. The rally is also a round of the South American Rally Championship and the Argentine Rally Championship...

left him to watch compatriot and team-mate Timo Salonen

Timo Salonen

Timo Salonen is a Finnish former rally driver and the 1985 world champion for Peugeot. It was commented of him that he stood out from other drivers, because he was overweight, wore thick glasses and smoked heavily, but still remained one of the fastest and most competitive drivers in the sport...

take the title instead. Italian Attilio Bettega

Attilio Bettega

Attilio Bettega was an Italian rally driver.Bettega was born in Molveno, Trentino. In 1982, he joined the Lancia squad driving the Lancia 037 after some years with Fiat. In his Lancia years he gained four podium finishes in rallies counting towards the World Rally Championship...

had even a more severe crash with his Lancia 037

Lancia 037

The Lancia Rally 037 was a mid-engine rally car built by Lancia in the early 1980s purely for the FIA Group B World Rally Championship. Driven by Markku Alén, Attilio Bettega, and Walter Röhrl, the car won Lancia the manufacturers' world championship in the 1983 season...

at the Tour de Corse and died instantly.

The 1986 season

1986 World Rally Championship season

The 1986 World Rally Championship season was the 14th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 13 rallies, including all twelve venues of the previous season as well as the addition of the Olympus Rally...

started with impressive performances by Finns Henri Toivonen

Henri Toivonen

Henri Pauli Toivonen was a Finnish rally driver born in Jyväskylä, the home of Rally Finland. His father, Pauli Toivonen, was the 1968 European Rally Champion for Porsche and his brother, Harri Toivonen, became a professional circuit racer.Toivonen's first World Rally Championship victory came...

and Alén in Lancia's new turbo- and supercharged Delta S4

Lancia Delta S4

The Lancia Delta S4 is a Group B rally car that competed in the World Rally Championship in 1985 and 1986, until Group B cars were banned from competition by the FIA. The car replaced and was an evolution of the Lancia 037 Monte Carlo. The S4 took full advantage of the Group B regulations, and...

, which could reportedly accelerate from 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in 2.3 seconds, on a gravel road. However, the season soon took a dramatic turn. At the Rally Portugal, three spectators were killed and over 30 injured after Joaquim Santos lost control of his Ford RS200

Ford RS200

The Ford RS200 is a mid-engined, four-wheel drive sports car produced by Ford from 1984 to 1986. The road-going RS200 was based on Ford's Group B rally car and was designed to comply with FIA homologation regulations, which required 200 road legal versions be built...

. At the Tour de Corse, championship favourite Toivonen and his co-driver Sergio Cresto

Sergio Cresto

Sergio Cresto was the co-driver of Henri Toivonen at the Lancia Martini team for the 1986 World Rally Championship season. He was also a former co-driver for fellow Lancia employee, the Italian driver Attilio Bettega....

died in a fireball accident after plunging down a cliff. Only hours after the crash, Jean-Marie Balestre

Jean-Marie Balestre

Jean-Marie Balestre was a French auto racing executive, who was president of FISA from 1978 to 1991 and of the FIA from 1985 to 1993.-Biography:Balestre was born at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône....

and the FISA decided to freeze the development of the Group B cars and ban them from competing in 1987. More controversy followed when Peugeot's Juha Kankkunen

Juha Kankkunen

Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen is a Finnish former rally driver. His factory team career in the World Rally Championship lasted from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four drivers' world championship titles, which were both once records in the series...

won the title after FIA annulled the results of the San Remo Rally, taking the title from fellow Finn Alén.

Group A era

As the planned Group S was also cancelled, Group A

Group A

regulations became the standard in the WRC until 1997. A separate Group A championship had been organized as part of the WRC already in 1986, with Sweden's Kenneth Eriksson

Kenneth Eriksson

Kenneth Eriksson is a now retired World Rally Championship rally driver. He drove for several manufacturer teams, including the Subaru World Rally Team, Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Škoda...

taking the title with a Volkswagen Golf GTI 16V. Lancia was quickest in adapting to the new regulations and controlled the world rally scene with Lancia Delta Integrale, winning the constructors' title six years in a row from 1987

1987 World Rally Championship season

The 1987 World Rally Championship season was the 15th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 13 rallies in the same venues of the previous season...

to 1992. Kankkunen and Miki Biasion both took two drivers' titles with the Integrale.

The 1990s then saw the Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese manufacturers, Toyota, Subaru

Subaru

; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...

and Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi

The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...

, become title favourites. Spain's Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz Cenamor is a Spanish rally driver. He won the World Rally Championship drivers' title with Toyota in 1990 and 1992, and finished runner-up four times...

driving for Toyota Team Europe took the 1990

1990 World Rally Championship season

The 1990 World Rally Championship season was the 18th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of 12 rallies. The drivers' world championship was won by Carlos Sainz in a Toyota Celica GT-Four, ahead of Didier Auriol and Juha Kankkunen...

and 1992 titles with a Toyota Celica GT-Four

Toyota Celica GT-Four

The Toyota Celica GT-Four is a high performance model of the Celica liftback, with a turbocharged 3S-GTE engine, and full-time AWD. It was created to compete in the World Rally Championship, whose regulations dictate that a manufacturer must build road-going versions of the vehicle in sufficient...

. Kankkunen moved to Toyota for the 1993 season and won his record fourth title, with Toyota taking its first manufacturers' crown. Frenchman Didier Auriol

Didier Auriol

Didier Auriol is a French rally driver.Born in Montpellier, and initially an ambulance driver, Auriol made his name as a French rally driver in the World Rally Championship throughout the 1990s. He became World Rally Champion in 1994, the first from his country to do so...

brought the team further success in 1994, and soon Subaru and Mitsubishi continued the success of the Japanese constructors. Subaru

Subaru

's Scotsman

Scottish people

The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...

Colin McRae

Colin Steele McRae, MBE was a Scottish rally driver born in Lanark.The son of five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and brother of rally driver Alister McRae, Colin McRae was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion and, in 1995, became the first British person and the youngest to win the...

won the drivers' world championship in 1995 and Subaru took the manufacturers' title three years in a row. Finland's Tommi Mäkinen

Tommi Mäkinen

"Turbo" Tommi Antero Mäkinen , tied with Juha Kankkunen and behind Sébastien Loeb , and fifth in wins .He is a four-time World Rally Champion, a series he first won, and then successfully defended, continuously throughout 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, on all occasions driving the Ralliart Mitsubishi...

driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...

won the drivers' championship four times in a row, from 1996 to 1999. Mitsubishi also won the manufacturers' title in 1998.

World Rally Car era

For the 1997 season, the World Rally Car

World Rally Car

regulations were introduced as an intended replacement for Group A (only successive works Mitsubishis still conforming to the latter formula; until they, too, homologated a Lancer Evolution WRC from the 2001 San Remo Rally). After the success of Mäkinen and the Japanese manufacturers, France's Peugeot made a very successful return to the World Rally Championship. Finn Marcus Grönholm

Marcus Grönholm

Marcus "Bosse" Grönholm is a Finnish former rally driver. Driving for Peugeot, he won the World Rally Championship in 2000 and 2002. After Peugeot withdrew from the World Rally Championship, Grönholm moved to Ford for the 2006 season and placed second in the drivers' world championship, losing the...

took the drivers' title in his first full year in the series and Peugeot won the manufacturers' crown. England's Richard Burns

Richard Burns

Richard Alexander Burns was an English rally driver. He was born in Reading, Berkshire. He was the 2001 World Rally Champion, having previously finished runner-up in the series in 1999 and 2000. He also helped Mitsubishi to the world manufacturers' title in 1998, and Peugeot in 2002...

won the 2001 title with a Subaru Impreza WRC, but Grönholm and Peugeot took back both titles in the 2002 season. 2003 saw Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

's Petter Solberg

Petter Solberg

Petter "Hollywood" Solberg , from Spydeberg in Østfold, Norway, is a professional rally driver. He debuted in the World Rally Championship in 1998 and was signed by the Ford factory team in 1999...

become drivers' champion for Subaru and Citroën

Citroën

Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...

continue the success of the French manufacturers. Citroën's Sébastien Loeb

Sébastien Loeb

Sébastien Loeb is a French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship...

went on to control the following seasons with his Citroën Xsara WRC. Citroën took the constructors' title three times in a row and Loeb surpassed Mäkinen's record of four consecutive drivers' titles earning his seventh consecutive championship in 2010. After many titleless years at the top with their Ford Focus WRC

Ford Focus WRC

The Ford Focus RS WRC is a car built for the Ford World Rally Team by Ford and M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2-litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship. The RS stands for Rallye Sport and the WRC for World Rally Car, the car's FIA specification...

, Ford

BP Ford World Rally Team

The Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, also known as the Ford Motor Co. Team prior to 2005, is Ford Motor Company's full factory World Rally Championship team. In its current form, it has been a competitor since the 1997 season, when Ford Motor Company's motorsport arm selected the Malcolm Wilson...

took the 2006 and 2007

2007 World Rally Championship season

The 2007 World Rally Championship season was the 35th season in the FIA World Rally Championship. The season began on January 19 with the 75ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo and ended on December 2 with the 63rd Wales Rally of Great Britain. Citroën's Sébastien Loeb won the drivers' world...

manufacturers' titles with drivers Marcus Grönholm

Marcus Grönholm

and Mikko Hirvonen

Mikko Hirvonen

Mikko Hirvonen is a Finnish rally driver currently driving for the Citroën Total World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship. He placed third in the drivers' championship and helped Ford to the manufacturers' title in both 2006 and 2007. In 2008, 2009 and 2011, he finished runner-up to...

Structure

Each season normally consists of 13 rallies driven on surfaces ranging from gravel and tarmac to snow and ice. Points from these events are calculated towards the drivers' and manufacturers' world championships. The driver's championship and manufacturer's championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. This means, for example, that Petter Solberg

Petter Solberg

Petter "Hollywood" Solberg , from Spydeberg in Østfold, Norway, is a professional rally driver. He debuted in the World Rally Championship in 1998 and was signed by the Ford factory team in 1999...

driving for Subaru

Subaru World Rally Team

The Subaru World Rally Team was Subaru's World Rally Championship team. It used a distinctive blue with yellow color scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a BAT cigarette brand popular in Asia. 555 logos were found on Subaru cars from 1993 to 2003...

can win the driver's championship but Citroën can win the manufacturer's championship, which is what happened in 2003, and again in 2006 and 2007

2007 World Rally Championship season

when Sébastien Loeb

Sébastien Loeb

Sébastien Loeb is a French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship...

took his third and fourth WRC titles but Ford won the manufacturer's championship. In the current points system, points are awarded at the end of each rally to the top ten WRC (overall), junior

Junior World Rally Championship

, production car

Production World Rally Championship

and super 2000

Super 2000 World Rally Championship

drivers that qualify as follows: 1st: 25 points, 2nd: 18 points, 3rd: 15 points, 4th: 12 points, 5th: 10 points, 6th: 8 points, 7th: 6 points, 8th: 4 points, 9th: 2 points , 10th: 1 point.
Despite how many drivers are in one team, constructors can only nominate two drivers to score points for the team as well as scoring for themselves. As only nominated drivers are counted while awarding points, even competitors placed further down than tenth overall (if preceded by privateer

Privateer (motorsport)

In motor sport, a privateer is usually an entrant into a racing event that is not directly supported by an automobile manufacturer. Privateers teams are often found competing in rally and circuit racing events, and often include competitors who build and maintain their own vehicles...

drivers) can score them.

In the current era, each rally usually consists of 15-35 special stages

Special stage (rallying)

of distances ranging from under 2 km (1.2 mi) (super specials) to over 50 kilometres (31.1 mi). These competitive stages driven on closed roads are linked by non-competitive road sections which are on open roads on which all road laws of that country must be adhered to. On average a day consists of a total of 400 kilometres (248.5 mi) of driving. A WRC event begins with reconnaissance (recce) on Tuesday and Wednesday, allowing crews to drive through the stages and create or update their pace notes. On Thursday, teams can run through the shakedown

Shakedown (testing)

A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...

stage to practice and test their set-ups. The competition begins on Friday and ends on Sunday. Cars start the stages at one or two minute intervals. Each day, or leg
Leg (rallying)
In rallying, a leg is each day of the whole event. For example, as of 2005 each WRC event lasts over 3 legs - from Friday over Saturday to Sunday ....

, has a few designated service parks between the stages, where the teams can – within strict time limits – perform maintenance and repairs on their cars. The service park also allows spectators and the media to get close to the teams and their cars and drivers. Between the days, after a 45-minute end of day service, cars are locked away in the guarded parc fermé

Parc fermé

Parc fermé, literally meaning "closed park" in French, is a term used to describe a secure area at a Grand Prix circuit wherein the cars are driven back to the pits post-race. According to the FIA Formula One regulations, the area must be sufficiently large and secure so as to prevent unauthorised...

Cars

The production-based cars with 1.6 L direct injection

Direct injection

Direct injection may refer to:*A music recording technique more commonly referred to as Direct Input*A method of fuel injection for an internal combustion engine, as in a gasoline direct injection petrol engines and most diesel engines...

turbo engine and four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...

are built to World Rally Car

World Rally Car

regulations for racing across tarmac, gravel and snow. The power output has been limited to around 300 bhp (225 kW). Current cars in the championship include the Citroën DS3 WRC

Citroën DS3 WRC

The Citroën DS3 WRC is the World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing for use from the 2011 World Rally Championship season. It is based upon the Citroën DS3 road car, and replaces the highly successful Citroën C4 WRC...

, Ford Fiesta RS WRC

Ford Fiesta RS WRC

The Ford Fiesta RS WRC is the World Rally Car built for the Ford World Rally Team by Ford and M-Sport for use in the 2011 World Rally Championship season. It is based upon the Ford Fiesta road car, and will replace the Ford Focus RS WRC, which has been competing in various versions since 1999...

and Mini WRC.

The WRC was formerly held for Group A

Group A

and Group B

Group B

rallycars. However, due to the increasing power, lack of reliability and the fatal accidents on the 1986 season

1986 World Rally Championship season

, Group B

Group B

was permanently banned. Later, in 1997, the Group A

Group A

cars evolved into the WRC car spec, to ease the development of new cars and bring new makes to the competition. For 2011 season

2011 World Rally Championship season

The 2011 World Rally Championship season was the 39th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season has 13 rallies, beginning with Rally Sweden on 10 February...

new rules are introduced to encourage more manufacturers (and privateers) to take part because of the economic downturn many manufacturers left championship.

Cars in the Production car World Rally Championship are limited to production-based cars homologated under Group N

Group N

In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group N refers to a set of regulations providing 'standard' production vehicles for competition, often referred to as the "Showroom Class"....

rules. Cars in the Super 2000 World Rally Championship

Super 2000 World Rally Championship

are homologated under Super 2000

Super 2000

Super 2000, also known as S2000, is an FIA specification and classification for production based race cars. The specification is split to cover both rally and touring car racing. Super 2000 rally cars are also permitted to compete in Super 2000 World Rally Championship events...

rules. Most cars in the Junior World Rally Championship

Junior World Rally Championship

are homologated under Super 1600

Super 1600

Super 1600 is a rally car formula that is primarily used in the Junior World Rally Championship, as well as various national rally championships. Any automobile manufacturer that has a suitable road-going production model in its range may develop a specification for use in this formula...

rules, but Group N and selected Group A cars can also contest the series.

Teams and drivers

20 different manufacturers have won a World Rally Championship event, and a further ten have finished on the podium.

Suzuki

Suzuki World Rally Team

The Suzuki World Rally Team, also known as the Suzuki WRC Challenge was Suzuki's factory backed World Rally Championship team, as part of the Suzuki Sport organization. The team debuted for the first time at the 2007 Tour de Corse in France...

and Subaru

Subaru World Rally Team

pulled out of the WRC at the end of the 2008 championship

2008 World Rally Championship season

The 2008 World Rally Championship season was the 36th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of 15 rallies and began on January 24, with the 2008 Monte Carlo Rally....

, both citing the economic downturn currently affecting the automotive industry for their withdrawal.

A typical WRC team will consist of about 40 people on the events, with a further 60-100 at the team base.

Manufacturers and manufacturer-backed teams usually have two or three drivers participating in each rally and eligible to score points. The total number of crews (driver and his co-driver

Co-driver

Co-driver is the term given to the navigator of rally car in the sport of rally racing, who sits in the front passenger seat. The co-driver's job is to navigate, by reading off a set of pacenotes to the driver, often over a radio headset, due to the high level of noise in the car...

) in the rallies varied from 47 (Monte Carlo

2007 Monte Carlo Rally

The 75ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo , the first round of the 2007 World Rally Championship season, took place between January 19 and 21, 2007.- Pre-event :...

and Mexico

2007 Rally México

The 21º Corona Rally México, the fourth round of the 2007 World Rally Championship season, took place between March 9–11 2007. The rally consisted of 20 special stages, of which five were super specials...

) to 108 (Great Britain

2007 Rally GB

Results of Rally GB , 16th round of 2007 World Rally Championship, run on November 30 - December 2:- Results :...

) during the 2007 season

2007 World Rally Championship season

Rallies

See 2011 WRC season for a list of rallies.

TV

ISC

International Sportsworld Communicators

North One Sports, formally known as International Sportsworld Communicators, is a United Kingdom based company which owns the commercial rights to the World Rally Championship.-History:...

TV produce daily updates of each event after the day's stages have finished and the TV coverage has been processed. These daily highlight programs are around 30 minutes in duration and cover in depth the day's stages, with in-car footage as well as driver interviews. Before the rally there is also a Rally Preview that normally incorporates special driver, technical and team features as well as providing an overview of the upcoming rally's route. There is also a review program, which lasts approximately an hour, that summarises the rally and the big events that took place during the duration; the stages are not in such detail as the daily updates as it is a review program.

This is then shown in 186 different countries in multiple languages, each day of the event. The make up and format for the telecast can change from country to country depending on the local broadcaster but it all uses ISC TV feeds. ISC TV also provides coverage of all of the events in the Junior World Rally Championship

Junior World Rally Championship

and the Production World Rally Championship

Production World Rally Championship

in a 26-minute highlights package.

Also produced after each event is the lifestyle entertainment programme called WRC All Access, focused on a behind the scenes experience of WRC life, both on and off the road. These programmes focus on all elements of each country visited including culture, food, people, attractions as well as the WRC event itself. Rally World, a weekly rally programme reviews events from all around the planet, including the WRC, the PWRC, the JWRC as well as Asia Pacific Rally Championship, the Australian Rally Championship

Australian Rally Championship

The Australian Rally Championship is a 6 Round National motorsport Championship run in forested countryside throughout Australia.-Current Competition:...

and the Middle East Rally Championship

Middle East Rally Championship

The Middle East Rally Championship is one of the official annual rally championships run by the FIA.The 2011 Events are as follows:-2010 season:The 2010 Events and winners:-Past champions:-Previous rally winners:...

among others.

In the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, there is no free-to-air coverage of the 2011 season, as it is broadcast by digital channel ESPN

ESPN (UK)

ESPN is a sports television channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland owned by American sports broadcaster ESPN Inc. The channel launched on 3 August 2009...

, which for Freeview viewers, is only available by subscription.

During the 2007 season

2007 World Rally Championship season

, the cumulative worldwide TV audience for ISC's WRC programming was 816 million. The programming was available in over 180 countries, and was broadcast on over 250 different TV channels. The total number of dedicated broadcasts was 12,445, and the total number of hours of coverage was 5,457.

Radio

Live radio coverage is provided in English by World Rally Radio

World Rally Radio

World Rally Radio is the official radio station of the FIA World Rally Championship, broadcasting live on the Internet.- General :World Rally Radio follows the teams and drivers around all rounds of the championship. The station broadcasts 24/7, with live coverage at each event. Content includes...

via the Internet, featuring end of stage reports direct from the drivers and teams plus service park news. It also features contemporary music during breaks in rally coverage. This coverage can even simulcast on local radio or via a temporary licence, pending on the event and its organisers. They are also responsible for producing podcasts for each day of each event available for download.

Internet Streaming

Coverage is provided on the WRC website via video on demand, featuring races, interviews and exclusive behind-the-scene content.

It was announced that trials for live coverage would be available during the 2011 Rallye de France Alcase race.

Champions

Season	Championship for Drivers		Championship for Manufacturers
Season	Driver	Car	Manufacturer	Car
2011 2011 World Rally Championship season The 2011 World Rally Championship season was the 39th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season has 13 rallies, beginning with Rally Sweden on 10 February...	Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb is a French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship...	Citroën DS3 WRC Citroën DS3 WRC The Citroën DS3 WRC is the World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing for use from the 2011 World Rally Championship season. It is based upon the Citroën DS3 road car, and replaces the highly successful Citroën C4 WRC...	Citroën Citroën Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...	Citroën DS3 WRC Citroën DS3 WRC The Citroën DS3 WRC is the World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing for use from the 2011 World Rally Championship season. It is based upon the Citroën DS3 road car, and replaces the highly successful Citroën C4 WRC...
2010 2010 World Rally Championship season The 2010 World Rally Championship season was the 38th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of 13 rallies, beginning with Rally Sweden on 11 February and ended Wales Rally GB on 14 November....	Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb is a French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship...	Citroën C4 WRC Citroën C4 WRC The Citroën C4 WRC is a World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing to compete in the World Rally Championship. It is based upon the Citroën C4 road car and replaced the Citroën Xsara WRC...	Citroën Citroën Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...	Citroën C4 WRC Citroën C4 WRC The Citroën C4 WRC is a World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing to compete in the World Rally Championship. It is based upon the Citroën C4 road car and replaced the Citroën Xsara WRC...
2009 2009 World Rally Championship season The 2009 World Rally Championship season was the 37th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of twelve rallies and began on 30 January, with Rally Ireland and ended with Rally GB on 25 October. Sébastien Loeb won the World Drivers' championship at Rally GB by one point...	Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb is a French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship...	Citroën C4 WRC Citroën C4 WRC The Citroën C4 WRC is a World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing to compete in the World Rally Championship. It is based upon the Citroën C4 road car and replaced the Citroën Xsara WRC...	Citroën Citroën Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...	Citroën C4 WRC Citroën C4 WRC The Citroën C4 WRC is a World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing to compete in the World Rally Championship. It is based upon the Citroën C4 road car and replaced the Citroën Xsara WRC...
2008 2008 World Rally Championship season The 2008 World Rally Championship season was the 36th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of 15 rallies and began on January 24, with the 2008 Monte Carlo Rally....	Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb is a French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship...	Citroën C4 WRC Citroën C4 WRC The Citroën C4 WRC is a World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing to compete in the World Rally Championship. It is based upon the Citroën C4 road car and replaced the Citroën Xsara WRC...	Citroën Citroën Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...	Citroën C4 WRC Citroën C4 WRC The Citroën C4 WRC is a World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing to compete in the World Rally Championship. It is based upon the Citroën C4 road car and replaced the Citroën Xsara WRC...
2007 2007 World Rally Championship season The 2007 World Rally Championship season was the 35th season in the FIA World Rally Championship. The season began on January 19 with the 75ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo and ended on December 2 with the 63rd Wales Rally of Great Britain. Citroën's Sébastien Loeb won the drivers' world...	Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb is a French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship...	Citroën C4 WRC Citroën C4 WRC The Citroën C4 WRC is a World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing to compete in the World Rally Championship. It is based upon the Citroën C4 road car and replaced the Citroën Xsara WRC...	Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...	Ford Focus RS WRC
2006	Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb is a French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship...	Citroën Xsara WRC	Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...	Ford Focus RS WRC
2005	Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb is a French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship...	Citroën Xsara WRC	Citroën Citroën Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...	Citroën Xsara WRC
2004	Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb Sébastien Loeb is a French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship...	Citroën Xsara WRC	Citroën Citroën Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...	Citroën Xsara WRC
2003	Petter Solberg Petter Solberg Petter "Hollywood" Solberg , from Spydeberg in Østfold, Norway, is a professional rally driver. He debuted in the World Rally Championship in 1998 and was signed by the Ford factory team in 1999...	Subaru Impreza WRC	Citroën Citroën Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...	Citroën Xsara WRC
2002	Marcus Grönholm Marcus Grönholm Marcus "Bosse" Grönholm is a Finnish former rally driver. Driving for Peugeot, he won the World Rally Championship in 2000 and 2002. After Peugeot withdrew from the World Rally Championship, Grönholm moved to Ford for the 2006 season and placed second in the drivers' world championship, losing the...	Peugeot 206 WRC Peugeot 206 WRC Peugeot 206 WRC is a World Rally Car based on the Peugeot 206. It was used by Peugeot Sport, Peugeot's factory team, in the World Rally Championship from 1999 to 2003. The car brought Peugeot the manufacturers' world title three years in a row from 2000 to 2002...	Peugeot Peugeot Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...	Peugeot 206 WRC Peugeot 206 WRC Peugeot 206 WRC is a World Rally Car based on the Peugeot 206. It was used by Peugeot Sport, Peugeot's factory team, in the World Rally Championship from 1999 to 2003. The car brought Peugeot the manufacturers' world title three years in a row from 2000 to 2002...
2001	Richard Burns Richard Burns Richard Alexander Burns was an English rally driver. He was born in Reading, Berkshire. He was the 2001 World Rally Champion, having previously finished runner-up in the series in 1999 and 2000. He also helped Mitsubishi to the world manufacturers' title in 1998, and Peugeot in 2002...	Subaru Impreza WRC	Peugeot Peugeot Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...	Peugeot 206 WRC Peugeot 206 WRC Peugeot 206 WRC is a World Rally Car based on the Peugeot 206. It was used by Peugeot Sport, Peugeot's factory team, in the World Rally Championship from 1999 to 2003. The car brought Peugeot the manufacturers' world title three years in a row from 2000 to 2002...
2000	Marcus Grönholm Marcus Grönholm Marcus "Bosse" Grönholm is a Finnish former rally driver. Driving for Peugeot, he won the World Rally Championship in 2000 and 2002. After Peugeot withdrew from the World Rally Championship, Grönholm moved to Ford for the 2006 season and placed second in the drivers' world championship, losing the...	Peugeot 206 WRC Peugeot 206 WRC Peugeot 206 WRC is a World Rally Car based on the Peugeot 206. It was used by Peugeot Sport, Peugeot's factory team, in the World Rally Championship from 1999 to 2003. The car brought Peugeot the manufacturers' world title three years in a row from 2000 to 2002...	Peugeot Peugeot Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...	Peugeot 206 WRC Peugeot 206 WRC Peugeot 206 WRC is a World Rally Car based on the Peugeot 206. It was used by Peugeot Sport, Peugeot's factory team, in the World Rally Championship from 1999 to 2003. The car brought Peugeot the manufacturers' world title three years in a row from 2000 to 2002...
1999	Tommi Mäkinen Tommi Mäkinen "Turbo" Tommi Antero Mäkinen , tied with Juha Kankkunen and behind Sébastien Loeb , and fifth in wins .He is a four-time World Rally Champion, a series he first won, and then successfully defended, continuously throughout 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, on all occasions driving the Ralliart Mitsubishi...	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...	Toyota	Toyota Corolla WRC
1998	Tommi Mäkinen Tommi Mäkinen "Turbo" Tommi Antero Mäkinen , tied with Juha Kankkunen and behind Sébastien Loeb , and fifth in wins .He is a four-time World Rally Champion, a series he first won, and then successfully defended, continuously throughout 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, on all occasions driving the Ralliart Mitsubishi...	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...	Mitsubishi Mitsubishi The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...
1997	Tommi Mäkinen Tommi Mäkinen "Turbo" Tommi Antero Mäkinen , tied with Juha Kankkunen and behind Sébastien Loeb , and fifth in wins .He is a four-time World Rally Champion, a series he first won, and then successfully defended, continuously throughout 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, on all occasions driving the Ralliart Mitsubishi...	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...	Subaru Subaru ; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...	Subaru Impreza WRC
1996	Tommi Mäkinen Tommi Mäkinen "Turbo" Tommi Antero Mäkinen , tied with Juha Kankkunen and behind Sébastien Loeb , and fifth in wins .He is a four-time World Rally Champion, a series he first won, and then successfully defended, continuously throughout 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, on all occasions driving the Ralliart Mitsubishi...	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...	Subaru Subaru ; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...	Subaru Impreza 555
1995	Colin McRae Colin McRae Colin Steele McRae, MBE was a Scottish rally driver born in Lanark.The son of five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and brother of rally driver Alister McRae, Colin McRae was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion and, in 1995, became the first British person and the youngest to win the...	Subaru Impreza 555	Subaru Subaru ; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...	Subaru Impreza 555
1994	Didier Auriol Didier Auriol Didier Auriol is a French rally driver.Born in Montpellier, and initially an ambulance driver, Auriol made his name as a French rally driver in the World Rally Championship throughout the 1990s. He became World Rally Champion in 1994, the first from his country to do so...	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD	Toyota	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
1993	Juha Kankkunen Juha Kankkunen Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen is a Finnish former rally driver. His factory team career in the World Rally Championship lasted from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four drivers' world championship titles, which were both once records in the series...	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD	Toyota	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
1992	Carlos Sainz Carlos Sainz Carlos Sainz Cenamor is a Spanish rally driver. He won the World Rally Championship drivers' title with Toyota in 1990 and 1992, and finished runner-up four times...	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD	Lancia Lancia Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...	Lancia Delta HF Integrale Lancia Delta Group A The Lancia Delta Group A is a Group A rally car built for the Martini Lancia by Lancia to compete in the World Rally Championship. It is based upon the Lancia Delta road car and replaced the Lancia Delta S4...
1991 1991 World Rally Championship season The 1991 World Rally Championship season was the 19th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 14 rallies. The drivers' world championship was won by Juha Kankkunen in a Lancia Delta Integrale 16V, ahead of Carlos Sainz and Didier...	Juha Kankkunen Juha Kankkunen Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen is a Finnish former rally driver. His factory team career in the World Rally Championship lasted from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four drivers' world championship titles, which were both once records in the series...	Lancia Delta Integrale 16V	Lancia Lancia Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...	Lancia Delta Integrale 16V Lancia Delta Group A The Lancia Delta Group A is a Group A rally car built for the Martini Lancia by Lancia to compete in the World Rally Championship. It is based upon the Lancia Delta road car and replaced the Lancia Delta S4...
1990 1990 World Rally Championship season The 1990 World Rally Championship season was the 18th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of 12 rallies. The drivers' world championship was won by Carlos Sainz in a Toyota Celica GT-Four, ahead of Didier Auriol and Juha Kankkunen...	Carlos Sainz Carlos Sainz Carlos Sainz Cenamor is a Spanish rally driver. He won the World Rally Championship drivers' title with Toyota in 1990 and 1992, and finished runner-up four times...	Toyota Celica GT-Four Toyota Celica GT-Four The Toyota Celica GT-Four is a high performance model of the Celica liftback, with a turbocharged 3S-GTE engine, and full-time AWD. It was created to compete in the World Rally Championship, whose regulations dictate that a manufacturer must build road-going versions of the vehicle in sufficient...	Lancia Lancia Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...	Lancia Delta Integrale 16V Lancia Delta Group A The Lancia Delta Group A is a Group A rally car built for the Martini Lancia by Lancia to compete in the World Rally Championship. It is based upon the Lancia Delta road car and replaced the Lancia Delta S4...
1989 1989 World Rally Championship season The 1989 World Rally Championship season was the 17th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 13 rallies, with some adjustments to the schedule versus the previous season...	Miki Biasion Massimo Biasion Massimo 'Miki' Biasion is an Italian rally driver, two times world rally champion.-Career:Born at Bassano del Grappa, Biasion came to prominence in the early 1980s, winning both the Italian and European Rally Championships in 1983, driving a Lancia 037...	Lancia Delta Integrale	Lancia Lancia Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...	Lancia Delta Integrale 8V Lancia Delta Group A The Lancia Delta Group A is a Group A rally car built for the Martini Lancia by Lancia to compete in the World Rally Championship. It is based upon the Lancia Delta road car and replaced the Lancia Delta S4...
1988 1988 World Rally Championship season The 1988 World Rally Championship season was the 16th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship...	Miki Biasion Massimo Biasion Massimo 'Miki' Biasion is an Italian rally driver, two times world rally champion.-Career:Born at Bassano del Grappa, Biasion came to prominence in the early 1980s, winning both the Italian and European Rally Championships in 1983, driving a Lancia 037...	Lancia Delta Integrale	Lancia Lancia Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...	Lancia Delta Integrale 8V Lancia Delta Group A The Lancia Delta Group A is a Group A rally car built for the Martini Lancia by Lancia to compete in the World Rally Championship. It is based upon the Lancia Delta road car and replaced the Lancia Delta S4...
1987 1987 World Rally Championship season The 1987 World Rally Championship season was the 15th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 13 rallies in the same venues of the previous season...	Juha Kankkunen Juha Kankkunen Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen is a Finnish former rally driver. His factory team career in the World Rally Championship lasted from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four drivers' world championship titles, which were both once records in the series...	Lancia Delta HF 4WD	Lancia Lancia Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...	Lancia Delta HF 4WD Lancia Delta Group A The Lancia Delta Group A is a Group A rally car built for the Martini Lancia by Lancia to compete in the World Rally Championship. It is based upon the Lancia Delta road car and replaced the Lancia Delta S4...
1986 1986 World Rally Championship season The 1986 World Rally Championship season was the 14th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 13 rallies, including all twelve venues of the previous season as well as the addition of the Olympus Rally...	Juha Kankkunen Juha Kankkunen Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen is a Finnish former rally driver. His factory team career in the World Rally Championship lasted from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four drivers' world championship titles, which were both once records in the series...	Peugeot 205 Turbo 16	Peugeot Peugeot Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...	Peugeot 205 Turbo 16
1985 1985 World Rally Championship season The 1985 World Rally Championship season was the 13th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 12 rallies following the same schedule as the previous season. Peugeot Sport's Timo Salonen beat Audi Sport's Stig Blomqvist and Walter...	Timo Salonen Timo Salonen Timo Salonen is a Finnish former rally driver and the 1985 world champion for Peugeot. It was commented of him that he stood out from other drivers, because he was overweight, wore thick glasses and smoked heavily, but still remained one of the fastest and most competitive drivers in the sport...	Peugeot 205 Turbo 16	Peugeot Peugeot Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...	Peugeot 205 Turbo 16
1984 1984 World Rally Championship season The 1984 World Rally Championship season was the 12th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 12 rallies following the same schedule as the previous season. Stig Blomqvist beat the defending world champion and Audi teammate Hannu...	Stig Blomqvist Stig Blomqvist "Stig" Lennart Blomqvist is a Swedish rally driver. He made his international breakthrough in 1971. Driving an Audi Quattro for the Audi factory team, Blomqvist won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1984 and finished runner-up in 1985...	Audi Quattro Audi Quattro The Audi Quattro is a road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, now part of the Volkswagen Group. It was first shown at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show on 3 March.The word quattro is derived from the Italian word for "four"...	Audi Audi Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....	Audi Quattro Audi Quattro The Audi Quattro is a road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, now part of the Volkswagen Group. It was first shown at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show on 3 March.The word quattro is derived from the Italian word for "four"...
1983	Hannu Mikkola Hannu Mikkola Hannu Olavi Mikkola is a retired world champion rally driver. He was a seven time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times.- Career :...	Audi Quattro Audi Quattro The Audi Quattro is a road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, now part of the Volkswagen Group. It was first shown at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show on 3 March.The word quattro is derived from the Italian word for "four"...	Lancia Lancia Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...	Lancia Rally 037
1982 1982 World Rally Championship season The 1982 World Rally Championship season was the tenth season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 12 rallies. By this time, the schedule format had become generally stable, with only one or two changes to venues year to year...	Walter Röhrl Walter Röhrl Walter Röhrl is a German rally and auto racing driver, with victories for Fiat, Opel, Lancia and Audi as well as Porsche, Ford and BMW.-Career:...	Opel Ascona 400	Audi Audi Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....	Audi Quattro Audi Quattro The Audi Quattro is a road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, now part of the Volkswagen Group. It was first shown at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show on 3 March.The word quattro is derived from the Italian word for "four"...
1981 1981 World Rally Championship season The 1981 World Rally Championship season was the ninth season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 12 rallies...	Ari Vatanen Ari Vatanen Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and Member of the European Parliament 1999–2009. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times....	Ford Escort RS1800	Talbot Talbot Talbot was an automobile marque that existed from 1903 to 1986, with a hiatus from 1960 to 1978, under a number of different owners, latterly under Peugeot...	Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
1980 1980 World Rally Championship season The 1980 World Rally Championship season was the eighth season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 12 rallies...	Walter Röhrl Walter Röhrl Walter Röhrl is a German rally and auto racing driver, with victories for Fiat, Opel, Lancia and Audi as well as Porsche, Ford and BMW.-Career:...	Fiat 131 Abarth	Fiat Fiat FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...	Fiat 131 Abarth
1979	Björn Waldegård Björn Waldegård Björn Waldegård from Rimbo is a former Swedish rally driver, and the winner of the inaugural World Rally Championship for drivers in 1979...	Ford Escort RS1800*	Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...	Ford Escort RS1800
1978	Markku Alén Markku Alén Markku Allan Alén is a Finnish former rally and race car driver. He drove for Fiat, Lancia, Subaru and Toyota in the World Rally Championship, and held the record for most stage wins in the series until 2011... ***	Fiat 131 Abarth**	Fiat Fiat FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...	Fiat 131 Abarth
1977	Sandro Munari Sandro Munari Sandro Munari is a former motor racing and rally driver from Italy.-Career:Born at Cavarzere, Veneto, Sandro Munari began rallying in 1965 and won the Italian Rally Championship in 1967 and 1969, adding the European Rally Championship title in 1973. In 1972 he won the Targa Florio sports car... ***	Lancia Stratos HF Lancia Stratos HF The Lancia Stratos HF, widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a car made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for High Fidelity...	Fiat Fiat FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...	Fiat 131 Abarth
1976	No drivers' championship		Lancia Lancia Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...	Lancia Stratos HF Lancia Stratos HF The Lancia Stratos HF, widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a car made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for High Fidelity...
1975	No drivers' championship		Lancia Lancia Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...	Lancia Stratos HF Lancia Stratos HF The Lancia Stratos HF, widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a car made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for High Fidelity...
1974	No drivers' championship		Lancia Lancia Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...	Lancia Stratos HF Lancia Stratos HF The Lancia Stratos HF, widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a car made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for High Fidelity...
1973	No drivers' championship		Alpine-Renault Alpine (car) Alpine was a French manufacturer of racing and sports cars that used rear-mounted Renault engines.Jean Rédélé , the founder of Alpine, was originally a Dieppe garage proprietor, who began to achieve considerable competition success in one of the few French cars produced just after World War...	Alpine A110 Alpine A110 The Alpine A110, also known as the "Berlinette", was a sports car produced by the French manufacturer Alpine from 1961 to 1977. The A110 was powered by various Renault engines....
* - Björn Waldegård Björn Waldegård Björn Waldegård from Rimbo is a former Swedish rally driver, and the winner of the inaugural World Rally Championship for drivers in 1979... drove a Mercedes 450 SLC in two rallies in 1979
** - Markku Alén Markku Alén Markku Allan Alén is a Finnish former rally and race car driver. He drove for Fiat, Lancia, Subaru and Toyota in the World Rally Championship, and held the record for most stage wins in the series until 2011... drove a Lancia Stratos HF Lancia Stratos HF The Lancia Stratos HF, widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a car made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for High Fidelity... in two rallies in 1978
*** - In 1977 and 1978, the drivers championship was the FIA Cup for Rally Drivers
No drivers title 1973-1976

Other classes

The World Rally Championship also features support championships called the Production car World Rally Championship (PWRC), the Junior World Rally Championship

Junior World Rally Championship

(JWRC) and the Super 2000 World Rally Championship

Super 2000 World Rally Championship

(SWRC). These championships are contested on the same events and stages as the WRC. In 2008, The PWRC includes eight and the JWRC seven events. In 2007, the junior championship had no events outside Europe so it was known simply as the Junior Rally Championship (JRC).

The Production car World Rally Championship (P-WRC)began in 2002, replacing the FIA Group N

Group N

In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group N refers to a set of regulations providing 'standard' production vehicles for competition, often referred to as the "Showroom Class"....

Cup which had been contested from 1987. Cars in the championship are production-based and homologated under Group N rules.

The Junior World Rally Championship (J-WRC) was started in 2001, and can be contested with Super 1600

Super 1600

, Group N and selected Group A

Group A

cars. Drivers in the championship have to be 28 years or younger. There is no age limit for co-driver

Co-driver

s.

The Super 2000 World Rally Championship (S-WRC) was started in 2010. Within the Super 2000 category are competitions for drivers (known as the S-WRC) and another for teams (the World Rally Championship Cup). The cars in the championship are under the Super 2000

Super 2000

rules.

The World Rally Championship Ladies Cup ran from 1990 to 1995 and could be won by any class of car. Louise Aitken-Walker

Louise Aitken-Walker

Louise Aitken-Walker MBE is a British rally and saloon car racing driver. Aitken-Walker entered competition in 1979 and finished 19th in her first Rally GB two years later...

was the first winner.

Video games

There have been many video games based on the World Rally Championship, and due to lack of licenses, many more based on only certain cars, drivers or events. Sega Rally was released in 1995, V-Rally and Top Gear Rally
Top Gear Rally
Top Gear Rally is a rally game for the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance. The Game Boy Color version was released under the name Top Gear Pocket, although the European release uses the original name. It features five tracks. It has a feature that allows the user to give their virtual...

in 1997 and the first game in the very popular Colin McRae Rally
Colin McRae Rally
Colin McRae Rally and more recently; Dirt, is a racing video game series developed and published by Codemasters.Started in 1998, the franchise has been a critical and commercial success and is generally acknowledged as a pioneer of realistic rally sports racing games...

series in 1998. Rally Trophy
Rally Trophy
Rally Trophy is a historic PC rally simulation, created by Bugbear Entertainment and JoWood Productions. The cars modelled are Mini Cooper 1275S, Saab 96 V4, Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA, Fiat 600 Abarth, Opel Kadett, Lancia Fulvia, Ford Cortina, Ford Escort MK1 RS2000, Volvo Amazon, Alpine A110 and...

, released in 2001 for Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

by Bugbear

Bugbear Entertainment

Bugbear Entertainment Ltd. is a Finnish video game company. It was established in March, 2000 and employed 40 employees as in 2007. The company solely focuses on various kinds of racing games.- Released games :- Upcoming games :...

, concentrated on historic cars such as Alpine A110

Alpine A110

The Alpine A110, also known as the "Berlinette", was a sports car produced by the French manufacturer Alpine from 1961 to 1977. The A110 was powered by various Renault engines....

and Lancia Stratos

Lancia Stratos

The Lancia Stratos HF, widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a car made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for High Fidelity...

. RalliSport Challenge
Rallisport Challenge
RalliSport Challenge is a 2002 video game of rallying for the Microsoft Windows and the Xbox. It allows a career with up to 29 cars including the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 and the Suzuki Grand Vitara. Four races that are included in the game are Rally, Hillclimb, Ice Racing, and Rallycross...

, released in 2002 for Windows and Xbox

Xbox

The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...

by Digital Illusions CE

Digital Illusions CE

EA Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment AB is a Swedish video game developer, wholly owned by Electronic Arts, best known for the Battlefield video game series and Mirror's Edge.-History:...

, featured classic Group B

Group B

cars and hillclimb

Hillclimbing

Hillclimbing is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course....

models along with modern WRC cars.

Fully FIA licensed WRC: World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship (video game series)
World Rally Championship is a video game series made by Evolution Studios between 2001 and 2005. The series consists of five original games released for the Sony PlayStation 2 console, and one Sony PSP port, all based on the World Rally Championship using official drivers, cars and tracks...

was released in 2001 for PlayStation 2

PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...

by Evolution Studios

Evolution Studios

Evolution Studios Ltd. is a British video game developer. The company was founded in 1999 by Martin Kenwright and Ian Hetherington , following the purchase of DID's publisher Ocean Software by Infogrames...

. The video game series had its fifth game, WRC: Rally Evolved
WRC: Rally Evolved
WRC: Rally Evolved is a WRC video game for the PlayStation 2 and was released in Europe on October 21, 2005...

, in 2005. Racing simulator

Sim racing

Sim racing is the collective term for computer software that attempts to simulate accurately auto racing , complete with real-world variables such as fuel usage, damage, tire wear and grip, and suspension settings...

Richard Burns Rally
Richard Burns Rally
Richard Burns Rally is a sim racing game, published by SCi and developed by Warthog with advice of WRC driver Richard Burns.-Summary:It simulates both classic and modern rallying, and is best known for its realistic physics engine....

, released in 2004 for several platforms, has gathered recognition for its realism. Recent top-selling games include Colin McRae: DiRT 2
Colin McRae: Dirt 2
Colin McRae: Dirt 2 is a racing game released in September 2009, and is the sequel to Colin McRae: Dirt. This is the first game in the McRae series since McRae's death in 2007. It was announced on 19 November 2008 and features Ken Block, Travis Pastrana, Tanner Foust, and Dave Mirra...

, Sega Rally Revo
Sega Rally Revo
Sega Rally Revo is an offroad racing video game, the fourth installment of the Sega Rally series. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable on 28 September 2007 in Europe. The game's title is "Revo" as Sega intends it to be a revolution in rally...

and Dirt 3
Dirt 3
Dirt 3 is a rallying video game and the third in the Dirt series of the Colin McRae Rally series, developed and published by Codemasters. However, the "Colin McRae" tag has been completely removed from this iteration...

. Gran Turismo 5
Gran Turismo 5
is the fifth edition of the Gran Turismo racing video game series. Developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, it was released for PlayStation 3 on November 24, 2010...

will include the WRC totally licensed. In October 2010, Black Bean Games

Black Bean Games

Black Bean Games is a video game publishing company based in Gazzada Schianno, Italy and founded in 2005. It has published several racing games developed by Milestone S.r.l., but its portfolio includes real strategy and family-oriented games...

released WRC: FIA World Rally Championship which features the cars, drivers and events of the 2010 World Rally Championship season

2010 World Rally Championship season

The 2010 World Rally Championship season was the 38th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of 13 rallies, beginning with Rally Sweden on 11 February and ended Wales Rally GB on 14 November....

, including those from the three support categories. A downloadable patch was produced allowing players to drive in Group B cars such as the Audi Quattro.

External links

News and information

WRC.com — official site;
Crash.net — news;
Best of Rally Live — All the news about IRC and WRC in Live;

Results

RallyBase.nl — result database;
eWRC-results.com — complex and up-to-date results database;
juwra.com - World Rally Archive — database and statistics;

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.