Rally

The World Rally Championship is set to drop hybrid power from its Rally1 cars, beginning from next season.The future of hybrid power in the WRC’s top class has proved to be a long-running saga this year with the debate re-ignited following a mid-season change to the hybrid unit user guide from control supplier Compact Dynamics.Prior to last month’s Central European Rally, the future of hybrid ...Keep readingView the full article

It would be all too easy for Armin Schwarz to pick the Toyota Celica GT-Four as his favourite car. After all, from a career that graced the World Rally Championship podium with four different manufacturers, it was in the Group A weapon that he claimed his only WRC victory in Catalunya in 1991.Yet the machine the German selects instead never won a WRC event. Finishing third on the Safari Rally in ...Keep readingView the full article

The FIA Rally Star programme will provide extra support to rising star Romet Jurgenson and has opted to retain Taylor Gill and Max Smart to contest the 2025 FIA Junior WRC.The three drivers have impressed after earning selection into the FIA’s fully-funded programme that aims to unearth future WRC talent.Jose Caparo (Peru), Gill (Australia), Jurgenson (Estonia) and Smart (South Africa) impressed ...Keep readingView the full article

Toyota will fight for the World Rally Championship manufacturers’ crown at Rally Japan season decider without Kalle Rovanpera.Rally Japan has released its entry list for next month’s (21-24 November) title decider confirming that Toyota will field three GR Yaris Rally1 entries.Toyota’s bid to overhaul Hyundai and claim a fourth consecutive WRC manufacturers’ crown will be led by full-time ...Keep readingView the full article

Rally Japan will host a round of the World Rally Championship until at least 2028 after signing a new agreement with WRC Promoter.The new three-year agreement is set to begin from 2026 and ensures the asphalt rally will continue to be based out of Toyota City, which has hosted the event since 2022. The announcement was made at this weekend’s Hyundai N and Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival at ...Keep readingView the full article

Lancia has officially launched its Ypsilon Rally4 car that will guide the World Rally Championship’s most successful manufacturer back to competitive motorsport.The Italian car maker, a winner of a record 10 WRC constructors' titles (1974-1976, 1983, 1987-1992), has created an all-new Rally4 car that is set to compete in the European Rally Championship and a newly created one-make Lancia Rally ...Keep readingView the full article

Oliver Solberg says returning to the World Rally Championship’s top tier next year is his “dream”, but is wary not to make the same “mistake I did last time”.The WRC2 points leader is yet to secure a WRC seat for next season but could have options to graduate to Rally1 or remain in the second tier for a third consecutive campaign.Solberg’s best chance to make the step back to Rally1 ...Keep readingView the full article

Hyundai is “not quite there yet” with its decision regarding who will pilot its third World Rally Championship entry next year, although Motorsport.com understands Adrien Fourmaux is the favourite.The Korean marque has already confirmed that it has retained the services of Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak, but its plans for its third entry are yet to be announced. Hyundai has been evaluating ...Keep readingView the full article

Dakar Rally winners Toby Price and Sam Sunderland will switch from the motorcycle category to cars to contest the 2025 edition together in January. The pair will be aboard an Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux T1+ for the gruelling Saudi Arabian rally raid from 3-17 January. Price, who won Dakar in 2016 and 2019, will have Sunderland as his co-driver after the Australian was left without a ride as ...Keep readingView the full article

The FIA is confident it has an option to present to the World Motor Sport Council to improve and "simplify" the World Rally Championship's radical points system for next year.This year's all-new points structure has proved a hot topic among competitors and fans thanks to its complexity and weighting that many feel has devalued the overall rally victory.In 2024, points have been split across ...Keep readingView the full article

In Tennis terms the Central European Rally represented the first real match point moment for Thierry Neuville in his relentless 12-year quest to lift the World Rally Championship title.The scene was set perfectly. An asphalt rally where being first on the road is advantage, featuring stages in Germany not a million miles from his and his Hyundai team’s home. But one thing that the WRC can ...Keep readingView the full article

Takamoto Katsuta has explained why he was able to make a strong World Rally Championship comeback at the Central European Rally after being benched. The Japanese driver rejoined the Toyota squad for the penultimate round of the season last weekend following a shock decision by the team to bench its full-time driver for last month’s trip to South America.The decision from the team came after ...Keep readingView the full article

Ott Tanak says if team-mate Thierry Neuville is “smart” at the Rally Japan there will be no chance for him to claim a second WRC title despite Hyundai allowing its drivers to fight.Both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles will go down to the wire in Japan next month after last weekend’s dramatic Central European Rally. Neuville could have sealed a maiden world title if he had ...Keep readingView the full article

Sebastien Ogier says he needs a “reset” after a third consecutive incident cost Toyota valuable points in its bid to defend the World Rally Championship manufacturers’ title.The eight-time world champion was in the box seat to deliver a fourth victory from his partial campaign at the Central European Rally, having ended Saturday with 18 provisional points after building a 5.2s lead over ...Keep readingView the full article

Hyundai’s Ott Tanak has won the Central European Rally in dramatic circumstances to ensure the World Rally Championship title fight will be decided at the Japan season finale next month.The 2019 world champions, Tanak and co-driver Martin Jarveoja, were effectively handed the victory after rival Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier crashed out on the penultimate stage having lost his overnight rally lead ...Keep readingView the full article

A rare mistake from Sebastien Ogier has handed the Central European Rally lead to Hyundai’s Ott Tanak while World Rally Championship Rally1 rookie Sami Pajari rolled on Sunday morning. Ogier started the final day of the rally with a 5.2s margin over Tanak but a lock up approaching a left-hander at the start of a bone dry but dirty stage 15 (Am Hochwald 12.17km) proved costly. The eight-time ...Keep readingView the full article

Ott Tanak says helping Hyundai win the World Rally Championship manufacturers' title remains his priority despite provisionally reducing team-mate Thierry Neuville's drivers' points lead at the Central European Rally.Tanak headed into the WRC's penultimate round 29 points adrift of Neuville, knowing his team-mate could claim a maiden world title if he outscored him by two points.Neuville was on ...Keep readingView the full article

Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier will take a slender lead over Hyundai’s Ott Tanak as 14s separated the top three heading into the final four stages of the Central European Rally.The eight-time world champion won two of the three afternoon asphalt stages to extend his advantage over Tanak to 5.2s, with Toyota’s Elfyn Evans in third and 14s back.Ogier’s performance earned the Frenchman 18 ...Keep readingView the full article

Thierry Neuville has explained his two off-track excursions that cost the World Rally Championship title favourite the lead at the Central European Rally. The Hyundai driver started Saturday with a 6.4s lead over Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier before two spins on stage 11 dropped him to fourth, behind rivals Ogier, Ott Tanak and Elfyn Evans, 33.6s in arrears.The two errors could impact the WRC title ...Keep readingView the full article

World Rally Championship title favourite Thierry Neuville went off the road in stage 11 twice to hand Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier the lead at the Central European Rally.The Hyundai driver’s lead came under pressure on Saturday morning from team-mate Ott Tanak before Neuville relieved the pressure.However, two mistakes in the final stage of the loop dropped the championship leader to fourth, 33.6s ...Keep readingView the full article