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2013 World Rally Championship

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Sébastien Ogier (right) and Julien Ingrassia pictured in Wales Rally GB, won their first Drivers' Championship and Co-Drivers' Championship titles.
Volkswagen Polo R WRC, the car entered by the Volkswagen Motorsport, who became the World Constructors' Champions in their debuting season.

The 2013 FIA World Rally Championship was the 41st season of the World Rally Championship, a rallying championship recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile as the highest class of international rallying. The season was run over 13 rallies, starting with the Rallye Monte Carlo on 16 January,[1] and finishing with the Wales Rally of Great Britain on 17 November.[2] Volkswagen entered the series as a constructor with the Polo R WRC,[3] while Ford and Mini ended their factory support for the Fiesta RS WRC and John Cooper Works WRC respectively,[4][5] though both continued to make their cars available to customer teams.

The 2013 season also marked the first appearances of the Super 2000 and Group N replacement category, Group R.[6] As part of this introduction, the support series – Super 2000, Group N Production Cars and the World Rally Championship Academy – were restructured, with the Super 2000, four-wheel-drive Group R and Group N categories reorganised as the FIA WRC2 Championship, two-wheel-drive Group R categories becoming FIA WRC3 Championship, and the WRC Academy becoming the FIA Junior WRC Championship. An FIA Production Car Cup will also be awarded to a registered entrant in WRC-2 who is driving a Group N car.[7]

Sébastien Loeb started the season as the defending World Champion after securing his ninth consecutive title in 2012.[8] However, Loeb did not return to contest the full 2013 season.[9] Citroën were the defending Constructors' Champions. Both Loeb and Citroën secured their titles at the 2012 Rallye de France Alsace.[10][11]

Volkswagen Motorsport driver Sébastien Ogier won the Drivers' Championship at the Rallye de France Alsace, after Qatar World Rally Team driver Thierry Neuville failed to score maximum points on the rally-opening power stage.[12] Neuville finished runner-up in the championship, ahead of Ogier's teammate, Jari-Matti Latvala. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Volkswagen Motorsport won the Championship at the Rally de España as Ogier and Latvala finished in the top two placings.[13] Abu Dhabi Citroën Total World Rally Team finished second with Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team in third.

Calendar

[edit]

The 2013 calendar was announced at a meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Singapore on 28 September 2012.[2] The 2013 championship was contested over thirteen rounds in Europe, the Americas and Oceania.

Round Dates Rally name Base Surface
1 16–19 January France Monte Carlo Rally Valence, Rhône-Alpes Mixed
2 7–10 February Sweden Rally Sweden Hagfors, Värmland Snow
3 8–10 March Mexico Rally Mexico León, Guanajuato Gravel
4 11–14 April Portugal Rally de Portugal Faro, Algarve Gravel
5 3–5 May Argentina Rally Argentina Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba Gravel
6 31 May – 2 June Greece Acropolis Rally Loutraki, Corinthia Gravel
7 21–23 June Italy Rally Italia Sardegna Olbia, Gallura Gravel
8 1–4 August Finland Rally Finland Jyväskylä, Keski-Suomi Gravel
9 23–25 August Germany Rallye Deutschland Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate Tarmac
10 13–15 September Australia Rally Australia[14] Coffs Harbour, New South Wales Gravel
11 4–6 October France Rallye de France Alsace Strasbourg, Alsace Tarmac
12 25–27 October Spain Rally Catalunya Salou, Tarragona Mixed
13 14–17 November United Kingdom Wales Rally GB Deeside, Flintshire[15] Gravel

Calendar and event changes

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  • The route of the Acropolis Rally was heavily revised; where the 2012 event was run over 409 km (254 mi), the 2013 rally route was cut back to just 190 km (120 mi), held over two days of competition.[16]
  • Rally Australia is scheduled to return to the calendar, replacing the Rally New Zealand as part of the event-sharing agreement established between the two events in 2008. The route for the event was adjusted from that used in 2011, with existing stages variously merged and trimmed down to make way for new stages and create a compact route that was as long as possible.[17]
  • The route of the Rallye Deutschland was changed for 2013, with the start moving from Trier to Cologne. The first leg of the event included a series of brand-new stages between the two cities that formed the first leg of the event before the competitors arrive in Trier, which served as the base for the rally.[18]
  • Rally de Catalunya, which had been the final event of 2012, was moved back to the final weekend of October to become the penultimate event of the season. The rally will feature a revised route for 2013, with the introduction of night stages and a more even split between tarmac and gravel roads than in previous years.[19]
  • The Rally Italia Sardegna was brought forward, from October to June.
  • The Wales Rally GB will return to its traditional end-of-season date, having been brought forward to September for the 2012 season in a failed bid to promote tourism in the region.[20] The event was relocated from Cardiff to Deeside in the County of Flintshire.[15] This move enabled event organisers to introduce a brand-new route for the 2013 event, the rally run through the regions of Snowdonia and Denbighshire. More than half the stages will either be brand-new or returning after an absence of over twenty years, and will include a return to Gwydyr, a stage which has not featured in the route since the 1960s.[21]
  • The Rally Mexico featured a heavily revised route, which saw the introduction of several brand-new stages and the reconfiguration of older ones.[22]
  • The route of Rally Sweden crossed over the Norwegian border to include stages previously used in Rally Norway.[23]

Signed teams and drivers

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World Rally Championship

[edit]

The following teams and drivers are scheduled to compete in the World Rally Championship during the 2013 season:

World Rally Car entries eligible to score manufacturer points
Constructor Team Tyre No. Drivers Co-drivers Rounds
Citroën
(Citroën DS3 WRC)
France Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team[24] M 1 France Sébastien Loeb[9] Monaco Daniel Elena[9] 1–2, 5, 11
2 Finland Mikko Hirvonen[25] Finland Jarmo Lehtinen[25] All
3 Spain Dani Sordo[26] Spain Carlos del Barrio[26] 3–4, 6–9, 12–13
United Kingdom Kris Meeke[27] United Kingdom Chris Patterson[28] 10
France Abu Dhabi Citroën Total World Rally Team[29][30] M 10 Spain Dani Sordo[31][32] Spain Carlos del Barrio[31] 1, 5, 11
United Arab Emirates Khalid Al Qassimi[33] United Kingdom Scott Martin[34] 2, 4, 6–7, 9–10, 12
Australia Chris Atkinson[35] Belgium Stéphane Prévot[35] 3
United Kingdom Kris Meeke[36] United Kingdom Chris Patterson[37] 8
Poland Robert Kubica[38] Italy Michele Ferrara[39] 13
Ford
(Ford Fiesta RS WRC)
United Kingdom Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team[40] M 4 Norway Mads Østberg[41] Sweden Jonas Andersson[41] All
5 Russia Evgeny Novikov[42] Austria Ilka Minor[42] All
United Kingdom Qatar World Rally Team[43] M 6 Finland Juho Hänninen[44] Finland Tomi Tuominen[45] 1
Qatar Nasser Al-Attiyah[40] Italy Giovanni Bernacchini[46] 3, 6, 9, 12
11 Belgium Thierry Neuville[42] Belgium Nicolas Gilsoul[42] All
United Kingdom Lotos Team WRC[47] M 12 Poland Michał Kościuszko[43] Poland Maciek Szczepaniak[43] 7, 9
Czech Republic Jipocar Czech National Team D 21 Czech Republic Martin Prokop[46] Czech Republic Michal Ernst[46] 2–4
M 5–9, 11–13
Volkswagen
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)[3]
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport[3] M 7 Finland Jari-Matti Latvala[48] Finland Miikka Anttila[48] All
8 France Sébastien Ogier[49] France Julien Ingrassia[49] All
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport II[50] M 9 Norway Andreas Mikkelsen[51] Finland Mikko Markkula[51] 4–7, 12–13
Republic of Ireland Paul Nagle[52] 10–11
Mini
(Mini John Cooper Works WRC)
Italy Lotos Team WRC[53] D 12 Poland Michał Kościuszko[43] Poland Maciek Szczepaniak[43] 1–5

Team changes

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Ford and Mini have ended their support programmes for the Fiesta RS (top) and John Cooper Works (bottom) WRC cars.
  • Citroën will expand its works team, the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, to become a three-car operation,[33] with the team's third car to be run part-time.[77] The Abu Dhabi Citroën Total World Rally Team will run two additional cars as a satellite team of the works outfit which is eligible to score manufacturers' points independently of the works team.[43]
  • Ford will no longer provide manufacturer support to its teams in 2013.[4] The M-Sport Ford World Rally Team will still operate as a WRC team and be eligible to score World Championship points, with the team having acquired backing from Qatar to run three cars.[40] Like Citroën, M-Sport's entries were structured into two teams that are able to score points independently of one another; in the absence of a Ford factory team, the Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team became the de facto lead team, and the Qatar World Rally Team was set up as a satellite operation.[43]
  • Hyundai will return to the series in 2014 as a manufacturer after an eleven-year absence. The company has announced plans to compete with the i20 WRC at selected events in 2013, ahead of a full championship campaign in 2014.[78] Hyundai had previously competed in the WRC from 2000 to 2003 with the Accent WRC.
  • In October 2012, Mini formally terminated their factory-supported WRC programme, but stated that as the John Cooper Works WRC had met the FIA's homologation requirements for World Rally Cars, they would make the car available to customer teams who wished to compete with it.[5] Prodrive announced their intentions to continue campaigning with cars,[73] but Team Mini Portugal, Palmeirinha Rally and the Armindo Araújo World Rally Team were closed down.[43]
  • Following the closure of Team Mini Portugal, several members of Motorsport Italia—the organisation that prepared and managed the Team Mini Portugal entries in 2012—formed a new team with the backing of Polish oil conglomerate Grupa Lotos, to be known as Lotos Team WRC.[53] The team later switched to competing with a Ford Fiesta RS WRC.[47]
  • Volkswagen will enter the championship as a manufacturer team, entering two Polo R WRCs for a full-season campaign[3] – to be headed by Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia – who contested the 2012 season with a Škoda Fabia S2000.[49][79]

Driver changes

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Sébastien Ogier – seen here at the 2011 Rallye Deutschland – will lead Volkswagen's foray into the World Rally Championship.[49]

Changes

[edit]

Class changes

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The 2013 season will see the introduction of a new rally category, Group R.[88] No new cars will be homologated under the Group A and Group N regulations for production cars, and will instead be reclassified under Group R before being phased out of competition.[89] With the introduction of Group R, the rules for the feeder categories re-written in a bid to boost entries:[7]

  • In the WRC Championship, entries registered as manufacturers must enter all thirteen rounds of the championship with a minimum of two cars. These teams may score drivers' and manufacturers' championship points at every round they enter.[90]
  • Major entries that are registered as WRC teams but not as manufacturers must take part in at least seven events – including at least one outside Europe – with a one or two-car team. These teams are eligible to score manufacturers' points if the cars entered meet the homologation of those cars that are entered by teams registered as manufacturers.[90]
  • In the WRC-2 Championship – open to R5, R4, Super 2000 and N4 cars – teams must contest at least seven events, with their best six results from the first seven events they enter being counted towards their final points tally. There will be no penalty for missing rounds.[90]
  • In the WRC-3 Championship – open to two-wheel-drive cars conforming to the FIA's R1, R2 and R3 technical regulations – teams must contest at least six events, with their best five results from the first seven events they enter being counted towards their final points tally. There will be no penalty for missing rounds.[90]
  • The Junior WRC Championship will be open to drivers under the age of twenty-six. All teams will contest the same six events—the Rallies of Portugal, Greece, Finland, Germany, France and Catalunya—with their five best results counting towards their final score.[90][91]

Organisational structure

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After the collapse of promoter North One Sport and parent company Convers Sports Initiatives in early 2012,[92][93] and being forced to arrange event coverage on an event-by-event basis for most of the 2012 season, the World Rally Championship sought out a new promoter for 2013 in Red Bull House Media.[94]

At the end of the 2012 season, the FIA elected not to renew their contract with British firm Stage One Technology to provide timing services for stages. They were replaced by Spanish outfit Sistemas Integrales de Telecomunicacion.[95]

Rally summaries

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Round 1 — Monte Carlo Rally

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Round Rally name Podium finishers Statistics
Pos. No. Driver Team Time Stages Length Starters Finishers
1 Monaco Monte Carlo Rally
(15–20 January) — Results and report
1 1 France Sébastien Loeb
Monaco Daniel Elena
France Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
(Citroën DS3 WRC)
5:18:57.2 (18)
16
(478.42 km)
436.02 km
73 45
2 8 France Sébastien Ogier
France Julien Ingrassia
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
5:20:37.1
3 10 Spain Dani Sordo
Spain Carlos del Barrio
France Abu Dhabi Citroën Total WRT
(Citroën DS3 WRC)
5:22:46.2

The opening event of the season was run in difficult conditions, with heavy snowfalls recorded the length of the route. In his final appearance at the Monte Carlo Rally, Sébastien Loeb secured a record seventh victory on the event, winning by over a minute and a half. The World Champion took the lead during the first day and quickly established a one-minute margin to his former teammate, Sébastien Ogier. Ogier went on to finish second in the Volkswagen Polo R WRC's debut, having set the fastest time on the opening stage of the rally.[96] Teammate Jari-Matti Latvala was less-fortunate, sliding off the road on the fourth leg of the rally and retiring. Despite beating Loeb's times on several stages, Ogier was quoted as saying he had no intention of challenging Loeb's lead as it was "never a part of the plan", whilst team principal Jost Capito stated that it was more important for the team to secure a strong result than it was to challenge for outright victory.[97] Nevertheless, some observers admitted that Loeb was untouchable, regardless Ogier's motivation.[98] Dani Sordo secured third place after spending most of the rally trading place with Qatar M-Sport's Evgeny Novikov until the Russian crashed out of the event on the Col de Turini. The event was ultimately cut short when rally organisers cancelled the final two stages in the face of overwhelming spectator numbers that blocked access to the stages.[99] As a result, no points were offered for the Power stage.

Round 2 — Rally Sweden

[edit]
Round Rally name Podium finishers Statistics
Pos. No. Driver Team Time Stages Length Starters Finishers
2 Sweden Rally Sweden
(8–10 February) — Results and report
1 8 France Sébastien Ogier
France Julien Ingrassia
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
3:11:41.9 22 297.78 km 43 35
2 1 France Sébastien Loeb
Monaco Daniel Elena
France Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
(Citroën DS3 WRC)
3:12:23.7
3 4 Norway Mads Østberg
Sweden Jonas Andersson
United Kingdom Qatar M-Sport WRT
(Ford Fiesta RS WRC)
3:13:06.4

Sébastien Ogier secured the Volkswagen Polo R WRC's maiden victory in Sweden, winning the rally by forty seconds ahead of Sébastien Loeb. Ogier took the lead of the rally early on the first day,[100] and steadily built up a thirty-second lead over the rest of the field. After struggling with a poor set-up early in the rally, Sébastien Loeb steadily began to recover, and eventually launched a final assault as the rally crossed over the border into Norway.[101] Loeb successfully took ten seconds away from Ogier as he won three consecutive stages until made a mistake on the penultimate stage and hit a snowbank, at which point he decided to back off.[102] Ogier and teammate Jari-Matti Latvala went on to set the two fastest times on the Power Stage, with the three bonus World Championship points giving Ogier the lead in World Drivers' Championship.[103] Mads Østberg completed the podium, narrowly beating Latvala. Mikko Hirvonen lost twenty minutes in an accident on the first day and ultimately went on to finish seventeenth,[100] whilst Evgeny Novikov rolled on the final day and fell from fifth to ninth overall.[102]

Round 3 — Rally Mexico

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Round Rally name Podium finishers Statistics
Pos. No. Driver Team Time Stages Length Starters Finishers
3 Mexico Rally Mexico
(8–10 March) — Results and report
1 8 France Sébastien Ogier
France Julien Ingrassia
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
4:30:31.2 23 396.82 km 25 20
2 2 Finland Mikko Hirvonen
Finland Jarmo Lehtinen
France Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
(Citroën DS3 WRC)
4:33:58.0
3 11 Belgium Thierry Neuville
Belgium Nicolas Gilsoul
United Kingdom Qatar World Rally Team
(Ford Fiesta RS WRC)
4:34:50.8

With Sébastien Loeb contesting just four events in 2013, the Rally of Mexico became the first rally since the 1992 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire to start without a World Champion driver taking part. The first leg of the rally was marked by a three-way battle, with Thierry Neuville, Sébastien Ogier and Mads Østberg all holding the lead of the rally. As Ogier gradually established a lead over Østberg as Neuville fell behind until a mechanical issue forced Østberg into a premature retirement. Østberg was able to re-enter the rally the next day under "Rally 2" regulations, but the accompanying five-minute penalty put him out of contention and Mikko Hirvonen emerged as Ogier's closest challenger; Østberg ultimately finished eleventh, but scored two bonus world championship points on the Power Stage. Ogier went on to win his second rally in succession by three and a half minutes, with Hirvonen second and Neuville completing the podium. Dani Sordo—driving for the Citroën works team in Loeb's absence—was fourth, while Nasser al-Attiyah, Chris Atkinson and Ken Block all marked their return to the WRC with fifth, sixth and seventh place respectively.

Round 4 — Rally de Portugal

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Round Rally name Podium finishers Statistics
Pos. No. Driver Team Time Stages Length Starters Finishers
4 Portugal Rally de Portugal
(11–14 April) — Results and report
1 8 France Sébastien Ogier
France Julien Ingrassia
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
4:07:38.7 15 386.73 km 70 38
2 2 Finland Mikko Hirvonen
Finland Jarmo Lehtinen
France Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
(Citroën DS3 WRC)
4:08:36.9
3 7 Finland Jari-Matti Latvala
Finland Miikka Anttila
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
4:11:43.2

Sébastien Ogier took his third consecutive win in Portugal. Mads Østberg took an early lead, but rolled his Ford Fiesta RS WRC when he mis-heard a pace note on the first day, and he was forced to retire. Dani Sordo emerged as Ogier's next challenger, but his bid to win the rally came to an abrupt end when he was similarly forced to retire after crashing. Ogier and teammate Jari-Matti Latvala built up a lead over third-placed Mikko Hirvonen until disaster struck the two Volkswagen Polo R WRCs on the final day. Ogier lost thirty seconds on a single stage with a mechanical problem, whilst the same fate befell Latvala, who subsequently lost second place to Hirvonen. The Volkswagens recovered quickly, and Ogier went on to win the power stage and the rally, but the damage had been done and Latvala finished three minutes behind Hirvonen. Evgeny Novikov recovered from a slow start to his season to finish fourth, the highest-placed Ford driver, with Nasser Al-Attiyah in fifth and Andreas Mikkelsen sixth in the third Volkswagen. Østberg re-entered the rally after his roll and went on to finish eighth, picking up two extra World Championship points on the power stage.

Round 5 — Rally Argentina

[edit]
Round Rally name Podium finishers Statistics
Pos. No. Driver Team Time Stages Length Starters Finishers
5 Argentina Rally Argentina
(3–5 May) — Results and report
1 1 France Sébastien Loeb
Monaco Daniel Elena
France Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
(Citroën DS3 WRC)
4:35:56.7 14 407.64 km 32 24
2 8 France Sébastien Ogier
France Julien Ingrassia
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
4:36:51.7
3 7 Finland Jari-Matti Latvala
Finland Miikka Anttila
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
4:37:57.5

After missing the rallies of Mexico and Portugal to compete in the FIA Grand Touring Series, Sébastien Loeb marked his return to rallying with first place in the Rally Argentina. Sébastien Ogier took the lead early on, but made a mistake whilst driving in heavy fog. He lost forty seconds, allowing Loeb to seize the advantage. Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen fought over the final podium position until Hirvonen's Citroën DS3 WRC developed an electrical problem. Latvala could not afford to rest, as he found himself fighting with Evgeny Novikov. A late charge on the final day—including the fastest time on the power stage—was enough for Latvala to secure third place and his first podium in Argentina. Hirvonen recovered to finish sixth overall, finishing third on the power stage to score an additional World Championship point.

Round 6 — Acropolis Rally

[edit]
Round Rally name Podium finishers Statistics
Pos. No. Driver Team Time Stages Length Starters Finishers
6 Greece Acropolis Rally
(31 May – 2 June) — Results and report
1 7 Finland Jari-Matti Latvala
Finland Miikka Anttila
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
3:31:01.2 14 306.53 km 49 38
2 3 Spain Dani Sordo
Spain Carlos del Barrio
France Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
(Citroën DS3 WRC)
3:32:51.2
3 11 Belgium Thierry Neuville
Belgium Nicolas Gilsoul
United Kingdom Qatar World Rally Team
(Ford Fiesta RS WRC)
3:33:15.3

Jari-Matti Latvala took his first win of the 2013 season, and his first win for Volkswagen on the Acropolis Rally. The opening forty-seven kilometre stage proved to be difficult, claiming three high-profile victims in Sébastien Ogier, Mads Østberg and Mikko Hirvonen in short order, and Evgeny Novikov emerged as the surprise early leader, building up a thirty-second advantage at the end of the first leg. The Russian's lead was short-lived, as he developed a puncture early in the second leg and was forced to limp back to the service park. Latvala took control of the rally while Andreas Mikkelsen in the third factory-supported Polo R began to work his way up through the points-paying positions. He ultimately missed out on a podium finish of his own, as Dani Sordo and Thierry Neuville each took their second podium finish of the season with second and third place respectively. Latvala's result was briefly challenged by Citroën, who believed his car was in violation of the technical regulations, but the protest was dismissed and Latvala's result was confirmed, allowing him to secure second place in the drivers' championship standings behind teammate Ogier.

Round 7 — Rally Italia Sardegna

[edit]
Round Rally name Podium finishers Statistics
Pos. No. Driver Team Time Stages Length Starters Finishers
7 Italy Rally Italia Sardegna
(21–23 June) — Results and report
1 8 France Sébastien Ogier
France Julien Ingrassia
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
3:22:57.9 23 304.21 km 56 41
2 11 Belgium Thierry Neuville
Belgium Nicolas Gilsoul
United Kingdom Qatar World Rally Team
(Ford Fiesta RS WRC)
3:24:14.7
3 7 Finland Jari-Matti Latvala
Finland Miikka Anttila
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
3:24:45.9

Sébastien Ogier held the lead of the rally from start to finish; with three stage wins on the first day, Ogier held a lead of 46.6 seconds over Mikko Hirvonen, who battled for second with Thierry Neuville, with a difference of only 3.1 seconds at the end of the day. Both Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team drivers, Mads Østberg and Evgeny Novikov retired.[104] On the second day, Hirvonen started with a stage win, but on the next stage went wide and got stuck into a ditch, leaving second place to Neuville. Ogier's teammate, Jari-Matti Latvala recovered from 12th position after a puncture on stage one, to finish third. Dani Sordo was the best Citroën finisher in fourth, ahead of Martin Prokop in fifth, while Elfyn Evans finished sixth on his début in a World Rally Car. Michał Kościuszko got his best result of the year in seventh, ahead of Østberg – recovering from his accident – to finish eighth via Rally-2. Robert Kubica got his first championship points by finishing ninth and Khalid Al Qassimi completed the top ten finishers.[105]

Round 8 — Rally Finland

[edit]
Round Rally name Podium finishers Statistics
Pos. No. Driver Team Time Stages Length Starters Finishers
8 Finland Rally Finland
(2–4 August) — Results and report
1 8 France Sébastien Ogier
France Julien Ingrassia
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
2:43:10.4 23 324.21 km 97 70
2 11 Belgium Thierry Neuville
Belgium Nicolas Gilsoul
United Kingdom Qatar World Rally Team
(Ford Fiesta RS WRC)
2:43:47.0
3 4 Norway Mads Østberg
Sweden Jonas Andersson
United Kingdom Qatar M-Sport WRT
(Ford Fiesta RS WRC)
2:44:08.0

Sébastien Ogier won the rally to become the fifth non-Scandinavian driver to win the rally. Rally Finland started with a four-way fight between Volkswagen Motorsport's Ogier, Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT's Mikko Hirvonen, Qatar M-Sport WRT's Mads Østberg and Qatar World Rally Team's Thierry Neuville. Ogier won the first stage, but Neuville won the second one to become the leader jointly with Hirvonen. Ogier set the fastest time for the third stage, and joined Neuville at the front. Hirvonen fought back on the very next stage, and returned to the joint lead with Neuville. The next stage saw heavy rain and a complicated Hirvonen lost sixteen seconds to be back in the fight. Østberg won the stage, but Neuville became the outright leader. Jari-Matti Latvala hit a rock on the second stage and had to retire for the day.[106] The second day started with a swap of the leading position between M-Sport's Neuville and Østberg. But on the second loop, both hit trouble and Ogier become the leader by over 30 seconds. Kris Meeke lost nearly 25 seconds behind Evgeny Novikov, but Meeke was attributed his afternoon time for both passes through the stage, and finished the day in fifth.[107] The final day saw the podium finishers remain as the previous evening, after second placed Neuville won the battle with Østberg, when the latter went off to avoid a rock. Hirvonen finished fourth, with teammate Dani Sordo finishing fifth after Meeke rolled his Citroën DS3 WRC. Novikov recovered to finish sixth, with local Jari Ketomaa in seventh in his Ford Fiesta R5. The top ten finishers were completed by Per-Gunnar Andersson, Robert Kubica – scoring again with the Citroën DS3 RRC – and Andreas Mikkelsen.[108]

Round 9 — Rallye Deutschland

[edit]
Round Rally name Podium finishers Statistics
Pos. No. Driver Team Time Stages Length Starters Finishers
9 Germany Rallye Deutschland
(23–25 August) — Results and report
1 3 Spain Dani Sordo
Spain Carlos del Barrio
France Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
(Citroën DS3 WRC)
3:15:19.4 (16)
15
(371.86 km)
330.78 km
76 52
2 11 Belgium Thierry Neuville
Belgium Nicolas Gilsoul
United Kingdom Qatar World Rally Team
(Ford Fiesta RS WRC)
3:16:12.4
3 2 Finland Mikko Hirvonen
Finland Jarmo Lehtinen
France Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
(Citroën DS3 WRC)
3:17:55.5

Dani Sordo won his first ever WRC event at the all-tarmac Rallye Deutschland after fighting back from fourth place. The first day finished with Volkswagen Motorsport's Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala in first and second, with Thierry Neuville in third.[109] The second day of competition started with leader Ogier off the road after missing a braking point. This handed the lead to teammate Latvala, who fought to maintain this position from Neuville. Neuville won the first three stages of the day, but Latvala went on to win three stages from the second loop.[110] Latvala lost the lead after an accident on stage 12, on a stage where Neuville and Mads Østberg also went off the road. Neuville took the lead, but lost it on the next stage to Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT's Sordo. Day 3 finished with Sordo leading by only 0.8 seconds.[111] In the final day of competition, Sordo retained the lead after Neuville went off in the very last stage and settled with second position and Mikko Hirvonen completed the podium. Martin Prokop and WRC-2 frontrunners Robert Kubica and Elfyn Evans got their best results with fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. Latvala went on to finish seventh, with Hayden Paddon in eighth with a Škoda Fabia S2000. Teammates Østberg and Evgeny Novikov completed the top ten finishers.[112]

Round 10 — Rally Australia

[edit]
Round Rally name Podium finishers Statistics
Pos. No. Driver Team Time Stages Length Starters Finishers
10 Australia Rally Australia
(13–15 September) — Results and report
1 8 France Sébastien Ogier
France Julien Ingrassia
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
3:19:55.0 23 396.82 km
(246.57 mi)
29 23
2 11 Belgium Thierry Neuville
Belgium Nicolas Gilsoul
United Kingdom Qatar World Rally Team
(Ford Fiesta RS WRC)
3:21:27.1
3 2 Finland Mikko Hirvonen
Finland Jarmo Lehtinen
France Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
(Citroën DS3 WRC)
3:21:57.1

Sébastien Ogier won the last non-European rally of the year. Volkswagen Motorsport II's Andreas Mikkelsen started leading the event with temporary co-driver Paul Nagle before losing the lead to championship leader Ogier, who won eight stages on the day. Early leader Mikkelsen finished the day in seventh position.[113] On the second day, Ogier kept his stage-winning streak, to extend the lead to 45.9 seconds from Mikko Hirvonen. Kris Meeke went off the road in the third stage of the day.[114] In the final day of competition, Ogier almost claimed the championship, but lost the opportunity when Hirvonen got a puncture on the final stage of the rally, to lose second place to Thierry Neuville; his fourth consecutive second place. After his puncture, Hirvonen finished third, ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala, Mads Østberg, Mikkelsen, Evgeny Novikov, local Nathan Quinn, Khalid Al Qassimi and Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari.[115]

Round 11 — Rallye de France Alsace

[edit]
Round Rally name Podium finishers Statistics
Pos. No. Driver Team Time Stages Length Starters Finishers
11 France Rallye de France Alsace
(4–7 October) — Results and report
1 8 France Sébastien Ogier
France Julien Ingrassia
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
2:53:07.6 23 396.82 km
(246.57 mi)
82 51
2 3 Spain Dani Sordo
Spain Carlos del Barrio
France Abu Dhabi Citroën WRT
(Citroën DS3 WRC)
2:53:19.8
3 7 Finland Jari-Matti Latvala
Finland Miikka Anttila
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
2:53:27.1

Sébastien Ogier clinched the title after Thierry Neuville failed to win the opening stage of the event, which was denoted as the Power Stage. After struggling through the first day, Ogier took the lead on the final day of the rally. Neuville finished the first day in the lead, but lost it after a puncture on stage 11, and eventually finished fourth. Dani Sordo finished second, after battling for the lead from most of the rally, with Jari-Matti Latvala completing the podium in third overall. Evgeny Novikov finished fifth ahead of Mikko Hirvonen, Andreas Mikkelsen and Mads Østberg. WRC-2 frontrunner Robert Kubica scored more championship points with ninth, with sportscar racer Romain Dumas completing the points in tenth, in a one-off drive. Nine-time World Champion Sébastien Loeb failed to finish his last appearance in the championship after his car slid wide on stage 15 and rolled into a ditch.[116]

Round 12 — Rally Catalunya

[edit]
Round Rally name Podium finishers Statistics
Pos. No. Driver Team Time Stages Length Starters Finishers
12 Spain Rally Catalunya
(25–27 October) — Results and report
1 8 France Sébastien Ogier
France Julien Ingrassia
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
3:33:21.2 23 396.82 km
(246.57 mi)
82 40
2 7 Finland Jari-Matti Latvala
Finland Miikka Anttila
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
3:33:54.1
3 2 Finland Mikko Hirvonen
Finland Jarmo Lehtinen
France Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
(Citroën DS3 WRC)
3:34:34.9

The Mixed event saw the first rally of Sébastien Ogier as a World Champion. Ogier started the event in the best way, winning all the night stages of the first day. Teammate Jari-Matti Latvala got the second place from local Dani Sordo on the last stage.[117] On the second day of tarmac stages, Ogier lost the lead to Latvala after a puncture, promoting Sordo and Thierry Neuville to second and third respectively.[118] The last day of competition, on gravel, saw Ogier fight back from sixth to become the rally leader. Latvala finished second. This one-two finish for Volkswagen Motorsport enabled the team to win the Manufacturers' Championship. Mikko Hirvonen finished third after teammate Sordo retired with a broken suspension. M-Sport's trio of Neuville, Evgeny Novikov and Mads Østberg finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively, followed by Martin Prokop and Hayden Paddon in seventh and eighth. In ninth was Robert Kubica, to clinch the WRC2 title, ahead of rival Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari.[119]

Round 13 — Wales Rally GB

[edit]
Round Rally name Podium finishers Statistics
Pos. No. Driver Team Time Stages Length Starters Finishers
13 United Kingdom Wales Rally GB
(15–17 November) — Results and report
1 8 France Sébastien Ogier
France Julien Ingrassia
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
3:03:36.7 23 396.82 km
(246.57 mi)
56 43
2 7 Finland Jari-Matti Latvala
Finland Miikka Anttila
Germany Volkswagen Motorsport
(Volkswagen Polo R WRC)
3:03:58.5
3 11 Belgium Thierry Neuville
Belgium Nicolas Gilsoul
United Kingdom Qatar World Rally Team
(Ford Fiesta RS WRC)
3:05:01.2

Sébastien Ogier won the last event of the season to round up a year with nine wins. Ogier led the event from start to finish, with teammate Jari-Matti Latvala and Thierry Neuville completing the podium after taking their final positions on stage 6. Robert Kubica, who was making his début in a Citroën DS3 WRC, rolled his car on the first stage of the second day of competition.[120] Kubica later rejoined on the third day, only to roll out again on stage 11.[121] Day four saw the end of a three-way battle for third in favour of Neuville between him, Mads Østberg and Andreas Mikkelsen, who finished fourth and fifth respectively. Martin Prokop finished sixth, with Dani Sordo in seventh after taking a five-minute penalty for a breach of the chassis regulations. The top ten finishers were completed by WRC2 drivers Elfyn Evans, Jari Ketomaa and Mark Higgins, all driving Ford Fiesta R5 cars.[122]


Notes:

  • ^†  — Rally was shortened after stages were cancelled.

Results and standings

[edit]

FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers

[edit]

Points are awarded to the top 10 classified finishers. There are also 3 bonus points awarded for Power Stage wins, 2 for second place and 1 for third.

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th   9th   10th 
Points 25 18 15 12 10 8 6 4 2 1
Pos. Driver MON
Monaco
SWE
Sweden
MEX
Mexico
POR
Portugal
ARG
Argentina
GRE
Greece
ITA
Italy
FIN
Finland
GER
Germany
AUS
Australia
FRA
France
ESP
Spain
GBR
United Kingdom
Points
1 France Sébastien Ogier 2 11 11 11 22 101 11 12 171 11 13 12 1 290
2 Belgium Thierry Neuville Ret 5 3 17 5 3 22 21 2 22 42 41 31 176
3 Finland Jari-Matti Latvala Ret 42 163 33 31 1 33 173 73 4 3 23 2 162
4 Finland Mikko Hirvonen 4 17 2 2 63 8 Ret 4 3 3 6 3 Ret 126
5 Spain Dani Sordo 3 Ret 4 12 9 2 4 5 12 21 Ret 7 123
6 Norway Mads Østberg 6 33 112 82 7 6 8 3 9 5 8 6 43 102
7 Russia Evgeny Novikov Ret 9 10 4 4 92 Ret 6 10 73 5 5 192 69
8 France Sébastien Loeb 1 2 1 Ret 68
9 Czech Republic Martin Prokop 7 7 9 7 10 7 5 Ret 4 Ret 7 6 63
10 Norway Andreas Mikkelsen 6 8 43 Ret 10 WD 6 7 Ret 5 50
11 Qatar Nasser Al-Attiyah 5 5 5 13 Ret WD 30
12 United Kingdom Elfyn Evans 23 6 Ret 6 11 Ret 8 20
13 Poland Robert Kubica 19 11 9 9 5 9 9 Ret 18
14 France Bryan Bouffier 5 13 31 WD Ret 10
15 Finland Juho Hänninen Ret 6 WD 32 8
16 Australia Chris Atkinson 6 8
17 Finland Jari Ketomaa Ret 7 9 8
18 New Zealand Hayden Paddon 11 8 17 8 8
19 Poland Michał Kościuszko 10 14 Ret Ret Ret WD 7 Ret 7
20 United States Ken Block 7 6
21 United Arab Emirates Khalid Al Qassimi Ret 9 Ret 10 11 9 11 5
22 Germany Sepp Wiegand 8 13 14 Ret 14 Ret WD 4
23 Sweden Per-Gunnar Andersson WD Ret 13 8 Ret 4
24 Mexico Benito Guerra WD 8 14 WD 4
25 Norway Henning Solberg 8 4
26 Australia Nathan Quinn 8 4
27 Switzerland Olivier Burri 9 2
28 Qatar Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari 12 16 13 13 11 10 10 WD 2
29 Saudi Arabia Yazeed Al-Rajhi 10 WD 12 12 12 18 1
30 Finland Esapekka Lappi Ret 10 31 1
31 France Romain Dumas 10 1
32 United Kingdom Mark Higgins 10 1
Pos. Driver MON
Monaco
SWE
Sweden
MEX
Mexico
POR
Portugal
ARG
Argentina
GRE
Greece
ITA
Italy
FIN
Finland
GER
Germany
AUS
Australia
FRA
France
ESP
Spain
GBR
United Kingdom
Points
Key
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Did not finish (Ret)
Black Excluded (EX)
Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Cancelled (C)
Blank Withdrew entry from
the event (WD)

Notes:
1 2 3 – Indicate position on Power Stage

FIA World Rally Championship for Co-Drivers

[edit]
Pos. Co-Driver MON
Monaco
SWE
Sweden
MEX
Mexico
POR
Portugal
ARG
Argentina
GRE
Greece
ITA
Italy
FIN
Finland
GER
Germany
AUS
Australia
FRA
France
ESP
Spain
GBR
United Kingdom
Points
1 France Julien Ingrassia 2 11 11 11 22 101 11 12 171 11 13 13 1 290
2 Belgium Nicolas Gilsoul Ret 5 3 17 5 3 22 21 2 22 42 41 31 176
3 Finland Miikka Anttila Ret 42 163 33 31 1 33 173 73 4 3 22 2 162
4 Finland Jarmo Lehtinen 4 17 2 2 63 8 Ret 4 3 3 6 3 Ret 126
5 Spain Carlos del Barrio 3 Ret 4 12 9 2 4 5 12 21 Ret 7 123
6 Sweden Jonas Andersson 6 33 112 82 7 6 8 3 9 5 8 6 42 102
7 Austria Ilka Minor Ret 9 10 4 4 92 Ret 6 10 71 5 5 192 69
8 Monaco Daniel Elena 1 2 1 Ret 68
9 Czech Republic Michal Ernst 7 7 9 7 10 7 5 Ret 4 Ret 7 6 63
10 Italy Giovanni Bernacchini 27 5 5 5 6 13 Ret WD 38
11 Finland Mikko Markkula 6 8 43 Ret 10 WD Ret 5 36
12 Poland Maciej Baran 19 11 9 9 5 9 9 18
13 Republic of Ireland Paul Nagle 6 7 14
14 United Kingdom Daniel Barritt 32 Ret 6 11 Ret 8 12
15 France Xavier Panseri 5 13 31 WD Ret 10
16 Finland Tomi Tuominen Ret 6 WD 32 8
17 Belgium Stephane Prévot 6 8
18 Sweden Emil Axelsson 8 Ret 13 8 Ret 8
19 New Zealand John Kennard 11 8 17 8 8
20 Poland Maciej Szczepaniak 10 14 Ret Ret Ret WD 7 Ret 7
21 Italy Alex Gelsomino 7 6
22 Finland Marko Sallinen 7 6
23 United Kingdom Scott Martin Ret 9 Ret 10 11 9 11 5
24 Germany Frank Christian 8 13 14 Ret 14 Ret 4
25 Spain Borja Rozada WD 8 14 4
26 Australia Glenn MacNeall 8 4
27 France Guillaume Duval 9 17 2
28 Republic of Ireland Killian Duffy 12 16 13 13 11 10 10 WD 2
29 Finland Tapio Suominen 9 1
30 United Kingdom Michael Orr 10 WD 12 13 12 18 1
31 Finland Janne Ferm Ret 10 31 1
32 France Denis Giraudet 10 11 1
33 United Kingdom Carl Williamson 10 1
Pos. Co-Driver MON
Monaco
SWE
Sweden
MEX
Mexico
POR
Portugal
ARG
Argentina
GRE
Greece
ITA
Italy
FIN
Finland
GER
Germany
AUS
Australia
FRA
France
ESP
Spain
GBR
United Kingdom
Points
Key
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Did not finish (Ret)
Black Excluded (EX)
Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Cancelled (C)
Blank Withdrew entry from
the event (WD)

Notes:
1 2 3 – Indicate position on Power Stage

FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers

[edit]
Pos. Manufacturer No. MON
Monaco
SWE
Sweden
MEX
Mexico
POR
Portugal
ARG
Argentina
GRE
Greece
ITA
Italy
FIN
Finland
GER
Germany
AUS
Australia
FRA
France
ESP
Spain
GBR
United Kingdom
Points
1 Germany Volkswagen Motorsport 7 Ret 4 10 3 3 1 3 7 5 4 3 2 2 425
8 2 1 1 1 2 10 1 1 10 1 1 1 1
2 France Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team 1 1 2 1 Ret 280
2 4 9 2 2 6 8 Ret 4 3 3 6 3 Ret
3 4 9 2 4 5 1 Ret Ret 7
3 United Kingdom Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team[N 1] 4 5 3 9 7 7 6 7 3 6 5 8 6 4 190
5 Ret 7 8 4 4 9 Ret 6 7 7 5 5 8
4 United Kingdom Qatar World Rally Team 6 Ret 5 5 9 Ret WD 184
11 Ret 5 3 10 5 3 2 2 2 2 4 4 3
5 Czech Republic Jipocar Czech National Team 21 6 7 6 10 7 5 Ret 4 Ret 7 6 65
6 France Abu Dhabi Citroën Total World Rally Team 10 3 Ret 6 8 9 Ret 8 Ret 8 8 2 8 Ret 63
7 Germany Volkswagen Motorsport II 9 5 8 4 Ret WD 6 7 Ret 5 50
8 Italy/Poland Lotos Team WRC[N 2] 12 6 8 Ret Ret Ret WD 6 Ret 20
Pos. Manufacturer No. MON
Monaco
SWE
Sweden
MEX
Mexico
POR
Portugal
ARG
Argentina
GRE
Greece
ITA
Italy
FIN
Finland
GER
Germany
AUS
Australia
FRA
France
ESP
Spain
GBR
United Kingdom
Points
Key
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Did not finish (Ret)
Black Excluded (EX)
Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Cancelled (C)
Blank Withdrew entry from
the event (WD)

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ Following Ford's withdrawal from the category as a manufacturer team, the FIA recognised Qatar M-Sport as the de facto manufacturer team, subjecting them to the same rules as other manufacturer teams.[123]
  2. ^ Although Lotos Team WRC is recognised by the FIA as a manufacturer team, only their best eight results from thirteen rallies will be counted towards the team's final points tally.[123]

References

[edit]
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