| Calendar |
| 2024 | Calendar changes | Estonia and Mexico are dropped and replaced by new event in Latvia and returning Poland respectively. |
| 2023 | Calendar changes | Belgium, Catalunya and New Zealand are all dropped with both Mexico and Chile returning and completely new tri-nation event called Central European Rally making an appearance. |
| 2022 | Calendar returns to normality | After tumults of COVID, 2022 calendar saw some stability and normality return. It included 13 events where only new planned event was New Zealand while Ypres came in as a replacement for proposed event in Great Britain or Ireland. Chile was dropped as it hadn't been run in 2021 either as well as temporary events Arctic and Monza. |
| 2021 | Another rotation attempt | As Covid-19 pandemic continued, FIA presented new calendar with a view to have reserve events in place if any proper rallies were to be cancelled. Estonia, which had been included in 2020 calendar as reserve event, was retained and new event in Croatia was introduced and Catalunya got reinstated while Mexico, Argentina, New Zealand, Turkey and Deutschland were all dropped. Also dropped were two events used as replacements for 2020 season, Belgium and Monza, though some of the dropped events were retained as reserve events for 2021 season as well. During the season, Arctic Rally was added to calendar despite not being one of the nominated reserve events. |
| 2020 | New events rotated in, old out | Initially, three events were rotated in, all which had been part of the WRC in one form or another earlier. New Zealand replaces Australia, new-form asphalt round in Japan replaces Corsica and new-format Kenya (Safari) replaces Catalunya.
During the season, due to Covid-19 pandemic, calendar got changed almost completely with cancellations of Argentina, Portugal, Kenya (Safari), Finland, New Zealand, Deutschland, Great Britain and Japan. New events that replaced these were Estonia, Belgium and Monza. |
| 2019 | Chile joins WRC | New event in Chile is included in 2019 calendar, which retains all previous events and expands to 14 events. |
| 2018 | Turkey in, Poland out | For 2018 season Turkey returns to series replacing Rally Poland. |
| 2016 | Number of rounds increased to 14 | China is added as an 14th round of the WRC despite strong resistance from teams. Rest of the rounds remain the same. |
| 2015 | Calendar | Alsace is dropped and replaced with Corsica. |
| 2014 | Calendar | Acropolis is dropped and replaced with Poland. |
| 2013 | Reduction in contested events requirement | WRC teams are no longer required to contest full calendar as only one non-European event must be contested. At minimum, team must take part in seven events. |
| 2012 | Calendar | Monte Carlo makes a return to WRC and replaces Jordan. |
| 2010 | Calendar | Calendar is increased to 13 events (from 12 events) and with only Portugal, Finland, Catalunya and Great Britain carried over from 2009 season. Sweden, Mexico, Jordan, Turkey, New Zealand, Deutschland, Japan and Corsica all make comeback while Bulgaria enters as a new event. |
| 2009 | Calendar | Calendar is truncated to 12 events (down from 15 events). This is accomplished by rotating Monte Carlo, Sweden, Mexico, Jordan, Turkey, Deutschland, New Zealand, Corsica and Japan out and bringing Ireland, Norway, Cyprus and Portugal back but also new events in Poland and Australia. |
| 2008 | New event | Rally Jordan debuts as a new event and Turkey makes a comeback while new events for 2007 (Norway, Portugal and Ireland) are all dropped, making up a calendar of 15 events (one less than in previous year). |
| 2007 | New events | Calendar for 2007 sees Cyprus, Turkey and Australia dropped while two new events, Norway and Ireland are included for the first time and Portugal makes a return. |
| 2006 | Waiver | Mitsubishi and Skoda are granted a waiver to skip a maximum of three events in 2006, two in Europe and one in overseas. They cannot both be absent from the same event. Neither uses this option and instead withdraw from WRC. |
| 2005 | Switch to winter calendar | A proposal is made of switch from annual calendar to a winter calendar where season starts from autumn, runs through winter and ends at the fall of the next year. Proposal included a shorter transition calendar for first part of 2007. This proposal is left un-implemented. |
| 2004 | New events | Two new events, Japan and Mexico are added, bringing total number of World Rally Championship rallies to 16. |
| 2000 | Cyprus replaces China | China, which had financial problems, is replaced by Cyprus. |
| 1999 | China replaces Indonesia | Indonesia, which was cancelled in 1998, is replaced by China. |
| 1996 | Indonesia makes debut | Amidst the rotational calendar, new event at Indonesia is unveiled at full WRC level. |
| 1994 | Rotation introduced | Sweden, Australia and Catalunya were dropped from full WRC calendar and instead were run as F2-only events. This reduced number of full WRC events to ten, the lowest number since 1974-76. |
| 1991 | Catalunya introduced | Mixed-surface event in Catalunya, Spain is introduced to Championship for a first time. |
| 1989 | Australia replaces Olympus | Struggling USA Olympus Rally is dropped in favour of Rally Australia. |
| |
| FIA Delegates |
| 2022 | FIA Electrical Safety Delegate | Due to dangers of high-voltage elements present in hybrid competition vehicles, FIA appoints a new delegate, Electrical Safety Delegate. Duties include to oversee electrical safety, deliver pre-event safety briefings, to act in the field with a dedicated HV-rescue car to respond on incidents and accidents involving hybrids. |
| |
| FIA structure |
| 2004 | WRC Commission | The World Rally Championship Commission has been restructured.
- Chairman of the WRC Commission, appointed by the FIA;
- Chairman of the Rally Commission, or a representative of the FIA President;
- three team representatives, the first and last in the previous year's WRC
(and also competing in the current year’s Championship), plus one member elected by
the teams;
- three organiser representatives, one from Europe and one outside,
plus one member elected by the organiser;
- representative of the Commercial Rights Holder (non-voting);
- representative of the FIA External Relations Department (non-voting).
A simple majority will be required to pass a proposal. |
| |
| JWRC |
| 2006 | JWRC cars | In addition of S1600 cars, Junior WRC is now open to N3 and regular A6 kit cars as well. |
| 2006 | Junior calendar | Number of events is increased to nine but number of events drivers must nominate is dropped back to six. |
| 2005 | Junior calendar | The number of Championship events is increased to eight and the drivers must nominate seven (was six) rallies in the Championship in which they will participate. |
| 2004 | Control tyres | Changed from Michelin to Pirelli. |
| 2001 | Super 1600 Cup | Super 1600 Cup is formed. Cars are 1600cc FWD cars, cost of each is maximum of 100.000 USD and which have heavy technology cap, banning exotic materials and limiting sophisticated parts like gearboxes. Six events count towards Cup: Catalunya, Acropolis, Finland, San Remo, Corsica and Great Britain. Registration for Cup is mandatory and registered driver must start on all six events. |
| 2001 | Mechanics | Originally only three mechanics per car are allowed. Later number is increased to four. |
| |
| Non-event activity |
| 2021 | Awarding of the titles | To ensure the value of the WRC championship, at least half of the events scheduled on the initial calendar will have to be held for titles to be awarded. In the support championships, the FIA will have the possibility to adjust the minimum number of participations and number of events taken into account, should the number of qualifying events be less than scheduled initially. |
| 2019 | Permanent competition numbers | Except number 1, which will always be reserved for the reigning World Rally Champion, all other Priority 1 drivers will be free to choose their permanent car number. This is done to give consistent identity to drivers and assist with promotion.
|
| 2016 | WRC Team requirement | WRC Team can now contest any number of events, there is no longer a minimum of seven nominated rallies for them. |
| 2014 | Manufacturer nomination requirement | Manufacturers will no longer be required to nominate one permanent driver for the season. Instead, manufacturers will be obliged to nominate one driver for a minimum of 10 Championship events. |
| 2011 | Priority status rule changed | Priority 2 drivers who have contested more than two consecutive rounds will be awarded Priority 1 status for the remainder of the season. These drivers must then comply with the regulations pertaining to WRC Teams. |
| 2004 | Testing restrictions | Further testing restrictions are issued as follows.
No testing can take place outside Europe at all (previously restricted to one pre-named non-European country). During August and November testing is prohibited.
These restrictions cover only registered teams (contesting full championship). |
| 2003 | Testing restrictions | No testing is permitted in the country of a rally for any rallies run outside Europe. |
| 2003 | Testing restrictions | Testing in the country of a rally by a priority 1 crew is not permitted after the start of reconnaissance until the end of the rally. |
| |
| PWRC |
| 2007 | S2000 cars admitted | Drivers can now use Super 2000 cars to score points in PWRC. |
| 2005 | Production calendar | The number of Championship events is increased to eight and the drivers must nominate six rallies in the Championship in which they will participate. |
| |
| S2000 Cup |
| 2011 | Eligible cars for S2000 WRC | Cars eligible to contest the Super 2000 World Rally Championship must have a normally aspirated engine with a cylinder capacity of less than 2000cc. |
| 2010 | Super 2000 Cup | New cup is formed, officially named as FIA World Rally Championship Cup (for S2000 teams). It's similar to PWRC and JWRC championships - teams can count seven out of ten selected rounds towards their championship score and must start twice outside Europe. |
| |
| Safety |
| 2004 | Safety Group | A Rally Safety Research Group has been established to address four principal areas
concerning rally car occupant safety, as follows:
- crew in-car location and retention;
- roll protection and energy absorption;
- accident data recording;
- driver/co-driver heat stress.
|
| |
| Shakedown |
| 2024 | Number of passages at shakedown | P1 crews will complete a minimum of two passages of the shakedown, while the third pass will be available for a media or VIP passenger ride determined by WRC Promoter. |
| |
| Sporting |
| 2024 | Championship points: A complex new scheme | Championship scoring changed to a complex scheme awarding points for classification at the end of Saturday, points for classification for Sunday only and Power Stage points (unchanged).
Major portion of the points are scored for general classification at the end of Saturday as follows (to score, competitor must be classified in Final Classification, eg. finish the rally):
1st = 18 pts
2nd = 15 pts
3rd = 13 pts
4th = 10 pts
5th = 8 pts
6th = 6 pts
7th = 4 pts
8th = 3 pts
9th = 2 pts
10th = 1 pt
In addition, based on stage times for Sunday only, as follows:
1st = 7 pts
2nd = 6 pts
3rd = 5 pts
4th = 4 pts
5th = 3 pts
6th = 2 pts
7th = 1 pts
This change is supposed to end or at least lessen "cruising on Sunday" where drivers are taking it easy and saving tyres for Power Stage when differences between positions are large enough so that there is not enough incentive to risk pushing for better positions. Downside is points scheme that is complex and difficult to understand. |
| 2022 | Entrant named as driver must be the driver | Rules now clarify that entrant named as the driver of the crew must drive the car on special stages. In the past, it happened that a competitor who already had entered a maximum number of nominated events entered additional events under the name of the co-driver but still drove the car in order to deprive championship points from their rivals. |
| 2021 | Power stage scoring extended | Previously only top five fastest drivers on Power Stage scored Drivers' Championship points. Starting from 2021, scoring is extended to include Manufacturer's Championship as well as support championships WRC2 and WRC3. |
| 2021 | Starting interval | Minimum starting interval between Priority 1 drivers is increased to three (3) minutes (was two minutes). |
| 2020 | WRC2 and WRC3 | For 2020 season, former WRC 2 Pro for professional drivers was renamed as WRC 2 and same category for amateur drivers, formerly known as WRC 2, was renamed as WRC 3. This is somewhat confusing as previous WRC 3 was for lower category cars and now that championship ceased to exist. |
| 2019 | Rally 2 restart order | P1 competitors restarting under Rally 2 regulations will restart before the other P1 competitors. |
| 2019 | Reduction of maximum rally distance | The total distance of special stages has been reduced from a maximum of 500 to a maximum of 350 kilometres. Change is mostly theoretical, only three rallies exceeded 350 kilometers in 2018 and only one of them by any significant amount. |
| 2019 | Support championships | WRC2 championship is divided into WRC 2 Pro and WRC 2 (regular). Former is for manufacturer backed and registered entries, latter is for all other WRC2 entries.
At the same time, WRC 3 championship is scrapped. |
| 2018 | Power Stage running order | Competitors who do not start the Power Stage in the decided order will not be eligible for Power Stage points. This amendment prevents both intentional late check-in which increases the gaps between competitors and prevent behaviour aimed at circumventing the start order of the Power Stage. |
| 2018 | Championship points (Juniors) | For the final round of the JWRC, competitors score double points provided that they have started in three previous JWRC rounds of the season. Those who do not meet qualification for this receive only regular amount of points. |
| 2017 | Manufacturer entries | Manufacturer may enter two or three cars (was two) for the purpose of scoring points in the Manufacturer’s Championship but only two best will score championship points. |
| 2017 | Drivers eligible to drive 2017 WRCars | Only drivers entered by manufacturers are eligible to drive 2017 World Rally Cars, with the approval of the FIA. |
| 2017 | Driver nomination | To provide the opportunity for more drivers to be nominated, from 2017 manufacturer will not be required to nominate the first driver in its team. Nominations will however still be required by the closing date of entries for each event. |
| 2017 | Start order | Reversed start order is abandoned and for first day, all cars start according to the actual Championship classification. For subsequent days, P1 drivers start in the reverse order of the rally classification while all other drivers start in the order of the rally classification. Restarting P1 crews start at the end of the P1 group. |
| 2017 | Points for power stage | Championship points for power stage is changed to:
1st - 5 points
2nd - 4 points
3rd - 3 points
4th - 2 points
5th - 1 point |
| 2017 | Championship points | Should one of the rallies be unable to run in its entirety, Championship points will be awarded in accordance with the percentage of the scheduled length of special stages run as follows:
-full points if 75% or more
-half points if between 50-75%
-one third points if between 25-50%
-no points if less than 25%. |
| 2017 | Championship points (Juniors) | For JWRC, competitors score points not only for their respective finishing position but also for stage winner(s), called Stage Points. Such points are not awarded for notional or Rally2 times or for those who jump the start. |
| 2016 | Championship points | Should one of the rallies be unable to run in its entirety, Championship points will be awarded in accordance with the percentage of the scheduled length of special stages run as follows:
-full points if more than 50%
-half points if between 25-50%
-no points if less than 25%.
Note: This rule was repealed in 2009 and is now reinstated. |
| 2016 | Power stage length | There is no longer a requirement for the Power Stage to be between 10 and 15 kilometres in length. |
| 2016 | Start order | P1 priority crews that have retired and re-start under Rally 2 regulations will no longer run ahead of regular crews, instead they will start at the back of the P1 group. This means that for the first two days the championship leader will always be first on the road. |
| 2015 | Start order | Start order is changed so that crews will start in Championship order not only the first but also the second day and reversed classification order is used only in the final day. Retired crews will still start first, before other crews. |
| 2015 | Penalty for missing stages | In order to give more of an advantage to crews contesting all the stages, a seven-minute penalty, instead of five minutes, will be applied per stage missed by the retired crews. The 10-minute penalty for missing the last stage of a day remains applicable. |
| 2015 | Splits banned | Sending split time data to crews in the rally car during special stage is banned. Splits for spectators are still available. |
| 2015 | Time limit for stage start | A car which has not started from the special stage start line within 20 seconds (of the allotted start time) will be considered as retired. |
| 2014 | Start order | Qualifying is scrapped and starting order is reversed back to system used from 2002 to 2007. On first day, starting order is per championship order. On subsequent days, starting order is reversed rally classification. This rule applies to Priority 1 and 2 drivers. |
| 2014 | Rally format | Rallies return to a fixed format after few years of freedom and variance. There will be a ceremonial start on Thursday, with the last stage run on Sunday at approximately 12:00 hrs for European events. The final stage is defined as the Power Stage, the length of which will be set at a minimum of 10 kilometres. |
| 2014 | Category recognition sticker | All competitors registered in the Championships – WRC, WRC 2, WRC 3 and Junior WRC - will be obliged to use a colour-coded windscreen sticker to identify the category in which they are competing. |
| 2014 | Stage distance ratio | As a general rule, organisers of WRC events must ensure a minimum of 25% competitive special stage distance in relation to the overall distance of the event. |
| 2013 | Championship structure | Super 2000 Championship will be renamed as WRC-2 Championship. Championship is open to four-wheel driven cars in R4, R5 and S2000 classes.
Production Car Championship will be renamed as WRC-3 Championship. Championship is open to two-wheel driven cars in R3, R2 and R1 classes.
WRC Academy will be renamed as FIA Junior WRC Championship. |
| 2012 | Start order | On gravel rallies, shakedown will be used as a qualifying stage to determine the start order. Officially, this is known as "Free Practice and Qualifying Stage". Each cew is allowed two practice runs over two hours before qualifying begins. Each driver then starts the qualifying run in championship order and with two minute interval, just like ordinary special stages. Taking into account the qualifying times, crews will be permitted to select their start positions in order of fastest to slowest. In subsequent day crews will restart in reverse order. This rule only applies to Priority 1 and 2 drivers. |
| 2012 | Optional super-rally | Instead of being standard rule for all events, each event will now be allowed to specify whether cars are permitted to re-start after retirement (so-called super-rally rule). |
| 2012 | Timing | For the Qualifying Stage and the Power Stage, timing will be to a thousandth of a second (was: tenth of a second). |
| 2012 | Manufacturer registration | In the first Championship year of homologation, a new manufacturer may register as a WRC Team and score Manufacturers’ points on a maximum of seven nominated rallies. |
| 2012 | Priority status rule changed | Priority 1 drivers are those in World Rally Cars who have been nominated by a registered Manufacturer or WRC Team for the purpose of scoring points for the FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers, or have been entered by a Manufacturer or WRC Team but not for scoring points in the Manufacturers’ Championship (new ruling). A driver may also be awarded P1 status if they have been classified among the first 10 in a World Championship rally during one of the two previous Championship years or during the current Championship year (unchanged ruling). |
| 2012 | Drivers license required | Throughout the rally, both crew members must have a valid driving licence. |
| 2011 | Eligible cars | Cars eligible to score points in the Manufacturers' Championship will no longer include the the World Rally Cars using the original WRCar formula, only future World Rally Cars based on S2000-cars. |
| 2011 | Control tyre rule abolished | Single tyre supplier rule, the so-called control tyre is abolished, allowing any tyre manufacturer to supply tyres for the competitors. |
| 2011 | TV-stage and bonus points | Each event must include one special stage on the final day and the three fastest drivers on this stage called as Power Stage will be awarded additional points in scale of 3-2-1. |
| 2010 | Championship points | Points scoring changed to:
1st = 25 pts
2nd = 18 pts
3rd = 15 pts
4th = 12 pts
5th = 10 pts
6th = 8 pts
7th = 6 pts
8th = 4 pts
9th = 2 pts
10th = 1 pt |
| 2010 | Eligible cars | Cars eligible to score points in the Manufacturers' Championship will include the present (the original WRCar formula) and future World Rally Cars (S2000-based WRCars), and Super 2000 cars. |
| 2010 | Rally length increase | The total length of the special stages is increased to maximum of 500 km (was 400 kilometers). Also, minimum and maximum limitations for individual stages are dropped, instead a limit of maximum of 80 kilometers of stages between service halts is introduced. |
| 2010 | Night stages allowed | Subject to satisfactory levels of safety, night stages are permitted but must not form the whole itinerary of the day. Previously, night stages were permitted only if special dispensation was granted by FIA. |
| 2010 | Maximum lateness | The maximum lateness between two time controls has been extended from 15 to 30 minutes. However the lateness for the day remains at 30 minutes. |
| 2010 | Co-driver names | The name of the co-driver is again permitted to be included on the rear side windows of cars. Became effective from 2010 Bulgaria onwards. |
| 2009 | Mixed surfaces | FIA re-allows use of mixed surfaces in rallies, banned since 1996. This allowance is permitted on condition that a surface will be used on two consecutive days (ie. middle day must have same surface as either the first or the last day). |
| 2009 | Rally length increase | The total length of the special stages is increased to maximum of 400 km (was 360 kilometers). |
| 2009 | Full points always | FIA gives up the rule 21.3 (in 2008 regulations) which said that only half championship points were awarded if only between 25 and 50 percent of the rally length was run and no points at all if fewer than 25% of the rally length was run. Repealing this rule mean that full points is always awarded regardless of how much of the rally is run. |
| 2009 | Number of mechanics | The maximum number of mechanics per team permitted to work on the cars in the main service park is now eight (formerly 12). In the remote service zones, four mechanics are permitted to work on each car. |
| 2009 | World ranking for drivers | A world ranking for rally drivers will be trialled. Established weekly by the FIA, it will be based on the results achieved in all FIA Rally Championship events and FIA authorised Trophies, Challenges and Cups. |
| 2008 | Start order | The reversed top-15 system for determining the running order is abandoned and is switched back to old system based on event classification (or championship classification for first leg). |
| 2008 | Final service | Itinerary of the events shall include a ten minute final service between the final stage and the podium finish. This is meant to encourage Service Park to remain as an spectator attraction until the very finish. |
| 2008 | Super-rally restricted | Crews are no longer allowed to re-join the rally if they retire on final day. |
| 2007 | Remote servicing allowed | Remote servicing, under restricted conditions, is again permitted. |
| 2007 | Road-legality | A small but important clarification is presented: during liaison (ie. road) sections, competing car must have all of it's four wheels intact. No more three-wheeling on public roads. |
| 2006 | Manufacturer championship | Manufacturers' Championship undergoes significant change of principle. The term "manufacturer" is no longer used to refer only to actual manufacturers or teams officially designated by a such manufacturer, but also to teams taking part with a single make of car, official or privateer.
In a related move, competing teams (or manufacturers) are divided into two categories, Manufacturer 1 and Manufacturer 2 as follows:
Manufacturer 1
- A Manufacturer 1 undertakes to take part in all the rallies of the Championship
- A Manufacturer 1 must enter only cars corresponding to the latest homologated version of a World Rally Car in conformity with the 2006 Appendix J
- A Manufacturer 1 must inform the FIA of the name of the first driver entered for the season at the time of registration for the Championship. No change of the first driver is authorised, except in a case of force majeure. The driver of the second car may be changed for each of the rallies in the Championship
- In order to score points in the Championship, a Manufacturer 1 must take part with two cars of the same make in the 16 rallies of the calendar
Manufacturer 2
- A Manufacturer 2 undertakes to take part in 10 or more Championship rallies which it has nominated
- A Manufacturer 2 cannot enter World Rally Cars homologated during the year 2006 and cannot use parts homologated after 2 January 2006
- A Manufacturer 2 cannot enter a driver who has been classified among the first six in the final classification of the FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers in the last five years
- In order to score points in the Championship, a Manufacturer 2 must take part with two cars of the same make in 10 or more rallies it nominated on registering for the Championship. The Manufacturer can only score points in the events it nominated on registering |
| 2006 | J/PWRC championship registration | Both in Junior and Production WRC, the registration for the Championship may now be in the name of a driver, in the name of a team, or in the name of an ASN designated team. Points are still scored in the name of the driver, ie. if team uses more than one driver during the season, each score only for him/herself. |
| 2005 | Rally length reduction | The total length of the special stages is reduced to maximum of 360 km (was 400 kilometers). |
| 2005 | Super-rally | Any crew which has retired may re-start from the start of the next leg. The crew will get a five minute penalty added to the fastest time of the drivers' priority group for each missed stage. |
| 2005 | HANS use required | All crews in official manufacturer-entered cars will have to use the HANS (Head And Neck Support) system. |
| 2005 | Gravel crews reinstated | On tarmac rallies, gravel crews (called as safety crews) are again allowed. One such crew for each Priority 1 and Priority 2 competitors may make one pass of each stage. |
| 2004 | Recce rules | The "Mille Pistes" concept adapted, changing from two pre-event recce runs to one and another run done on morning of each leg. Also, recce can now be carried out with rally cars as well as with standard recce cars. If standard cars are used, those must be registered to country hosting the rally (teams cannot ferry their own recce cars to events any longer). |
| 2004 | Team structure | Change back to two-car teams in manufacturer championship scoring. |
| 2004 | Gravel crews banned | Use of gravel crews was banned on all other events except Monte Carlo. |
| 2004 | Servicing | Flexi-service adopted. Instead of servicing all of teams' cars simultaneously, in flexi-service concept cars are serviced one at a time, reducing the need of service crew. |
| 2004 | Supe-rally experiment | A trial of a new system to allow cars which have retired in a leg to re-start in a subsequent leg, but without scoring points and without being classified in the event, will begin with the Acropolis Rally. |
| 2003 | Championship points | Points scoring changed to:
1st = 10 pts
2nd = 8 pts
3rd = 6 pts
4th = 5 pts
5th = 4 pts
6th = 3 pts
7th = 2 pts
8th = 1 pt |
| 2002 | Entries | No more than 90 crews may be accepted to entry list of each event. This number is to be broken down into 30 championship crews with World Rally Cars, 5 invited drivers, 30 JWRC or PWRC cars and rest at the discretion of the organiser. |
| 2002 | Start order | In Leg 1, first 15 crews will start in championship order. In subsequent legs, these top 15 crews will start in reverse order. |
| 2002 | Shakedown | Shakedown is moved from Wednesday to Thursday morning. |
| 2000 | Safari recce | Waiver to use rally cars in recce of Safari Rally ends. Instead, drivers have to use regular production cars, usually some sort of jeeps. |
| 1999 | Manufacturer points | Only nominated cars of registered manufacturers score points. Non-scoring cars (of unregistered manufacturers, non-nominated manufacturer cars or privateers) no longer block points, rather points are distributed between nominated cars of registered manufacturers as if they were only finishers. Scoring in drivers' championship is not changed. |
| 1999 | TV stage | For TV stage special rules applied. Manufacturer entered crews that had retired prior the TV stage were able to rejoin the rally for that one stage. Three fastest on that single stage scored 3-2-1 points respectively. TV stage was to be the final stage of the rally and it was run in Corsica and Finland before idea was scrapped. |
| 1999 | Start order | In Rally Australia, new running order system is tried out. Instead of running in championship or end-of-leg order, drivers instead pick their road position for the next leg. Order in which choice is made is championship or end-of-leg order. |
| 1998 | Timing | Stages are timed to tenth of a second (previously only to full seconds). |
| 1997 | Championship points | Points scoring changed to (identical with F1 points):
1st = 10 pts
2nd = 6 pts
3rd = 4 pts
4th = 3 pts
5th = 2 pts
6th = 1 pt |
| 1997 | Safari servicing | Principle of servicing allowed only in service parks extended to include Safari Rally. Teams were no longer able to drop mechanics and spare parts from helicopters. |
| 1996 | Rally duration | Events can last only maximum of three days of competitive driving, spectator super special stages being exception. |
| 1995 | Championship scoring | Points scoring scale in manufacturers championship changes slightly though composite of overall position and group position is retained, points from both categories are added to get total tally. Two best placed cars of each manufacturer scored. Additionally, only cars finishing in top-15 positions overall scored (even if within top-10 in the group).
Overall position scoring:
1st = 25 pts
2nd = 20 pts
3rd = 17 pts
4th = 14 pts
5th = 12 pts
6th = 10 pts
7th = 9 pts
8th = 8 pts
9th = 7 pts
10th = 6 pts
11th = 5 pts
12th = 4 pts
13th = 3 pts
14th = 2 pts
15th = 1 pt
Group position scoring:
1st = 10 pts
2nd = 9 pts
3rd = 8 pts
4th = 7 pts
5th = 6 pts
6th = 5 pts
7th = 4 pts
8th = 3 pts
9th = 2 pts
10th = 1 pt |
| 1993 | Championship registration | Obligatory registration to WRC series is re-introduced. Teams had to nominate drivers 30 days before each event and only nominated drivers were eligible to score points for the team. |
| 1993 | Championship events | For 1993, all rounds of the championship counted towards both drivers' and makes' championships for the first time. |
| 1986 | Group A championship | New championship was created for drivers of Group A cars. For points scoring in this new championship refer to championship points section of 1986. |
| 1986 | Championship scoring | Points scoring scale in manufacturers championship changes slightly though composite of overall position and group position is retained, points from both categories are added to get total tally. Only best placed car of each manufacturer scored even if a car in lower position would have gained more points. Additionally, only cars finishing in top-10 positions overall scored (even if within top-8 in the group).
Overall position scoring:
1st = 12 pts
2nd = 10 pts
3rd = 8 pts
4th = 7 pts
5th = 6 pts
6th = 5 pts
7th = 4 pts
8th = 3 pts
9th = 2 pts
10th = 1 pt
Group position scoring:
1st = 8 pts
2nd = 7 pts
3rd = 6 pts
4th = 5 pts
5th = 4 pts
6th = 3 pts
7th = 2 pts
8th = 1 pt
Points scoring for new Group A championship was based on overall position in Group A:
1st = 8 pts
2nd = 7 pts
3rd = 6 pts
4th = 5 pts
5th = 4 pts
6th = 3 pts
7th = 2 pts
8th = 1 pt
In addition, points were awarded according to overall position in a category of which there were three (up to 1300cc, 1300-2000cc and over 2000cc):
1st = 10 pts
2nd = 8 pts
3rd = 6 pts
4th = 5 pts
5th = 4 pts
6th = 3 pts
7th = 2 pts
8th = 1 pt |
| 1986 | Championship registration | In order to be eligible to score points in Manufacturers championship, team was required to register at the beginning of the season. Team also had to register their qualifying drivers beforehand and only points from registered drivers were added to total for that team. |
| 1986 | Rally and stage lengths | After Corsica, stage length cannot exceed 30 kilometers. Also rally duration was recommended to be reduced. |
| 1984 | Eligible cars | Only cars homologated in groups B, A or N were eligible in WRC events. |
| 1983 | Championship points | Only drivers using new Group A, B or N cars were eligible to score championship points. |
| 1979 | Drivers championship | Championship title for drivers is introduced and points scoring is different from that of the makes, points being given out to top-10 finishers as follows:
1st = 20 pts
2nd = 15 pts
3rd = 12 pts
4th = 10 pts
5th = 8 pts
6th = 6 pts
7th = 4 pts
8th = 3 pts
9th = 2 pts
10th = 1 pt |
| 1977 | Championship points | Scoring is changed to composite of overall position and group position, points from both categories are added to get total tally. Only best placed car of each manufacturer scored even if a car in lower position would have gained more points. Additionally, only cars finishing in top-10 positions overall scored (even if within top-8 in the group).
Overall position scoring:
1st = 10 pts
2nd = 9 pts
3rd = 8 pts
4th = 7 pts
5th = 6 pts
6th = 5 pts
7th = 4 pts
8th = 3 pts
9th = 2 pts
10th = 1 pt
Group position scoring:
1st = 8 pts
2nd = 7 pts
3rd = 6 pts
4th = 5 pts
5th = 4 pts
6th = 3 pts
7th = 2 pts
8th = 1 pt |
| 1973 | Championship points | Original scoring scheme was:
1st = 20 pts
2nd = 15 pts
3rd = 12 pts
4th = 10 pts
5th = 8 pts
6th = 6 pts
7th = 4 pts
8th = 3 pts
9th = 2 pts
10th = 1 pt
Only best placed car of each manufacturer scored. |
| |
| Technical |
| 2025 | Reduction in number of hydrid units | A maximum of three new hybrid units per season will be allowed in 2025 and 2026 for Rally1 cars entered to score points in the Manufacturers’ Championship, instead of nine. |
| 2022 | Engine limit | Number of engines per manufacturer nominated competitor is reduced from three to two per season. |
| 2022 | High Voltage Gloves | Each competing Rally1 car must carry two pairs of Class 0 (1000 V -proof) High Voltage Gloves. |
| 2022 | Minimum weight | The minimum weight of the Rall1 car is set to to 1260 kg (was 1175 kg for 2017-spec RC1 cars). |
| 2017 | Turbo restrictor | Diameter of turbo restrictor is increased to 36 mm (was 33mm). |
| 2017 | Minimum weight | The minimum weight of the car is reduced (by 25 kilograms) to 1175 kg (was 1200 kg). |
| 2017 | Body shell dimensions | WRCar maximum width increases by 55 mm to 1875 mm (was 1820 mm). |
| 2014 | Classes renamed | Car classes are renamed, A0 becames RC1 and so on. |
| 2014 | Homologation changes | In order to extend the life of World Rally Cars, manufacturers will be permitted to re-homologate 2011, 2012 and 2013 cars without any modification, except one single chassis and engine joker for 2014. In order to facilitate the replacement of S2000 Rally cars with Group R5, S2000 regulations will not be continued after 2013 and will be replaced by new R5 homologation regulations. |
| 2011 | The S2000-based WRCar | For the 2011 and 2012 Championships, the World Rally Car will be based on Super 2000 with the addition of a specified kit restricted to modifications to the bodywork, being removable aerodynamic devices. The car will be subject to specific technical regulations intended to control costs through restrictions on the changing of engines, transmissions and similar components. The maximum 8,500rpm for the engine will be maintained for all World Rally Championship and S2000 cars. |
| 2011 | 1.6 liter turbo engine | New homologation regulations permit the use of a 1.6 litre turbo engine with direct injection (based on the existing Super 2000 regulations). This engine may either be derived from the Manufacturer's base engine, or be homologated in accordance with the strictly defined technical regulations. |
| 2011 | Turbo restrictor | In line with new 1600cc WRC engine regulations, the diameter of mandatory turbo restrictor is reduced to 33mm (was 34mm). |
| 2010 | New World Rally Cars | The new technical regulations for the future World Rally Car will become effective from 2011. The WRC Car will be based on the current Super 2000 and Group N cars, fitted with a supplementary kit, which includes turbo and rear-wing additions. The kit must be able to be fitted or removed within a defined time limit, to be determined.
The current World Rally Car regulations will be extended to include the 2010 World Rally Championship, subject to technical controls. The new World Rally Car will be permitted to compete from 2009 and score points in the Championship from 2010. |
| 2008 | Control tyre introduced | Control tyre is introduced to all 4WD rally cars (previously used only in JWRC) and tender for seasons 2008-2010 was won by Pirelli. |
| 2008 | Mousse banned | At the same time with introduction of the control tyre, filling tyres with anything other than air is forbidden. |
| 2008 | Cutting of the tyres | Cutting the tyres, a practice to help coping with varying conditions, is limited only to tarmac rallies and only along pre-set guidelines of cutting the patterns. |
| 2008 | Technical restictions eased | The restriction on parts will be eased for new manufacturers in their first year of entering the Championship. A new manufacturer may ask the FIA for a waiver to use two additional engines without penalty, and a change of parts, as described in the Sporting Regulations. |
| 2006 | Engine and chassis pairing | In order to limit costs by increasing lifespan of parts and components, FIA decreed that some rallies were "paired" so that teams were oblidged to use same components in both events of the pair. In the first of the paired events, parts in question were sealed and seals were checked at the of the second paired rally.
Paired rallies for 2006 were (engines, chassis):
-- Monte Carlo & Sweden
-- Mexico & Argentina
-- Spain & France
-- Italy & Greece
-- Germany & Finland
-- Japan & Great Britain
-- Cyprus & Turkey
-- Australia & New Zealand
These pairings applied to Manufacturer 1 teams only, for Manufacturer 2 pairing was for two consecutive rallies that the team entered. |
| 2005 | Maximum width | For World Rally Cars with overall length of 4200mm or more, maximum allowed width is increased from 1770mm to 1800mm. |
| 2004 | Tyre restrictions | Starting from Mexico, each works driver are limited to only "ten times the number of tyre change opportunities" of tyres. For example, if there are six tyre changes, driver can have up to 60 tyres available for durationg of whole rally, including weather dependent special treads. Each tyre is identified by a bar-code and selected tyres have to be submitted to the FIA weeks before the event. |
| 2003 | Fuel tank | Maximum fuel tank capacity is 95 liters. |
| 2002 | Door mirrors | Mirrors on doors/wings must be external (Mitsubishi and Citroen had experimentally mirrors fitted inside of the door). |
| 2000 | Minimum weight | Minimum weight for A7 cars is increased from 960 to 1000 kg. |
| 1997 | World Rally Car | Alternative way to prepare and homologate Group A rally car is introduced. Manufacturer no longer need to produce road-going 4WD turbocharged car in order to homologate A8-car, turbo and 4WD system can be added to any model produced in sufficient quantities. |
| 1995 | Turbo restrictor | Diameter of mandatory turbo restrictor is reduced to 34mm (was 38mm). |
| 1993 | Minimum production requirement | From 1st of January 1993 onwards, minimum production requirement for a car to be eligible for homologation was decreased from 5,000 units to 2,500 units. |
| 1992 | Turbo restrictor | Diameter of mandatory turbo restrictor is reduced to 38mm for Group A and 36mm for Group N (was 40mm). |
| 1990 | Turbo restrictor | 40mm turbocharger restrictor is made compulsory, the first concrete step to enforce the nominal 300hp power limit introduced in 1986 in response to fatal accidents. |
| 1988 | Turbo equivalent factor | Multiplication factor for forced induction engines is increased from 1.4 to 1.7. |
| 1987 | Groups B and S banned | Following the tragedies of 1986, Group B and upcoming Group S are banned from 1st Jan 1987, except for some less powerful cars. |
| 1986 | Group B evolutions | After Corsica, no new Group B evolution homologations could take place. |
| 1986 | Skirts are banned | After Corsica skirts (any aerodynamic devices under the car) are banned. |
| 1986 | Automatic fire extinguishers | After Corsica, Group B rally cars were required to have automatic fire extinguisher systems installed. |
| 1982 | Homologation groups | Appendix J of FISA technical rules changes, replacing homologation groups 1 to 5 with new alphabetic groups A, B and N.
Old groups were allowed for transition period of one year, to disappear by start of 1983 season. |
| 1976 | 16-valve cylinder heads | Special modification rules are tightened so that fitting 16-valve cylinder head on an engine that normally had only eight valves was no longer allowed.
Note that even though the rule was introduced for 1976, there was a transition period of two years so that from 1978 onwards no car could have more than two valves per cylinder. |
| 1973 | Turbo co-efficient | Cars with forced induction (turbo- or super-charger) have their nominal cubic capacity multiplied with co-efficient 1.4 to arrive total capacity, used to determine minimum weight. |
| |
| Terminology |
| 2008 | Leg becomes Day | In FIA's own words, "To aid public understanding, the term Leg will be replaced by Day". |
