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169-669: The rally is an off-road endurance event. The terrain that the competitors traverse is much tougher than that used in conventional rallying , and the vehicles used are typically true off-road vehicles and motorcycles , rather than modified on-road vehicles. Most of the competitive special sections are off-road, crossing dunes, mud, camel grass , rocks, and erg among others. The distances of each stage covered vary from short distances up to 800–900 kilometres (500–560 mi) per day. The rough terrain, driver fatigue, and lack of skill usually results in accidents and serious injuries. The Mediterranean Rally (also known as Algiers-Cape Town Rally )

338-569: A European Rally Championship (at first called the "Touring Championship") of eleven events; it was first won by Helmut Polensky of Germany. This was the premier international rallying championship until 1973, when the FIA created the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers . Initially, most of the major post-war rallies were fairly gentlemanly, but the organisers of the French Alpine and

507-552: A hillclimb and a speed trial, but it was marred by poor organisation and confusing regulations. One participant had been Prince Henry of Austria, who with the Imperial Automobile Club of Germany, later created the first Prinz Heinrich Fahrt (Prince Henry Trial) in 1908. Another trial was held in 1910. These were very successful, attracting top drivers and works cars from major teams – several manufacturers added "Prince Henry" models to their ranges. The first Alpine Trial

676-415: A super special stage . These are often short and for spectators or promotional purposes and may be on a different surface such as asphalt on a gravel character rally, or they may be a head-to-head running where two cars start at the same time at different points in a loop format. Since 2021 rallies must consist of only one surface type except where short super special stages are permitted that do not require

845-515: A 7th rally entered outside Europe also scoring points towards the championship tally. Power stage points are also awarded. Drivers, co-drivers and teams must all nominate if they wish to be eligible for championship points before a rally and can do so independently. For that reason the same crew pair in the same team may compete in all events in a season yet nominate and score points in different events. Crews competing in WRC2 are given Priority 2 status and run

1014-497: A Championship both as a driver and as a team principal. At the end of the following year, Citroën withdrew from the championship after Ogier left the team. Ott Tänak took the driver's title breaking the French Sebastien's (Loeb and Ogier) domination of the sport since 2004. Hyundai meanwhile, took the manufacturers championship title and repeated the success in 2020. Ogier returned to championship winning ways for 2020 and 2021 in

1183-814: A Toyota Yaris, though vowed that the new era of Rally1 would not be fully contested by himself. WRC said goodbye to the World Rally Car in 2021 after 25 years. Each WRC season consists of a number of rounds within the same calendar year and should ordinarily include rallies on a minimum of 3 continents. In the past the championship has visited every continent except Antarctica. Most recently there have been about 13 rallies though there have been as few as 7 such as in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. The rallies are typically driven on surfaces ranging from gravel and tarmac to snow and ice. The competitive special stages are driven on closed roads which are linked by non-competitive road sections known as liaisons. These roads are open to

1352-534: A WRC rally in 2022, cars must be homologated in one of the following groups or classes: World Rally Car 1.6L, any of the Groups Rally and R3 or R-GT of Group R Eligible cars with 1.6L direct injection turbo engines and four-wheel drive built to World Rally Car regulations. The power output is limited to around 280 kW (380 hp). The 'WRC+' cars including the Ford Fiesta WRC , Toyota Yaris WRC and

1521-629: A bad accident at the Rally Argentina left him to watch compatriot and teammate Timo Salonen take the title instead. Italian Attilio Bettega had an even more severe crash with his Lancia 037 at the Tour de Corse and died instantly. The 1986 season started with impressive performances by Finns Henri Toivonen and Alén in Lancia's new turbo- and supercharged Delta S4 , which could reportedly accelerate from 0–60 mph (96 km/h) in 2.3 seconds, on

1690-481: A category of rally cars known as Group R were introduced as a rally only replacement to the Group A and Group N categories which were slowly phased out of eligibility. Cars were classified under one of six categories based on their engine capacity and type, wheelbase, and drivetrain. Group R cars still had to be homologated in Group A or N but have the relevant Group R extension approved in common with other rally formulae. As

1859-599: A certain single-minded ruthlessness. Rather gentler (and more akin to modern rallying) was the Glidden Tour , run by the American Automobile Association between 1902 and 1913, which had timed legs between control points and a marking system to determine the winners. The First World War brought a lull to motorsport. The Monte Carlo Rally was not revived until 1924, but since then, apart from World War II and its aftermath, it has been an annual event and remains

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2028-471: A change in the car's setup. In the past some rallies such as Sanremo or Rally Spain have had one day of gravel followed by another day of asphalt stages, requiring substantial changes in the setup of the car. Asphalt setups have 18" wheels compared to 13" on gravel or snow, combined with changes needed to the differentials, suspension travel and geometry. A WRC event begins with reconnaissance ( recce ) on Tuesday and Wednesday, allowing crews to drive through

2197-524: A destination at a prescribed time or average speed. Rallies may be short in the form of trials at a single venue, or several thousand miles long in an extreme endurance rally. Depending on the format, rallies may be organised on private or public roads, open or closed to traffic, or off-road in the form of cross country or rally-raid. Competitors can use production vehicles which must be road-legal if being used on open roads or specially built competition vehicles suited to crossing specific terrain. Rallying

2366-484: A form of motorsport. A touring assembly may have an organised route and simple passage controls but not any form of competition held or prizes given. One example, the Gumball 3000 , which calls itself ' a rally not a race ', explicitly states in its terms that no form of competition between participants must take place. The FIA defined this activity under 'rally of the touring kind' at least until 2007, though have now separated

2535-566: A gravel road. However, the season soon took a dramatic turn. At the Rally Portugal, three spectators were killed and over 30 injured after Joaquim Santos lost control of his Ford RS200 . At the Tour de Corse, championship favourite Toivonen and his co-driver Sergio Cresto died in a fireball accident after plunging down a cliff. Only hours after the crash, Jean-Marie Balestre and the FISA decided to freeze

2704-517: A minimum production requirement to achieve homologation by the FIA. This ceased to be the case when Group Rally1 cars were introduced for the 2022 season. Rally1 regulations placed them in Category II as 'Competition Cars', which are built as single examples for exclusive use in competition. The rules have changed over time to suit economic conditions, for safety reasons, to advance technology, to attract more manufacturer entrants or to better promote

2873-520: A mix of types. Road rallies are the original form held on public highways open to traffic. In its annually published International Sporting Code , the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) includes the following definition of rally: Rally: Road Competition with an imposed average speed run entirely or partly on roads open to normal traffic. A Rally consists either of a single itinerary..., or of several itineraries converging on

3042-855: A more southerly route before boarding a ship in Lisbon. Disembarking in Rio de Janeiro the route travelled southward into Argentina before turning northwards along the western coast of South America before arriving in Mexico City. The Ford Escort of Hannu Mikkola and Gunnar Palm won. These were followed in 1974 by the London-Sahara-Munich World Cup Rally, and in 1977 by the Singapore Airlines London-Sydney Rally. The 1974 London-Sahara-Munich World Cup Rally followed four years later. The rally travelled southwards into Africa but

3211-516: A motoring rally. One early example of a true motor rally, the 1909 Auto Rally Day in Denison, Iowa , United States, gathered approximately 100 vehicles owned by local residents for no other real reason than to give rides to members of the public, using fuel paid for by local businessmen who hoped the event would help sell cars. In the case of the 1910 Good Roads Rally held in Charleston, South Carolina ,

3380-543: A navigational error saw most of the rally become lost in Algerian desert. Eventually only seven teams reached the southernmost point of the rally in Nigeria with five teams making it back to West Germany having driven all legs and only the winning team completing the full distance. This, coupled with the economic climate of the 1970s the heat went out of intercontinental rallying after a second London–Sydney Marathon in 1977. The concept

3549-538: A particularly grueling event. Pierre Lartigue took Citroën's second win in acrimonious circumstances, as Mitsubishi's leading drivers were forced to withdraw from exhaustion after traversing some particularly demanding sand dunes in the Mauritanian desert that the Citroën crews had opted to skip. Peterhansel's did not compete due to a disagreement between Yamaha and the race organizers over the regulations. Edi Orioli claimed

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3718-565: A quarter hours for the 550 km (340 mi) to Bordeaux, an average of 105 km/h (65.3 mph). Speeds had now exceeded the safe limits of dusty highways thronged with spectators and open to other traffic, people and animals and there were numerous crashes, many injuries and eight deaths. The French government stopped the race and banned this style of event. From then on, racing in Europe (apart from Italy) would be on closed circuits, initially on long loops of public highway and then, in 1907, on

3887-489: A rally was organised to promote the need for better roads. The rally itself had no competition and most vehicles were expected to be parked for its duration. The programme included a visit to some ongoing roadworks, a vehicle parade, with food, drink, dancing and music also arranged. However, the Automobile Club of Columbia , who had members attending the event, independently organised their own road competition to contest on

4056-474: A rallying-point fixed beforehand.... The route may include one or several special stages, i.e. events organised on roads closed to normal traffic, and which together determine the general classification of the Rally. The itineraries which are not used for special stages are called road sections. Speed must never constitute a factor determining the classification on these road sections. In an exclusively regularity rally,

4225-587: A regular round of the World Rally Championship. In the 1930s, helped by the tough winters, it became the premier European rally, attracting 300 or more participants. In the 1920s, numerous variations on the Alpine theme sprang up in Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland and Germany. The most important of these were Austria's Alpenfahrt , which continued into its 44th edition in 1973, Italy's Coppa delle Alpi , and

4394-447: A result, older cars could reclassify under Group R subject to meeting criteria. With R5, R4, R2 and R1 of Group R being renamed and absorbed by the new Groups Rally, as of the 2021 season R3 and R-GT cars are still currently eligible for overall entry. R3 cars however have been downgraded to RC4 sporting class from RC3, in line with Rally4 cars rather than superseding them. Neither R3 or R-GT have specific WRC support championships. When

4563-399: A rule change paved the way for Mitsubishi to take a fourth victory. Japan's Kenjiro Shinozuka became the first non-European to win the event. Peterhansel equalled Neveu's record of five motorcycle category wins in 1997, before going one better in 1998 , when the event returned to its traditional Paris-Dakar route. 1998, Dakar veteran Jean-Pierre Fontenay posted another win for Mitsubishi in

4732-408: A separate category in 1980, is made up of vehicles weighing more than 3,500 kg (7,716 lb). Trucks participating in the competition are subdivided into "Series Production" trucks (T4.1) and "Modified" trucks (T4.2), whilst Group T4.3 (formerly known as T5) trucks are rally support trucks – meaning they travel from bivouac to bivouac to support the competition vehicles. These were introduced to

4901-454: A series of manoeuvrability and car control tests; the latter a thinly disguised road race over some of Europe's toughest mountain roads. In Ireland, the first Ulster Motor Rally (1931) was run from multiple starting points. After several years in this format, it transitioned into the 1,000-mile (1,600 km) Circuit of Ireland Rally . In Italy, Benito Mussolini 's government encouraged motorsport of all kinds and facilitated road racing, so

5070-461: A serious accident in 1957 caused it to be banned. Meanwhile, in 1981, the Tour de France was revived by the Automobile-Club de Nice as a different kind of rally, based primarily on a series of races at circuits and hillclimbs around the country. It was successful for a while and continued until 1986. It spawned similar events in a few other countries, but none survive. In countries where there

5239-423: A similar system to the classification points, where only the top two nominated from each team can be eligible. While normal Special Stages are timed with an accuracy to the tenth of a second, the "Power Stage" timing is to the thousandth of a second. Crews are permitted to restart the following day if they are forced to retire. For each stage not completed however, a ten-minute penalty plus the winning stage time in

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5408-503: A social, political or religious cause. Motor car rallies were probably being arranged as motor clubs and automobile associations were beginning to form shortly after the first motor cars were being produced. "Auto Rallies" were common events in the USA in the early twentieth century for the purpose of political caucusing , however many of these rallies were coincidentally aimed at motorists who could attend in convenient fashion rather than being

5577-399: A speed limit of 25kph imposed, the competitive elements were partly based on cleanliness, condition and elegance of the cars and required a jury to choose a winner. However, getting to Monaco in winter was a challenge in itself. A second event was held in 1912. Rallying as a form of road competition can be traced back to the origins of motorsport, including the world's first known motor race;

5746-415: A testing ground and an opportunity to show off their vehicles' durability even though most vehicles are heavily modified from their production specification or purpose-built. For the 2005 rally regulations introduced a limit of 450cc for twin cylinder motorbikes. Single cylinder motorbikes were still open class with no capacity limit. As of 2011, the engine displacement limit for all motorbikes competing in

5915-553: A third title in the bikes category. The 1995 and 1996 events begin in the Spanish city of Granada , with Lartigue racking up wins for Citroën in both years. Peterhansel returned to take a fourth bikes category win in 1995, but lost to Orioli in 1996 because of refuelling problems. The 1997 rally ran exclusively in Africa for the first time, with the route running from Dakar to Agadez , Niger and back to Dakar. Citroën's withdrawal due to

6084-496: A total distance of at least 5000 km. Hill rallies are a type of cross-country event found in the United Kingdom and defined and governed by Motorsport UK . Assemblies of car enthusiasts and their vehicles may still colloquially be called rallies, even if they involve merely the task of getting to the location (often on a trailer). However, static assemblies that simply 'meet' (akin to a caravan or steam rally ) are not considered

6253-404: A total of 400 kilometres (250 mi) of driving. In the current era each rally usually consists of between fifteen and thirty special stages of distances ranging from under 2 km (1.2 mi) to over 50 kilometres (31 mi), not totalling more than 350 kilometres (220 mi). Any stage which deviates from the character of the rally or ordinary running of a special stage is known as

6422-514: A truly tough event. In 1956 came Corsica's Tour de Corse , 24 hours of virtually non-stop flat out driving on some of the narrowest and twistiest mountain roads on the planet – the first major rally to be won by a woman, Belgium's Gilberte Thirion , in a Renault Dauphine . These events were road races in all but name, but in Italy such races were still allowed, and the Mille Miglia continued until

6591-544: A winner, which made it unattractive to foreign crews. In 1961, Jack Kemsley was able to persuade the Forestry Commission to open their many hundreds of miles of well surfaced and sinuous gravel roads, and the event was transformed into one of the most demanding and popular in the calendar, by 1983 having over 600 miles (970 km) of stage. It was later renamed Rally GB . Rallying also took off in Spain and Portugal and by

6760-430: Is also an "Open" category catering for vehicles conforming to SCORE International regulations. Mini have been the most successful marque in the car category in recent years, thanks to the efforts of the non-factory X-raid team, with limited involvement currently coming from Toyota , Ford and Haval . Several constructors also produce bespoke buggies for the event, most notably SMG and Damen Jefferies. Mitsubishi

6929-420: Is also contested on five events of the World Rally Championship calendar. A WRC season typically consists of 13 three- to four-day rally events driven on surfaces ranging from gravel and tarmac to snow and ice. Each rally is usually split into 15–25 special stages which are run against the clock on up to 350 kilometres (220 mi) of closed roads. Manufacturers must register to be eligible to score in

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7098-454: Is historically the most successful manufacturer in the car class, with Volkswagen , Citroën , Peugeot and Porsche having all tasted success in the past with factory teams. Jean-Louis Schlesser has also won the event twice with his Renault -supported buggies. Factory teams from Nissan and SEAT have also won stages, as has BMW , courtesy of the X-raid team. The Truck class, first run as

7267-499: Is no age restriction for co-drivers. The Junior World Rally Championship was previously an open championship for younger drivers in S1600 cars from 2001. In 2011 it became a closed FIA sanctioned championship run by either M-Sport or Citroën in the current format. Ford Fiesta R2/Rally4 or Citroën DS3 R3 cars were provided, maintained and serviced for each entrant. Championships were awarded to drivers, co-drivers and nations. Only 5 rounds of

7436-581: Is not based on fastest time, but rather on regularity rally point scoring system. The class feature a reduced entry fee, yet the same rules and fees apply for the assistance. Source: Source: [REDACTED] Pablo Moreno Huete The rally is broadcast on television in more than 190 countries. A live feed of the event and a roundup of each day's race progress is made into a 26-minute programme. This has been commentated on by Toby Moody for ten years, and more recently by Neil Cole . The rally organizers and their television crews provide 20 edit stations along

7605-716: Is not permitted. For the 2023 season, Rally1 entries may use a maximum 28 tyres per round. WRC Promoter GmbH owns the commercial rights to the WRC championships, responsible for all media coverage, sponsorship operations and encouraging of participants. WRC Promoter GmbH is jointly owned by Red Bull Media House and KW25 Beteiligungs GmbH. Through the Red Bull Content Pool, WRC provides news, articles and images for professional news and media outlets free of charge. The WRC.com website and mobile apps provides news, live rally times and results, championship standings and information about

7774-402: Is not unusual for a crew to finish far down the overall classification yet still score manufacturers points. A driver can win the driver's championship driving one car yet a different manufacturer can win the manufacturer's championship which has occurred on several occasions, most recently in 2018, 2019 and 2020. First introduced in 2011 , the "Power Stage" is the final stage of the rally and

7943-508: Is often called the category for the toughest of the tough, and one for the Dakar purists. KTM has dominated the motorcycle class in recent years, although Honda , Yamaha , Sherco , Husqvarna , and Gas Gas also compete currently. BMW and Cagiva have also enjoyed success in the past. Prior to 2009, Quads were a subdivision of the motorbike category, but they were granted their own separate classification in 2009 and are designated Group 3 in

8112-558: Is replete with such terrain, and documents the vehicle's endurance. 182 vehicles took the start of the inaugural rally in Paris , with 74 surviving the 10,000-kilometre (6,200 mi) trip to the Senegalese capital of Dakar . Cyril Neveu was the event's first winner, riding a Yamaha motorcycle. The event rapidly grew in popularity, with 216 vehicles taking the start in 1980 and 291 in 1981 . The privateer spirit of early racers tackling

8281-406: Is tested. Gimmick rallies have less of a concern on timekeeping or driving ability and include other fun and games. Examples include: These rallies are primarily amateur events. Stage rallying simply divides the route from the start to the finish of any rally into stages, not necessarily exclusively for speed tests on special stages . Each stage may have different targets or rules attached. In

8450-404: Is typically distinguished from other forms of motorsport by not running directly against other competitors over laps of a circuit , but instead in a point-to-point format in which participants leave at regular intervals from one or more start points. Rallies generally fall under two categories, road rallies and cross-country (off-road). Different types of rally are described however a rally may be

8619-444: Is typically televised live and immediately followed by the rally's podium celebrations. Additional World Championship points are available to the five fastest drivers and co-drivers through the stage regardless of where they actually finish in the rally. The fastest team receiving five points, the second-fastest receiving four points, etc. and the fifth-fastest receiving one. In 2021 manufacturers began scoring power stage points following

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8788-575: The Automobile Club de France sponsored the longest race to date, a 1,710 km (1,060 mi) event from Bordeaux to Agen and back. Because it was held in ten stages, it can be considered the first stage rally. The first three places were taken by a Panhard, a Panhard, and a three-wheeler De Dion-Bouton . In the Paris–Madrid race of May 1903, the Mors of Fernand Gabriel took just under five and

8957-454: The 1982 , and with only a few restrictions allowed almost unlimited power. Audi took the manufacturers' title in 1982 and 1984 and drivers' title in 1983 (Mikkola) and 1984 ( Stig Blomqvist ). Audi's French female driver Michèle Mouton and her co-driver Fabrizia Pons came close to winning the title in 1982, but had to settle for second place after Opel rival Röhrl. The 1985 title seemed set to go to Vatanen and his Peugeot 205 T16 but

9126-613: The 2001 title with a Subaru Impreza WRC , but Grönholm and Peugeot took back both titles in the 2002 . 2003 saw Norway 's Petter Solberg become drivers' champion for Subaru and Citroën continue the success of the French manufacturers. Citroën's Sébastien Loeb went on to control the following seasons with his Citroën Xsara WRC . Citroën took the manufacturers' title three times in a row and Loeb surpassed Mäkinen's record of four consecutive drivers' titles, earning his ninth consecutive championship in 2012. Suzuki and Subaru pulled out of

9295-615: The 2007 killing of four French tourists . Chile and Argentina offered to host subsequent events, which were later accepted by the ASO for the 2009 event . From a legal standpoint, the ASO held all entries for a rescheduled and relocated race, the Central Europe Rally , held in Hungary and Romania . It was intended to be part of a series known as the Dakar Series . The seven-stage rally-raid

9464-503: The 2012 rally , the X-raid team came to the fore, now using Minis in lieu of BMWs. Peterhansel had joined the team in 2010 after Mitsubishi's departure, but had been unable to challenge the Volkswagen drivers. Following Volkswagen's withdrawal, Peterhansel was able to secure his fourth win in the car category and his tenth in total, his main opposition coming from within his own team. Peterhansel successfully defended his title in 2013 as

9633-500: The 2024 season which did not include results in the final classification. The driver's championship and manufacturer's championship are separate but based on a similar point system. Manufacturers must nominate up to three crews to be eligible for manufacturer championship points before an event. The two fastest nominated crews from each manufacturer form a new classification for the purpose of awarding manufacturer points. Retired crews cannot score points unless they have restarted and it

9802-519: The C-130 Hercules ) search plane spotted their white Peugeot 504 some 50 kilometres (31 mi) off course. Thatcher, Verney, and the mechanic were all unharmed. Rallying Rallying is a wide-ranging form of motorsport with various competitive motoring elements such as speed tests (sometimes called "rally racing" in United States), navigation tests, or the ability to reach waypoints or

9971-762: The Coupe Internationale des Alpes (International Alpine Trial), organised jointly by the automobile clubs of Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and, latterly, France. This last event, run from 1928 to 1936, attracted strong international fields vying for an individual Glacier Cup or a team Alpine Cup, including successful Talbot , Riley , MG and Triumph teams from Britain and increasingly strong and well funded works representation from Adolf Hitler 's Germany, keen to prove its engineering and sporting prowess with successful marques like Adler , Wanderer and Trumpf. The French started their own Rallye des Alpes Françaises in 1932, which continued after World War II as

10140-565: The Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC cannot be driven by those who had scored manufacturer points between 2017 and 2021. Earlier WRC cars since 2011, such as the Volkswagen Polo R WRC are permitted without such restrictions. 2021 was the final season of this specification at the top of the sport, being replaced by Rally1 in the manufacturer's championship in 2022. The Groups Rally consists of six rally car specifications eligible for WRC. Starting in 2008,

10309-524: The Lancia Delta HF . The 1990s then saw the Japanese manufacturers, Toyota , Subaru and Mitsubishi , become title favourites. Spain's Carlos Sainz driving for Toyota Team Europe took the 1990 and 1992 titles with a Toyota Celica GT-Four . Kankkunen moved to Toyota for the 1993 season and won his record fourth title, with Toyota taking its first manufacturers' crown. Frenchman Didier Auriol brought

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10478-476: The Rallye International des Alpes , the name often shortened to Coupe des Alpes . Other rallies started between the wars included Britain's RAC Rally (1932) and Belgium's Liège-Rome-Liège or just Liège, officially called "Le Marathon de la Route" (1931), two events of radically different character; the former a gentle tour between cities from various start points, "rallying" at a seaside resort with

10647-434: The World Rally Championship , Regional Rally Championships; and many countries' motorsport governing bodies organise domestic rallying championships using speed competitions. The stages may vary from flat asphalt and mountain passes to rough forest tracks, from ice and snow to desert sand, each chosen to provide a challenge for the crew and a test of the car's performance and reliability. A single-venue rally takes place without

10816-447: The 1894 Paris–Rouen Horseless Carriage Competition ( Concours des Voitures sans Chevaux ). Sponsored by a Paris newspaper, Le Petit Journal , it attracted considerable public interest and entries from leading manufacturers. The official winner was Albert Lemaître driving a 3 hp Peugeot , although the Comte de Dion had finished first but his steam-powered vehicle was ineligible for

10985-559: The 1960s had spread to their colonial territories in the mid-Atlantic. By the end of the 1960s events had not only begun in Madeira and the Canary Islands , but also on the far-flung Azores . World Rally Championship The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC ) is an international rallying series owned and governed by the FIA . Inaugurated in 1973, it is the second oldest of

11154-487: The 1990s. Hino , DAF , Perlini , and Mercedes-Benz have also been among the winners in the past. The utility task vehicle (UTV) category was introduced in 2017. Before this, UTVs ran under the car category as the T3 class. The class rapidly gained in popularity, and in 2021 the class was further subdivided into separate T3 light prototypes category, and T4 SSVs, which are based on production vehicles. A new Dakar Classic class

11323-548: The Dakar Rally is 450cc. Engines may be either single or twin cylinder. Riders are divided into two groups, RallyGP and Rally2. A subcategory is the "Original by Motul " category (formerly named "Malle Moto" due to the only piece of luggage competitors were allowed to take with them was a "malle", a French term for box or trunk.), which refers to motorbikes and quads competing without any kind assistance. The organization provides assistance for this category with 4 people dedicated to

11492-475: The Dakar in 2025 due to declining manufacturer support. The car class is made up of vehicles weighing less than 3,500 kg (7,716 lb), which are subdivided into several categories. T1 is made up of "Improved Cross-Country Vehicles", subdivided according to engine type (petrol or diesel) and drive type (two-wheel or four-wheel drive), while T2 is made up of "Cross-Country Series Production Vehicles", which are subdivided into petrol and diesel categories. There

11661-515: The Damen Jefferies buggies of Sainz and Al-Attiyah failed to last the distance. Despres also racked up a further two wins for KTM in the bikes class in 2012 and 2013, bringing his tally to five, aided by Coma's absence due to injury in the latter year. Coma struck back on his return to the Dakar in 2014 , taking a comfortable fourth title and a 13th in succession for KTM, whilst Nani Roma emulated Auriol and Peterhansel by taking his maiden title in

11830-415: The FIA ecoRally Cup for example, energy performance is measured on regularity stages ran in conformity with the clock. A gimmick rally may have stages with varying difficulty of the puzzle element. Also called rally racing or (special) stage rallying . Road rallies must use special stages where speed is used to determine the classification of the rally's competitors; the quickest time to complete

11999-401: The FIA's world championships after Formula One . Each season lasts one calendar year , and separate championship titles are awarded to drivers, co-drivers and manufacturers. There are also two support championships, WRC2 and WRC3 , which are contested on the same events and stages as the WRC, but with progressively lower maximum performance and running costs of the cars permitted. Junior WRC

12168-541: The German X-raid team proved thorns in the side of the big budget works teams. The 2004 route was from Clermont-Ferrand to Dakar, and was the year Peterhansel emulated Hubert Auriol's feat of winning the rally on both two wheels and four. The Frenchman defended his title in 2005, when the rally began for the first time in Barcelona . In the bikes category, KTM continued their success with Nani Roma in 2004, who switched to

12337-611: The German works teams shortly before their countries were overrun. This was one of five Liège wins for Trasenster; Trevoux won four Montes between 1934 and 1951. Rallying was again slow to get under way after a major war, but by the 1950s there were many long-distance road rallies. In Europe, the Monte Carlo Rally, the French and Austrian Alpines, and the Liège were joined by a host of new events that quickly established themselves as classics:

12506-498: The KTM works team rider, Australian Toby Price, take his first Dakar victory, winning his second title in 2019. Sam Sunderland and Matthias Walkner won the 2017 and 2018 edition also for the team from Mattighofen (18 overall victories as in 2019). Following ASO's increasingly deteriorating relationships with South American governments, which culminated in the controversial 2019 disqualification of Bolivian quad rider Juan Carlos Salvatierra,

12675-865: The Lisbon Rally (Portugal, 1947), the Tulip Rally (the Netherlands, 1949), the Rally to the Midnight Sun (Sweden, 1951, now the Swedish Rally ), the Rally of the 1000 Lakes (Finland, 1951 – now the Rally Finland ), and the Acropolis Rally (Greece, 1956). The RAC Rally gained International status on its return in 1951, but for 10 years its emphasis on map-reading navigation and short manoeuvrability tests made it unpopular with foreign crews. The FIA created in 1953

12844-505: The Liège (which moved its turning point from Rome into Yugoslavia in 1956) straight away set difficult time schedules: the Automobile Club de Marseille et Provence laid on a long tough route over a succession of rugged passes, stated that cars would have to be driven flat out from start to finish, and gave a coveted Coupe des Alpes ("Alpine Cup") to anyone achieving an unpenalised run; while Belgium's Royal Motor Union made clear no car

13013-586: The PWRC from 2007 to 2009 before the Super 2000 World Rally Championship was run between 2010 and 2012. They were also accepted in WRC2 from 2013 to 2016. Super 1600 cars were only allowed to enter in JWRC and on events that the championship was held on up to 2010 before the R2 became the sole championship car. Historically, multiple brands have provided tyres to competitors. Pirelli was

13182-688: The Rallye Côte d'Ivoire in 1989. Despite the PWRC ending in 2012, Group N cars were allowed to enter WRC2 until 2016 and overall rallies until the end of 2018. In 1997 , the World Rally Car specification was introduced to ease the development of new cars and bring new makes to the competition. An extension of Group A, the WRC cars were used in the manufacturer's championship, although Mitsubishi received special dispensation to run their Group A models into 1999, and won three drivers and one manufacturers championships whilst doing so. In 2011 changes were made to

13351-701: The Royal Automobile Club held its 2,000 mi (3,200 km) International Touring Car Trial, and in 1914 the Light Car Trial for manufacturers of cars up to 1400 cc, to test comparative performances. In 1924, the exercise was repeated as the Small Car Trials. In Germany , the Herkomer Trophy was first held in 1905, and again in 1906. This challenging five-day event attracted over 100 entrants to tackle its 1,000 km (620 mi) road section,

13520-601: The Royal Automobile Club) organised the Thousand Mile Trial, a 15-day event linking Britain's major cities in order to promote this novel form of transport. Seventy vehicles took part, the majority of them trade entries. They had to complete thirteen stages of route varying in length from 43 to 123 miles (69 to 198 km) at average speeds of up to the legal limit of 12 mph (19 km/h), and tackle six hillclimb or speed tests. On rest days and at lunch halts,

13689-429: The WRC already in 1986, with Sweden's Kenneth Eriksson taking the title with a Volkswagen Golf GTI 16V . Lancia was quickest in adapting to the new regulations and controlled the world rally scene with Lancia Delta HF , winning the manufacturers' title six years in a row from 1987 to 1992 and remains the most successful marque in the history of the WRC. Kankkunen and Miki Biasion both took two drivers' titles with

13858-496: The WRC at the end of the 2008 championship , both citing the economic downturn then affecting the automotive industry for their withdrawal. Mini and Ford both pulled out of the WRC at the end of the 2012 championship , due to a similar economic downturn affecting the European market, although Ford continued to give technical support to M-Sport . Volkswagen Motorsport entered the championship in 2013 and Sebastien Ogier dominated

14027-464: The WRC began in 1973, FISA allowed cars from its Group 1 (series-production touring cars), Group 2 (touring cars), Group 3 (series-production grand touring cars) and Group 4 (modified grand touring cars) amongst national classes. These FISA classes were also used in circuit racing and other motorsport championships. The groups formed the basis of new groups in 1982, Group N replaced Group 1, Group A replaced Group 2, and Group B replaced Group 4. Due to

14196-628: The WRC calendar were competed with the best 4 results counting towards championship points, although the final round was worth double points. The highest scoring driver from each country registered points for the nations championship. Uniquely for this series, points were also awarded for stage wins. In 2023 the FIA WRC Masters Cup will run for the first time. The cup is open to drivers and co-drivers over 50 years of age and may enter in any WRC eligible car except Rally1. The cup effectively replaces WRC2 Masters Cup which ran in 2022 for WRC2 entrants of

14365-440: The World Rally Car, the engine capacity was restricted to 1.6L and the minimum length requirement removed to allow for smaller and cost-effective models. Further changes in 2017 allowed for more aero-dynamics, increased safety requirements and a larger air intake restrictor, which increased the effective power from 300 to 380 hp. Super 2000 cars were allowed to enter the overall rallies from 2007 to 2018. They were eligible in

14534-417: The World Rally Championship for Manufacturers and must compete in every rally of the season with Group Rally1 specification cars ( World Rally Car between 1997 and 2021). As the manufacturers use the highest performance car and usually employ the best drivers it is usually the case that these crews and cars take the majority of drivers/co-drivers championship points. Thus, combined with the money invested by

14703-432: The aim is to adhere to the itinerary by following the route and arriving and departing at checkpoints at the prescribed time, with penalties applied to entrants who arrive early, late or who deviate from the route. The entrants with the fewest penalties at the end of the rally are the winners. In trying to maintain the set average speed/s, the reliability of the vehicle, and the ability of the crew to drive, navigate and follow

14872-505: The bikes category since 1985. Schlesser and Sainct both successfully defended their titles in 2000 , traversing the route from Dakar to the Egyptian capital of Cairo . 2001 was the final time that the rally used the familiar Paris-Dakar route, and was notable for Mitsubishi's Jutta Kleinschmidt , as she was the first woman to win the rally – albeit only after Schlesser was penalised one hour for unsportsmanlike conduct. Fabrizio Meoni took

15041-504: The car category for Mitsubishi after a close contest with Alphand after the increasingly competitive Volkswagens retired with mechanical problems. In what would be the final African event of the Dakar, Despres took his second title in the bikes category, having conceded victory in 2006 to Marc Coma after suffering an injury. The 2008 event , due to start in Lisbon, was cancelled on 4 January 2008 amid fears of attacks in Mauritania following

15210-408: The car category the following year, and Cyril Despres in 2005. The 2006 event moved to Lisbon . Nissan pulled out having failed to provide effective opposition to Mitsubishi, who took a sixth consecutive victory, this time with former skiing champion Luc Alphand after Peterhansel committed a series of errors late in the rally. Peterhansel made amends in 2007 , however, taking his third title in

15379-481: The car class went to the Marreau brothers, driving a privately entered Renault 20 . Auriol captured his second bikes class victory in 1983, the first year that Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi competed in the rally, beginning an association that would last until 2009. At the behest of 1983 car class winner Jacky Ickx, Porsche entered the Dakar in 1984 , with the total number of entries now at 427. The German marque won

15548-458: The car class. 1999 started in Granada and a maiden success for erstwhile Formula One and sports car driver Jean-Louis Schlesser , who had been constructing his own buggies since 1992. With the help of Renault backing, Schlesser overcame the works Mitsubishi and Nissan crews to win, whilst Peterhansel's decision to switch to the car category allowed Richard Sainct to take BMW's first title in

15717-504: The cars are prepared and repaired if needed at the end of each loop and leg , however some rallies may organise a remote service and/or tyre fitting zone nearer to the stages during a leg. How much time can be spent working on the car once the rally has started is outlined in the rally's itinerary. Between the days, after a final end of day service, cars are locked away in parc fermé , a quarantine environment where teams are not permitted to access or work on their cars. Points are awarded at

15886-399: The cars class a decade on from his victory on two wheels – albeit only after team orders by X-raid slowed Peterhansel. Peugeot returned for the 2015 event with an all-new, diesel-powered, two-wheel drive contender, but failed to make an impact as X-raid's Minis once more dominated. Al-Attiyah won the event in his second year for the team, while Coma racked up a fifth title in the bikes after

16055-563: The cars were shown to the public in exhibition halls. This event was followed in 1901 by a five-day trial based in Glasgow The Scottish Automobile Club organised an annual Glasgow–London non-stop trial from 1902 to 1904, then the Scottish Reliability Trial from 1905. The Motor Cycling Club allowed cars to enter its trials and runs from 1904 (London– Edinburgh , London– Land's End , London– Exeter ). In 1908

16224-507: The challenges of Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret in a Mitsubishi Pajero, who finished second by 2:01 after the seven stages. The 2009 event , the first held in South America with a respectable 501 competitors, saw Volkswagen take its first win in the Dakar as a works entrant courtesy of Giniel de Villiers . Initially, teammate and former WRC champion Carlos Sainz led the race comfortably until crashing out, but went on to win

16393-574: The championship was contested using two wheel drive cars from R1, R2 and R3 classes of Group R . No championship ran in 2019 but was reinstated in its current format in 2020 . Crews competing in WRC3 are given Priority 3 status to run after the WRC2 crews. Junior WRC is an arrive-and-drive format championship run over 5 events of the WRC calendar using Ford Fiesta Rally3 cars provided by M-Sport . Drivers have to be under 29 and must register. Championship titles are awarded to drivers and co-drivers, though there

16562-425: The clerk of the course. The name was also dropped to avoid confusion with the new Rally2 group of car. Restarting is still at the discretion of the organisers, such as meeting safety standards after a heavy accident. The rules surrounding which cars are used in WRC are governed and approved by the FIA . From the WRC's inception, cars had always followed a basic rule of being Category I, 'Series Production Cars' with

16731-455: The completion of each rally and contribute towards the world championship classifications, and those with the most points at the end of the season are given the championship titles. Up to the 2023 season, points were awarded to the top positions in the overall final classification of each rally, and from 2011, extra points for the Power Stage were introduced. A new points system was introduced for

16900-410: The contract with the country was only exclusive for the first year. However, the effects of COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and 2022 prevented such expansion from happening. The five competitive groups in the Dakar are the motorcycles , quads , the cars class (which ranges from buggies to small SUVs ), UTVs , and the trucks class. Many vehicle manufacturers use the rally's harsh environment as both

17069-457: The cost – financial, social and environmental – of putting them on in an increasingly complex and developed world, although smaller road races continued long after, and a few still do in countries like Bolivia . In Africa, 1950 saw the first French-run Algiers-Cape Town Rally , a 10,000-mile (16,000 km) rally from the Mediterranean to South Africa ; it was run on and off until 1961, when

17238-522: The current regulations. They are divided into two subgroups – Group 3.1, which features two-wheel drive quads with a single cylinder engine with a maximum displacement of 750cc, and Group 3.2, which permits four-wheel drive quads with a maximum engine displacement of 900cc, in either single or twin cylinder layout. Yamaha went unbeaten in the Quad category as an official class, with their main opposition coming courtesy of Honda and Can-Am . Quads were dropped from

17407-496: The defection of long-time rival Despres to the car class and Peugeot. Peugeot did however see success in 2016 with Peterhansel behind the wheel, racking up his 6th win in the car category, and again in 2017 and 2018 until Peugeot decide to officially leave the competition. In 2019 , which was the first Dakar Rally to be held in just one country (Peru), Toyota won for the first time with Nasser Al-Attiyah (in his third victory with three different manufacturers). The bike category saw

17576-533: The desert would be a good location for a regular rally, on the lines of the 1974 London–Sahara–Munich World Cup Rally , the first automobile race to cross the Sahara Desert twice. In 1971, ex- Cream drummer Ginger Baker used the unproven Range Rover to drive from Algeria to Lagos, Nigeria to set up a recording studio and jam with Fela Kuti . Predating the Paris-Dakar Rally the subsequent documentary

17745-479: The development of the Group B cars and ban them from competing in 1987. More controversy followed when Peugeot's Juha Kankkunen won the title after FIA annulled the results of the San Remo Rally , taking the title from fellow Finn Markku Alén . As the planned Group S was also cancelled, Group A regulations became the standard in the WRC until 1997. A separate Group A championship had been organized as part of

17914-404: The event at their first attempt courtesy of René Metge , who had previously won in the car category in 1981, whilst Ickx finished sixth. Gaston Rahier meanwhile continued BMW's success in the motorcycle category with back-to-back wins in 1984 and 1985 , the year of Mitsubishi's first victory of 12 in the car category, Patrick Zaniroli taking the spoils. The 1986 event , won by Metge and Neveu,

18083-516: The event in 2010 . After a poor showing in 2009, Mitsubishi withdrew from the competition and left Volkswagen as the sole works entrant. The German marque won the race for a third time in 2011 , this time with Nasser Al-Attiyah , before they withdrew to focus on their upcoming WRC entry and leaving the Dakar with no factory participants in the car class. In the bikes, Despres and Coma stretched KTM's incredible unbroken run of success. Both tied on three victories apiece after Coma's third win in 2011. In

18252-426: The event with limited resources encouraged such entrants as Thierry de Montcorgé in a Rolls-Royce and Formula 1 driver Jacky Ickx with actor Claude Brasseur in a Citroën CX , in the 1981 race won by two-time winner Hubert Auriol . In 1982 , there were 382 racers, more than double the number that took the start in 1979. Neveu won the event for a third time, this time riding a Honda motorcycle, while victory in

18421-503: The event, victory instead going to compatriot and teammate Juha Kankkunen . Peugeot and Vatanen returned to winning ways in 1989 and 1990 , the latter marking Peugeot's final year of rally competition before switching to the World Sportscar Championship . Sister brand Citroën took Peugeot's place, Vatanen taking a third consecutive victory in 1991 . The 1991 event also saw Stéphane Peterhansel take his first title in

18590-643: The final push across Australia to Sydney. It attracted over 100 crews including a number of works teams and top drivers; it was won by the Hillman Hunter of Andrew Cowan/Brian Coyle/Colin Malkin. The huge success of this event saw the creation of the World Cup Rallies, linked to Association Football's FIFA World Cup. The first was the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally which saw competitors travel from London eastwards across to Bulgaria before turning westwards on

18759-549: The first manufacturer's world championship with its Alpine A110 , after which Lancia took the title three years in a row with the Ferrari V6 -powered Lancia Stratos HF , the first car designed and manufactured specifically for rallying. The first drivers' world championship was not awarded until 1979 , although 1977 and 1978 seasons included an FIA Cup for Drivers , won by Italy 's Sandro Munari and Finland 's Markku Alén respectively. Sweden 's Björn Waldegård became

18928-446: The first Dakar win for Austrian manufacturer KTM , beginning a winning streak that lasted through 2019. The 2002 began in the French town of Arras and long-time Dakar participant Hiroshi Masuoka won the event for Mitsubishi (Masouka had led for much of the previous year's rally.) The 2003 rally featured an unorthodox route from Marseille to Sharm El Sheikh . Masuoka defend his title after teammate and long-time leader Peterhansel

19097-465: The first official world champion, edging out Finland's Hannu Mikkola by one point. Fiat took the manufacturers' title with the Fiat 131 Abarth in 1977, 1978 and 1980 , Ford with its Escort RS1800 in 1979 and Talbot with its Sunbeam Lotus in 1981 . Waldegård was followed by German Walter Röhrl and Finn Ari Vatanen as drivers' world champions. The 1980s saw the rear-wheel-drive Group 2 and

19266-468: The first purpose-built track, England's Brooklands . Italy had been running road competitions since 1895, when a reliability trial was run from Turin to Asti and back. The country's first true motor race was held in 1897 along the shore of Lake Maggiore, from Arona to Stresa and back. This led to a long tradition of road racing, including events like Sicily's Targa Florio (from 1906 ) and Giro di Sicilia (Tour of Sicily, 1914), which went right round

19435-481: The increasing power, lack of reliability and a series of fatal accidents during the 1986 season, Group B was permanently banned. In 1987 Group A became the highest performance car and the choice for manufacturers whilst privateers opted for the budget friendly Group N for use in the newly created Production Car World Rally Championship . A Group N car has won a WRC rally only once - a Renault 5 driven by Alain Oreille won

19604-535: The island, both of which continued on and off until after World War II. The first Alpine event was held in 1898, the Austrian Touring Club's three-day Automobile Run through South Tyrol, which included the infamous Stelvio Pass . In Britain , the legal maximum speed of 12 mph (19 km/h) precluded road racing, but in April and May 1900, the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland (the forerunner of

19773-474: The itinerary is tested. Most non-regularity rally itineraries follow this base structure even where driving tests or special stages are used, however these would not then be described as a regularity rally. Similar to a regularity rally, the itinerary may advise a time and/or distance, or may only advise a target average speed with no indication where the checkpoints may be. The ability of the crew to follow road signs or directions of varying depth of information

19942-427: The journey between the two cities. A prize of $ 10 was awarded to the motorist "approximating the most ideal schedule" between two secret points along the route and who had "the most nearly correct idea of a pleasant and sensible pleasure tour" between the two cities. Though this format of competition itself would later become known as a regularity 'rally', it wasn't at the time, however the trophy and prize were awarded at

20111-452: The latter formula; until they, too, homologated a Lancer Evolution WRC from the 2001 San Remo Rally). After the success of Mäkinen and the Japanese manufacturers, France's Peugeot made a very successful return to the World Rally Championship. Finn Marcus Grönholm took the drivers' title in his first full year in the series and Peugeot won the manufacturers' crown. England's Richard Burns won

20280-485: The manufacturer teams, promotion of the WRC only tends to include the manufacturer crews and privateers in the Rally1 car or World Rally Car. These crews are given Priority 1 (P1) status on rallies and contest the stages before other crews. However it is not unusual for competitors in lower performance cars to take points in the drivers or co-driver's championships. Any crew entering any WRC rally are eligible to score points in

20449-465: The manufacturers' title in 1998 . Another notable car was the Ford Escort RS Cosworth , which was specifically designed for rallying. It was the first production car to produce downforce both at front and rear. For the 1997 World Rally Championship , the World Rally Car regulations were introduced as an intended replacement for Group A (only successive works Mitsubishis still conforming to

20618-447: The more popular Group 4 cars be replaced by more powerful four-wheel-drive Group B cars. FISA legalized all-wheel-drive in 1979, but most manufacturers believed it was too complex to be successful. However, after Audi started entering Mikkola and the new four-wheel-drive Quattro in rallies for testing purposes with immediate success, other manufacturers started their all-wheel-drive projects. Group B regulations were introduced in

20787-592: The motorcycle category with Yamaha, marking the beginning of an era of domination by the Frenchman. For the 1992 event , the finish line moved to Cape Town , South Africa in a bid to combat a declining number of competitors, where GPS technology was used for the first time. Auriol became the first person to win in multiple classes after taking Mitsubishi's second victory in the car class, while Peterhansel successfully defended his motorcycle category title. The 1993 rally entry list slumped to 153 competitors, around half of

20956-399: The motorcycle category, the former taking his fifth victory after Auriol was forced to drop out of the rally after breaking both ankles in a fall. The 1988 event reached its zenith in terms of entry numbers, with 603 starters. Vatanen's title defence was derailed when his Peugeot was stolen from the service area at Bamako . Though it was later found, Vatanen was subsequently disqualified from

21125-419: The need for public road sections though the format and rules remain. In the wake of the ever more advanced rally cars of the late 20th and 21st century is a trend towards historic rallying (also known as classic rallying ), in which older cars can continue to rally. Historic rallies are usually regularity rallies with no speed tests arranged. This discipline attracts some former professional drivers back into

21294-581: The new political situation hastened its demise. In 1953 East Africa saw the demanding Coronation Safari, which went on to become the Safari Rally and a World Championship round, to be followed in due course by the Rallye du Maroc and the Rallye Côte d'Ivoire . Australia's Redex Round Australia Trial also dates from 1953, although this remained isolated from the rest of the rallying world. Canada hosted one of

21463-534: The official competition. The event led to a period of city-to-city road races being organised in Europe and the USA, which introduced many of the features found in later rallies: individual start times with cars running against the clock rather than head to head; time controls at the entry and exit points of towns along the way; road books and route notes; and driving over long distances on ordinary, mainly gravel, roads, facing hazards such as dust, traffic, pedestrians and farm animals. From 24 September-3 October 1895,

21632-481: The overall World Rally Championship for Drivers and World Rally Championship for Co-Drivers. This is regardless of car technical class, number of rallies entered or if they are also entered into the support championships. Although co-drivers are permitted to drive the cars at any point during the rally, they must only do so under a 'force majeure'. The World Rally Championship also features support championships called WRC2 and WRC3 . These championships are contested on

21801-515: The preceding year's figure and around a quarter of that of 1988. The event was the last to be organised by Gilbert Sabine and the Amaury Sport Organisation took over the following year. With the finish line now back in its traditional location of Dakar, Bruno Saby won a third title for Mitsubishi and Peterhansel took a third straight success in the motorcycle category. The 1994 event returned to Paris after reaching Dakar, resulting in

21970-419: The public and all road laws of that country must be adhered to. The liaison routes are detailed in a road book given to each crew and must also be adhered to within a specified time limit to arrive at the next stage or time control point or else they face penalties. To help organise this, crews carry a timecard which is filled in at each time control or special stage by an official. An average day consists of

22139-401: The rallies and championships. Commercial rights to the championship were first sold in 1996 to International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC), a company owned by Bernie Ecclestone who also held an FIA presidential position at the time. ISC was sold in 2000 to a group led by the then Subaru team boss David Richards , who later sold the company to North One Television in 2007. In 2009, ISC

22308-550: The rally has been held in Saudi Arabia since 2020. Since 2022, the rally has been the season-opening round of the World Rally-Raid Championship jointly sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme . The 2023 event ran from 31 December 2022 to 15 January 2023. The Dakar Rally was intended to also feature other Middle East countries starting from 2021, as

22477-473: The rally in 1998. The truck event was not run in 1989 after it was decided the vehicles, by this stage with twin engines generating in excess of 1000 horsepower, were too dangerous following the death of a DAF crew member in an accident during the 1988 rally. Kamaz has dominated the truck category since the turn of the century, although it has come under increasing pressure from rivals such as Iveco , MAN , Renault , and Tatra , which enjoyed much success in

22646-496: The rally. The first known use of the word rally to include a road competition was the 1911 Monaco Rally (later Monte Carlo Rally ). It was organised by a group of wealthy locals who formed the "Sport Automobile Vélocipédique Monégasque" and bankrolled by the "Société des Bains de Mer" (the "sea bathing company"), the operators of the famous casino who were keen to attract wealthy and adventurous motorists to their 'rallying point'. Competitors could start at various locations but with

22815-508: The route for various countries to produce their own programmes about the rally. There are four TV helicopters, six stage cameras, and three bivouac crews to make over 1,000 hours of TV over the two-week period. A 2006 television documentary Race to Dakar described the experiences of a team, including the English actor Charley Boorman , in preparation for and entry into the 2006 Dakar Rally. it:Sport Mediaset In 1982, Mark Thatcher , son of

22984-493: The same criteria. One-make series tournaments have also run on select rounds of the WRC calendar. They were privately administered rally tournaments but permitted to run on the rallies alongside the WRC. Examples include the Ford Fiesta Sporting Trophy (2006, 2007 and 2009) and DMACK Fiesta Trophy (2014–2016), both run by M-Sport, and Citroën Top Driver (2013) run by Citroën. Neither team held these tournaments in

23153-446: The same events and stages as the WRC calendar and have tighter restrictions on eligible car criteria. WRC2 is contested using only Rally2 cars with championships for drivers, co-drivers and teams. Drivers and co-drivers can enter a maximum of 7 events and their best 6 results will count towards their championship tally. Teams must enter two cars into a maximum of 7 events, only 5 of 6 events entered in Europe will score, with points from

23322-403: The same priority group is added to the overall time. Originally known as SuperRally when introduced and later renamed Rally 2 , the rules allow for a better return on investment for competitors and more action for spectators. The Rally 2 name was dropped in 2019 as restarting became the norm, indeed crews are expected and assumed to be restarting unless they register a permanent retirement with

23491-424: The series with six consecutive titles. Hyundai also returned to the series in 2014. New World Rally Car rules were introduced for 2017 which generated faster and more aggressive cars. In 2018, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT won the World Rally Championship earning Toyota their first manufacturers' title since 1999 . With Tommi Mäkinen heading the team, he became the first person in the history of rally driving to win

23660-412: The series. Specifications of cars used can be for just one type, such as the World Rally Car, or a Group of similar specifications that differ in performance such as Group R. In 2014, the FIA introduced the current sporting classes to help further categorise the different classes and groups based on performance. RC1 has the highest performance cars whilst RC5 has the lowest permitted at WRC level. To enter

23829-411: The single tyre supplier for the top class from 2008 to 2010 , then Michelin from 2019 to 2020 , and Pirelli again from 2021 to 2024 . Hankook was announced as the exclusive tyre supplier from 2025 to 2027 . WRC competitors use different tyres for dry and wet asphalt, gravel, snow and ice with studs or no studs, with different compound hardness also available. Hand cutting a tread pattern

23998-455: The solution to the conflict inherent in the notion of driving as fast as possible on ordinary roads. The idea spread to other countries, albeit more slowly to the most demanding events. The RAC Rally had formally become an International event in 1951, but Britain's laws precluded the closure of public highways for special stages. This meant it had to rely on short manoeuvrability tests, regularity sections and night map-reading navigation to find

24167-489: The special stages wins the rally. These are sections of road closed to traffic and authorised to be used for speed tests. Special stages are linked by open roads where navigation, timekeeping, and road traffic law rules must be followed. These open road sections are sometimes called transport stages, somewhat complementing special stages in the make-up of a stage rally. These are the most common format of professional and commercial rallies and rally championships. The FIA organises

24336-469: The sport quickly restarted after World War I. In 1927 the Mille Miglia (Thousand Mile) was founded, run over a 1,000-mile (1,600 km) loop of highways from Brescia to Rome and back. It continued in this form until 1938. The Liège of August 1939 was the last major event before World War II. Belgium's Jean Trasenster ( Bugatti ) and France's Jean Trevoux ( Hotchkiss ) tied for first place, denying

24505-423: The sport. Other drivers started their competition careers in historic rallying. Also commonly known by its types rally-raid or baja ; cross-country rallies take place mostly off-road using similar competitive elements to road and special stage rallying competitions. When off-road, waypoints and markers are set using GPS systems, although competitors cannot use GPS for navigation. Crews must choose how best to cross

24674-469: The stages and create or update their pace notes . On Thursday, teams can run through the shakedown stage to practice and test their set-ups. The competition typically begins on either Thursday evening or Friday morning and ends on Sunday with the Power Stage. Cars start the stages at two-minute intervals in clear weather, or three-minute intervals if it is decided that visibility may be a problem for competitors. Each rally has one central service park where

24843-790: The stages immediately after P1 crews. WRC2 replaced SWRC when Group R was introduced in 2013 and the eligibility rules relaxed. In 2023, WRC2 Challenger Driver and Co-Driver Championships will run for WRC2 drivers who have not won the series before, or who have not driven for a manufacturer entry in the previous 5 years. WRC3 is contested using only Group Rally3 cars (Group Rally2 in 2020 and 2021), with championships for drivers and co-drivers. Designed for privateer drivers, WRC3 has lower entry costs than WRC2 and there are restrictions on who can enter, testing and professional support received. Drivers and co-drivers can enter up to 5 rallies with their best 4 scoring championship points, and scoring rounds must also be nominated beforehand. Between 2013 and 2018,

25012-463: The team further success in 1994 , and soon Subaru and Mitsubishi continued the success of the Japanese manufacturers. Scotsman Colin McRae won the drivers' world championship in 1995 and Subaru took the manufacturers' title three years in a row. Finland's Tommi Mäkinen driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution won the drivers' championship four times in a row, from 1996 to 1999 . Mitsubishi also won

25181-492: The term 'Touring Assembly' without using the word rally in its definition. The word ' rally' comes from the French verb ' rallier ', meaning to reunite or regroup urgently during a battle. It was in use since at least the seventeenth century and continues to mean to synergise with haste for a purpose. By the time of the invention of the motor car, it was in use as a noun to define the organised mass gathering of people, not to protest or demonstrate, but to promote or celebrate

25350-633: The terrain to the next waypoint whilst respecting the navigational instructions provided in the roadbook. The challenge is mostly navigational and endurance. The World Rally-Raid Championship was inaugurated in 2022, including the annual Dakar Rally in its calendar, with joint sanctioning by the FIA and FIM . Cross-Country Rally : Competition with a total distance between 1200 and 3000 km. Baja Cross-Country Rally : Cross-Country Rally which must be run over one day (max: 600 km) or two days (max: 1000 km). A Super Special Stage may be run on an extra day. Marathon Cross-Country Rally : Cross-Country Rally with

25519-424: The then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , along with his French co-driver Anne-Charlotte Verney and their mechanic, disappeared for six days. On 9 January, the trio became separated from a convoy of vehicles after they stopped to make repairs to a faulty steering arm . They were declared missing on 12 January. After a large-scale search was instigated, an Algerian military Lockheed L-100 (a version of

25688-422: The transportation of the competitors "malle" or boxes between bivouac sites plus any additional equipment or belongings. This includes: 1 trunk, 1 set of wheels, 1 sleeping tent, 1 travel bag, 1 set of tyres, free use of the generators, compressors and tool-boxes, and easy access to race information. Since these competitors are not allowed to receive any outside support, each rider must service their own vehicle. It

25857-776: The world's longest and most gruelling rallies in the 1960s, the Shell 4000 Rally. It was the only one sanctioned by the FIA in North America. The quest for longer and tougher events saw the re-establishment of the intercontinental rallies beginning with the London–Sydney Marathon held in 1968. The rally trekked across Europe, the Middle-East and the sub-continent before boarding a ship in Bombay to arrive in Fremantle eight days later before

26026-561: The years they had the rights to manage the JWRC on the FIA's behalf. The World Rally Championship was formed from well-known international rallies, nine of which were previously part of the International Championship for Manufacturers (IMC), which was contested from 1970 to 1972. The 1973 World Rally Championship was the inaugural season of the WRC and began with the Monte Carlo Rally on 19 January. Alpine-Renault won

26195-473: Was 'won' by Prince Scipione Borghese , Luigi Barzini , and Ettore Guizzardi in an Itala . The New York–Paris of the following year, which went via Japan and Siberia , was won by George Schuster and others in a Thomas Flyer . Each event attracted only a handful of adventurous souls, but in both cases the successful drivers exhibited characteristics modern rally drivers would recognise: meticulous preparation, mechanical skill, resourcefulness, perseverance and

26364-501: Was a trans-Africa rally run in 5 editions between 1951 and 1961. It evolved from the original mixed road and off-road rally to a fully off-road endurance event, during the pioneer years of trans-Africa rallies. The race originated in December 1977, a year after Thierry Sabine got lost in the Ténéré desert whilst competing in the 1975 "Rallye Côte-Côte" between Abidjan and Nice and decided that

26533-428: Was announced as the new promoter from the 2013 season. In 2014, a digital subscription service named WRC+ was launched providing video clips and live transmission of some stages each rally, including the power stage , as well as onboard footage and live map tracking of competitors. With the introduction of WRC+ All Live in 2018, for the first time in the championship's history, every special stage from each round

26702-433: Was awarded a 10-year contract to act as the first promoter for the championship from 2010. This new relationship included the FIA handing over responsibilities such as proposing new events and recruiting new sponsors. The contract with North One Sports (renamed from ISC) was cancelled by the FIA ahead of the 2012 season after the company entered into administration the previous year. The current promoter, WRC Promoter GmbH ,

26871-485: Was expected to finish the Liège unpenalised – when one did (1951 winner Johnny Claes in a Jaguar XK120 ) they tightened the timing to make sure it never happened again. These two events became the ones for "the men" to do. The Monte, because of its glamour, got the media coverage and the biggest entries (and in snowy years was also a genuine challenge); while the Acropolis took advantage of Greece's appalling roads to become

27040-536: Was held in 1909, in Austria, and by 1914 this was the toughest event of its kind, producing a star performance from Britain's James Radley in his Rolls-Royce Alpine Eagle . In Estonia and Latvia , The Last Race of the Empire was held in the days prior to the outbreak of World War 1 in 1914. This period was later called the July Crisis . A 706 mile car race of six stages through what is now Estonia and Latvia. The race

27209-474: Was introduced in 2021 for cars and trucks manufactured before 2000, or new vehicles built to original pre-2000 specification. For the fifth edition in 2025, rules allowed another five years where 2005 became the latest specification year for the class, effectively making the rule 20 years for classification as classics. These vehicles share the same bivouac and the organization but run in a parallel, yet different route, suitable for historic vehicles. The scoreboard

27378-500: Was legally the 2008 edition of the Dakar. David Casteu in a KTM won his first rally-raid race of his career while KTM swept the podium. He defeated Francisco Lopez by 2:58 for what technically was his first Dakar win. Volkswagen dominated the cars category, with Carlos Sainz, Sr. and Michel Périn winning the category in the Race Tourareg 2, and the marque sweeping all seven stages of the race. Despite that, Sainz still had to fend off

27547-442: Was marred by the death of event founder Sabine in a helicopter crash, his father Gilbert taking over organisation of the rally. The 1987 rally marked the start of an era of increased official factory participation in the car category, as French manufacturer Peugeot arrived and won the event with former World Rally champion Ari Vatanen . The 1987 event was also notable for a ferocious head-to-head duel between Neveu and Auriol in

27716-490: Was no shortage of demanding roads across remote terrain, other events sprang up. In South America, the biggest of these took the form of long distance city to city races, each around 5,000 to 6,000 miles (8,000 to 9,700 km), divided into daily legs. The first was the Gran Premio del Norte of 1940, run from Buenos Aires to Lima and back; it was won by Juan Manuel Fangio in a much modified Chevrolet coupé . This event

27885-413: Was plagued by mechanical problems in the penultimate stage. Sainct meanwhile took honours in the motorcycle category, the third title for both him and KTM. By 2004 , the entry list had increased to 595, up from 358 in 2001, with a record 688 competitors starting in 2005 . Alongside Mitsubishi and Nissan, Volkswagen now boasted a full factory effort, while Schlesser's Ford -powered buggies and BMWs of

28054-546: Was repeated in 1947, and in 1948 an even more ambitious one was held, the Gran Premio de la América del Sur from Buenos Aires to Caracas , Venezuela —Fangio had an accident in which his co-driver was killed. Then in 1950 came the fast and dangerous Carrera Panamericana , a 1,911-mile (3,075 km) road race in stages across Mexico to celebrate the opening of the asphalt highway between the Guatemala and United States borders, which ran until 1954. All these events fell victim to

28223-709: Was revived in 1979 for the inaugural Paris-Dakar Rally . The success of the Dakar would eventually see intercontinental rallying recognised as its own discipline; the Rally Raid . Rallying became very popular in Sweden and Finland in the 1950s, thanks in part to the invention there of the specialsträcka (Swedish) or erikoiskoe (Finnish), or special stage. These were shorter sections of route, usually on minor or private roads—predominantly gravel in these countries—away from habitation and traffic, which were separately timed. These provided

28392-556: Was shown for selected cars with commentary available in English. For the 2019 season, commentary in Spanish was available for all stages. German and Japanese were available since the 2021 Croatia Rally . During the 2023 season, the WRC+ All Live service was replaced by a new service, Rally.TV , which amalgamated the service with a similar offer covering the FIA World Rallycross Championship . As well as offering

28561-562: Was the third Baltic Automobile and Aero Club competition for the Grand Duchess Victoria Feodrovna Prize. The participants were mainly of Tsarist Russian and German Nobility. Two ultra-long distance challenges took place at this time. The Peking-Paris of 1907 was not officially a competition, but a "raid", the French term for an expedition or collective endeavour whose promoters, the newspaper "Le Matin", rather optimistically expected participants to help each other; it

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