2017 World Rally Championship

2017 World Rally Championship
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Support series: World Rally Championship-2 World Rally Championship-3 Junior World Rally Championship

The 2017 World Rally Championship will be the forty-fifth season of the World Rally Championship, an auto racing championship recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) as the highest class of international rallying. Teams and drivers will compete for the World Rally Championships for Drivers, Co-drivers and Manufacturers. Drivers will be free to compete in cars complying with World Rally Car and Group R regulations; however, only Manufacturers competing with World Rally Cars will be eligible to score points in the Manufacturers' championship.

The 2017 season will see substantial revisions to the technical regulations aimed at improving the performance of the cars and offering a greater degree of technical freedom. Toyota will return to the sport as a full manufacturer team, entering the Toyota Yaris WRC, while Citroën will return to full-time competition after contesting a partial campaign in 2016.

List of planned events

The following events are scheduled to be run as part of the 2017 championship:

Rally name	Rally headquarters	Surface
26th Rally Australia[1]	Coffs Harbour, New South Wales	Gravel
35. ADAC Rallye Deutschland[2]	Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate	Tarmac
31º Rally Guanajuato México[3]	León, Guanajuato	Gravel
65th Rally Sweden[4]	Karlstad, Värmland	Snow
73rd Wales Rally GB[5]	Deeside, Flintshire	Gravel

Calendar changes

• The FIA put Rally Argentina on notice regarding safety concerns following the 2015 event, threatening to rescind the event's World Championship status for the 2017 season unless safety standards were improved in 2016.^[6][7]
• The Circuit of Ireland Rally will submit a bid to be accredited as a round of the World Championship.^[8] Ireland had previously hosted the opening round of the 2007 and 2009 seasons when the event was known as Rally Ireland.

Teams and drivers

The following teams and drivers are scheduled to compete in the World Rally Championship during the 2017 season:

World Rally Car entries eligible to score manufacturer points
Constructor	Team	Tyres	Drivers	Co-drivers
Citroën (Citroën C3 WRC)	Citroën World Rally Team[9][10]	TBA	Kris Meeke[11]	TBA
			TBA	TBA
Hyundai (Hyundai i20 WRC)	Hyundai World Rally Team[12]	TBA	Hayden Paddon[12]	John Kennard[12]
			TBA	TBA
M-Sport (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)	M-Sport World Rally Team[13]	TBA	TBA	TBA
			TBA	TBA
Toyota (Toyota Yaris WRC)	Toyota GAZOO Racing[14][15]	M	TBA	TBA
			TBA	TBA
Volkswagen (Volkswagen Polo R WRC)	Volkswagen Motorsport[16][17]	TBA	Andreas Mikkelsen[18]	TBA
			TBA	TBA

Constructor changes

• Citroën will return to the sport with a fully factory-supported team after competing part-time in 2016 to focus on the development of their 2017-generation car.^[9] The DS3 WRC will be retired from competition and succeeded by the C3 WRC, a brand-new car based on the Citroën C3.^[10] The decision to re-enter the World Rally Championship will see Citroën withdraw its factory support for the Citroën C-Elysée WTCC and its World Touring Car Championship programme.^[19]
• Toyota will return to the sport after eighteen years.^[14] The Japanese manufacturer will enter the brand-new Toyota Yaris WRC under the banner of Toyota GAZOO Racing.^[15] The development and operation of the cars will be overseen by four-time World Drivers' Champion Tommi Mäkinen.^[20] Toyota last competed in the sport as a factory-supported team between 1997 and 1999 with the Corolla WRC before withdrawing ahead of the 2000 season to focus on its Formula One project.

Regulation changes

Technical regulations

• The sport will undergo a revision of the technical regulations, introducing a variety of changes aimed at improving aerodynamic and mechanical grip,^[21] with modelling suggesting that average stage speeds will increase to the point where stage records could be broken by up to thirty seconds and drawing comparisons to the defunct Group B regulations.^[22][23]
  • An increase in the engine's power output from 300 bhp (223.7 kW) to 380 bhp (283.4 kW), the equivalent of a TC1-specification World Touring Car Championship engine.^[23][24]
  • The introduction of a larger turbo restrictor, increasing from 33mm in 2016 to 36mm in 2017; however, the maximum allowable turbo pressure will remain fixed at 2.5 bar absolute.^[25]
  • A reduction in the overall weight of the car, cutting 25 kg (55.1 lb) from the monocoque.^[21][23]
  • An increase in the overhang of the front and rear bumpers, and increases in the size of the door sills and the fixed rear wing, allowing for the inclusion of additional aerodynamic aids.^[21]
  • Deregulation of the rear diffuser to allow manufacturers to develop a wider range of aerodynamic shapes.^[21]
  • The reintroduction of an active centre differential for the first time since the 2010 season.^[22]
• Homologation requirements will be relaxed to allow any production car that is at least 3.9 m (12.8 ft) long to be eligible for recognition as a World Rally Car.^[25]

Sporting regulations

• The FIA will exercise stricter controls over which drivers are eligible to compete in 2017-specification cars. The rule will be introduced as a response to concerns over inexperienced drivers and drivers paying for the opportunity to race from being able to compete in the more powerful 2017 cars without oversight. The controls will stop short of a licencing system similar to the one used in Formula One to allow experienced guest drivers to compete part-time.^[26]

References

1. Lomas, Gordon (29 April 2016). "Rally Australia council funding wrangle solved". speedcafe.com. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
2. Gruz, David (17 March 2016). "Rally Germany to remain on WRC schedule until 2020". motorsport.com (Motorsport Network). Retrieved 11 April 2016.
3. Evans, David (11 March 2016). "Rally Mexico will drop its 50-mile WRC stage for 2017". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved 12 April 2016.
4. Evans, David (14 February 2016). "Rally Sweden gets extended WRC contract following 2016 event". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved 6 April 2016.
5. Evans, David (5 August 2015). "Rally GB secures WRC future". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved 9 April 2016.
6. Evans, David (2 March 2016). "FIA taking hard line on WRC Rally Argentina safety". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved 8 March 2016.
7. Evans, David. "Rally Argentina under FIA observation after 2015 safety failings". autosport.com (20 April 2016). Retrieved 21 April 2016.
8. Evans, David (7 April 2016). "Circuit of Ireland renews push for World Rally Championship slot". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved 8 April 2016.
9. "Citroën commits to WRC future". WRC.com (WRC Promoter GmbH). 19 November 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
10. Evans, David (5 April 2016). "Citroën in race against time to develop all-new WRC C3 for 2017". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved 6 April 2016.
11. "Meeke, Lefebvre and Breen join DS 3 squad". WRC.com (WRC Promoter GmbH). 18 December 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
12. "Hayden Paddon secures Hyundai WRC future". speedcafe.com. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
13. "Østberg and Camili join M-Sport". WRC.com (WRC Promoter GmbH). Retrieved 7 March 2016.
14. "Toyota announces WRC return in 2017". Toyota GB Blog. Toyota GB. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
15. "Toyota GAZOO Racing Outlines 2016 Motorsports Activities". Toyota. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
16. Evans, David (18 March 2014). "VW plan early debut for 2015 Polo World Rally Car". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved 7 March 2016.
17. Evans, David (12 April 2016). "Volkswagen reveals its 2017 World Rally Car for new WRC rules". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved 12 April 2016.
18. Evans, David (22 June 2015). "Mikkelsen pens new Volkswagen deal". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved 13 April 2016.
19. Abbott, Andrew (19 November 2015). "Citroën to end WTCC programme after 2016". TouringCars.Net. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
20. "Tommi Mäkinen to head up Toyota's WRC bid". speedcafe.com. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
21. "WRC cars to become more aggressive in 2017". speedcafe.com. 11 July 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
22. Evans, David (11 April 2016). "Concerns over speed and spectacle of 2017 WRC cars growing". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved 11 April 2016.
23. "Meeke: 2017 Citroën has Group B spirit". wrc.com (WRC Promoter GmbH). 19 April 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
24. "Citroën uncovers new C3 WRC car". speedcafe.com. 16 April 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
25. "New regulations coming for the 2017 World Rally Car". fia.com (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile). 10 July 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
26. Evans, David (5 May 2016). "Drivers of 2017 World Rally Cars must be approved by FIA". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved 6 May 2016.

External links

• Official website of the World Rally Championship