2022 World Rally Championship
The 2022 FIA World Rally Championship will be the fiftieth season of the World Rally Championship, an auto racing competition recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) as the highest class of international rallying. Teams and crews are due to compete for the World Rally Championships for Drivers, Co-drivers and Manufacturers. Crews are free to compete in cars complying with World Rally Car and Group R regulations; however, only manufacturers competing with World Rally Cars homologated under regulations introduced in 2017 are eligible to score points in the Manufacturers' championship.
A significant change to the regulations is planned to be introduced in 2022 as the sport adopts the use of hybrid drivetrains for the first time.[1]
Entrants
M-Sport will develop a new car based on Ford model. The car will use the engine from the Ford Fiesta WRC.[2] Petter Solberg, the 2003 World Drivers' Champion, announced his intention to enter a manufacturer team in the 2022 championship.[3]
List of planned events
The following rallies are under contract to be run as part of the 2022 World Championship:
| Rally | Rally headquarters | Surface | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
 Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo
|
Gap, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | Mixed[a] | [citation needed] |
 Rally Sweden
|
Torsby, Värmland | Snow | [citation needed] |
 Rally Guanajuato México
|
León, Guanajuato | Gravel | [citation needed] |
 Rally Argentina
|
Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba | Gravel | [citation needed] |
 Safari Rally Kenya
|
Nairobi, Nairobi County | Gravel | [4] |
 Rally New Zealand
|
Auckland, Auckland Region | Gravel | [citation needed] |
 Rally de Portugal
|
Matosinhos, Porto | Gravel | [citation needed] |
 Rally Italia Sardegna
|
Alghero, Sardinia | Gravel | [citation needed] |
 Rally Finland
|
Jyväskylä, Central Finland | Gravel | [citation needed] |
 Rallye Deutschland
|
Bostalsee, Saarland | Tarmac | [citation needed] |
 Rally Japan
|
Nagoya, Chūbu | Tarmac | [citation needed] |
 Tour de Corse
|
Bastia, Corsica | Tarmac | [citation needed] |
 RACC Rally Catalunya de España
|
Salou, Catalonia | Tarmac | [5] |
 Wales Rally GB
|
Llandudno, Conwy | Gravel | [citation needed] |
Changes
Technical regulations
The championship is due to introduce a new set of technical regulations known as "Rally 1". The Rally 1 regulations will place a greater emphasis on standardised parts than in previous years to make the sport more accessible.[6][b]
The sport will introduce hybrid drivetrains for the first time.[1] All cars competing under World Rally Car regulations will be required to be fitted with a hybrid system. This will take the form of an e-motor that produces 100 kW (134.1 bhp) and must be used to power the car when travelling around service parks and through built-up areas when driving between stages. Drivers will be free to use the e-motor to offer additional power when competing in a stage, with the FIA dictating how much power can be used and how long a driver can deploy it for.[1] The hybrid system and the software governing its use will be standardised for three years as a way of keeping the costs of competing down.[8] The system will be provided by Compact Dynamics, a subsidiary of Formula E team Audi Sport ABT supplier Schaeffler.[9]
The championship will also introduce a standardised safety structure in a bid to improve safety standards. This will coincide with the homologation requirements being re-written to allow teams to build prototype chassis based on production cars rather than having to adapt a chassis to fit a roadgoing model.[1]
Notes
- ^ The Monte Carlo Rally is run on a tarmac and snow surface.
- ^ The Rally 1 sporting regulations were introduced in 2020.[7]
References
- ^ a b c d Evans, David (21 December 2019). "WRC cars will get a boost from hybrid power on stages from 2022". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
- ^ Craig, Jason (22 May 2020). "WRC News: M-Sport making "good progress" on new 2022 car". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ Thukral, Rachit (11 April 2020). "Solberg in talks with manufacturers for team return to WRC". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ Thukral, Rachit (15 May 2020). "WRC News: Kenya's Safari Rally cancelled due to coronavirus". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ Evans, David (27 September 2019). "WRC drops Corsica, Spain and Australia, three events return for 2020". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
- ^ Garton, Nick (16 March 2020). "Neuville doesn't see point of "s***" 2022 proposed WRC rules". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
- ^ Evans, David (8 October 2019). "FIA steps up plan to simplify WRC into five-tier career ladder". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
- ^ Newbold, James; Evans, David; James, Matt; Malsher, David (26 January 2020). "Digging into the 'scramble for hybrid". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ Newbold, James (31 March 2020). "WRC announces exclusive 2022 hybrid systems supplier". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 1 April 2020.