2013 WRC calendar confirmed

As well as next year’s F1 calendar the World Motor Sport Council signed off on the 2013 WRC calendar when they met yesterday. Rally Australia takes its turn in the rotation with Rally New Zealand and will be held on 15 September. There will be 13 WRC events next year.

The WMSC also ratified the Red Bull Media House deal which will see them take on the role of WRC promoter from next year onwards.

Also approved were a number of regulations designed to reduce costs and make competition more attractive to a wider range of competitors. You can read about that in the FIA’s official press release after the break.

World Motor Sport Council

28/09/2012

A meeting of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) took place today, 28 September, in Paris and the following decisions were taken.

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

The WMSC approved for the FIA to proceed with an agreement with The Sportsman Media Group and Red Bull Media House to become the new global Promoter of the FIA World Rally Championship from 2013. The Promoter will be responsible for investing and developing the WRC with a view to increasing its profile, reputation and commercial value. In particular, the Promoter, working in close collaboration with the FIA, will be focused on introducing live television and an innovative digital media strategy in the next years.

As part of a cost-reduction process and to attract greater entries, WRC Teams competing in the 2013 FIA World Rally Championship will now only have to contest one non-European event. WRC Teams must however still nominate and take part in a minimum of seven events.

The structure of the support Championships has been revised to reflect the interests and demands of the competitors. From 2013, the current Championship for S2000 cars will be replaced by the WRC-2 Championship including cars with four-wheel drive (R5, R4 and S2000). A specific cup for cars in the Group N category will also form part of the FIA WRC-2 Championship, and titles for teams, drivers and co-drivers will be awarded to those who have scored the most points in six of the seven events in which they have taken part.

The current Production Car World Rally Championship will be replaced by the FIA WRC-3 Championship, including Group R cars with two-wheel drive (R3, R2 and R1). Titles for teams, drivers and co-drivers will be awarded to those who have scored the most points in five of the six events in which they have taken part.

The current FIA WRC Academy will be re-named the FIA Junior WRC Championship.

For safety reasons and therefore with immediate effect, each crew that is entered with a WRC car is permitted to use a route note car on asphalt events.

To limit costs and encourage participation, from 2013 the use of the latest evolution of parts homologated by manufacturers will not be mandatory for WRC cars entered by drivers not scoring points in the Manufacturers’ Championship. This also applies to all cars in the S2000 category with a 1.6L turbo engine.

The 2013 FIA World Rally Championship calendar is confirmed as follows: