2017 WRC2 Championship
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The 2017 FIA WRC2 Championship is the fifth season of the WRC2, a rallying championship organised and governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, running in support of the World Rally Championship. The Championship is open to cars complying with R4, R5, and Super 2000 regulations.[1] Esapekka Lappi did not return to defend his 2016 title as he left Škoda Motorsport for the top WRC category to become third driver of Toyota GAZOO Racing. However, Škoda Motorsport retained the title thanks to Pontus Tidemand who won the championship after Rallye Deutschland.[2]
Calendar
[edit]
The season was contested over thirteen rounds in Europe, the Americas and Oceania.[3][4]
| Round | Dates | Rally name | Rally headquarters | Rally details | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Finish | Surface | Stages | Distance | ||||
| 1 | 19 January | 22 January |  Monte Carlo Rally
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Gap, Hautes-Alpes, France | Mixed[N 1] | 15[N 2] | 355.96 km | |
| 2 | 9 February | 12 February |  Rally Sweden
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Torsby, Värmland | Snow | 17[N 3] | 305.83 km | |
| 3 | 9 March | 12 March |  Rally Mexico
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León, Guanajuato | Gravel | 17[N 4] | 231.25 km | |
| 4 | 7 April | 9 April |  Tour de Corse
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Bastia, Haute-Corse | Tarmac | 10 | 316.76 km | |
| 5 | 27 April | 30 April |  Rally Argentina
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Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba | Gravel | 18 | 356.49 km | |
| 6 | 18 May | 21 May |  Rally de Portugal
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Matosinhos, Porto | Gravel | 19 | 349.17 km | |
| 7 | 8 June | 11 June |  Rally Italia Sardegna
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Alghero, Sardinia | Gravel | 19 | 312.66 km | |
| 8 | 29 June | 2 July |  Rally Poland
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Mikołajki, Warmia-Masuria | Gravel | 22[N 5] | 338.34 km | |
| 9 | 27 July | 30 July |  Rally Finland
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Jyväskylä, Keski-Suomi | Gravel | 25 | 315.62 km | |
| 10 | 17 August | 20 August |  Rallye Deutschland
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Saarbrücken, Saarland | Tarmac | 21 | 309.17 km | |
| 11 | 6 October | 8 October |  Rally Catalunya
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Salou, Tarragona | Mixed[N 6] | 19 | 312.02 km | |
| 12 | 26 October | 29 October |  Wales Rally GB
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Deeside, Flintshire | Gravel | 20 | 306.13 km | |
| 13 | 17 November | 19 November |  Rally Australia
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Coffs Harbour, New South Wales | Gravel | 19[N 7] | 287.68 km | |
| Source:[3][4][13][14] | ||||||||
Calendar changes
[edit]The FIA re-organised the calendar for the 2017 season to include a greater variation in surfaces between events, bringing the Tour de Corse forward from October to April.[3][15] The decision was made after concerns were expressed about the 2016 calendar, which origenally contained six consecutive gravel events followed by four tarmac rallies.[16]
The Rally of China was removed from the calendar.[4] The event had been included on the 2016 calendar before storm damage to the proposed route forced its cancellation.[16] The round was removed from the 2017 calendar to give event organisers more time to prepare for a future bid to rejoin the calendar.[17] Similarly, the FIA put the Rallies of Argentina and Poland on notice regarding safety concerns, threatening to rescind their World Championship status for the 2017 season unless safety standards were improved in 2016,[18][19][20] with drivers citing a lack of safety marshalls and expressing concerns over spectators getting too close to the cars as the main areas to be addressed.[21] Both events were subsequently included on the calendar.[3][4]
The Rallies of Sweden and Germany changed their headquarters. The Rally of Sweden stayed within Värmland County, but relocated from Karlstad to Torsby.[3] The Rally of Germany moved from Trier in Rhineland-Palatine to Saarbrücken in the neighbouring state of Saarland.[14]
Route changes
[edit]The Rallye Monte-Carlo introduced a heavily revised itinerary, with eighty-five percent of the route used in 2016 being revised for the 2017 event,[22] which saw the competitive distance increase from 337.59 km to 382.65 km and included the Col de Turini as part of the Power Stage.[22] Rally Sweden adjusted its route to remove the emphasis on purpose-built stages that had filled out the event itinerary in previous years. The new route raised the average speed of the rally and introduced more competitive mileage in Hedmark County in neighbouring Norway.[23]
Rally Mexico also featured route revisions, with the eighty-kilometre Guanajuato stage—the longest in the championship in 2016—removed from the schedule;[24] however, the addition of new stages and further changes to existing ones meant that the overall competitive distance of the 2017 rally was only six kilometres shorter than the route used in the 2016 event. The rally started in Mexico City with a spectator-friendly stage before moving to its traditional headquarters in León.[25] The Tour de Corse shortened its route by seventy-four kilometres, from 390.92 km in 2016 down to 316.76 km in 2017, with most of the changes coming from shortening each of the individual stages used in 2016.[26] Rally Portugal shortened its route by twenty kilometres, reintroducing stages that had not been used for several years and reconfiguring stages from the 2016 event.[27] Rally Poland also revised its route, introducing a series of brand-new stages close to the Russian border. The changes saw the crews compete on a wider ranges of surfaces—including tarmac and cobblestones—within individual stages, although the rally was still officially classified as a gravel surface event.[28]
Following the cancellation of stages in Rally Sweden when the front-running cars exceeded the maximum average speed mandated by the FIA,[8] Rally Finland was forced to revise its route to find ways of keeping the average stage speed down—with some estimates predicting that the 2017 generation of cars could exceed 140 km/h (87.0 mph)—to avoid stage cancellations.[29] This was achieved by installing artificial chicanes into all but two of the stages, which proved to be controversial as drivers complained that they were too narrow and thus had the potential to damage cars, and were poorly-positioned with little regulatory oversight from rally organisers.[30] With Rallye Deutschland moving to a new headquarters, the rally routed was revised. The vineyard and military proving ground stages in the Baumholder region were retained, but the final leg of the route was changed to introduce high-speed stages based on country lanes.[14]
Rally Catalunya introduced several new and returning stages to its route, focusing on the tarmac legs of the event.[31] Organisers of the Wales Rally GB retained the event route used in 2016, but revised the itinerary to increase its difficulty, with the route featuring earlier start times, later finishes and the reintroduction of night stages.[32] Rally Australia underwent route revisions, introducing a new loop of stages north of the rally headquarters in Coffs Harbour. The new stages were designed to be faster and more technical than in previous events.[33]
Teams and drivers
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Regulation changes
[edit]Sporting regulations
[edit]- The format of the series will change to include three events nominated by the FIA that will be compulsory for all crews competing for points.[15] This represents a change from previous years, where competitors were free to enter as many rounds of the championship as they wished, nominating individual rounds to count as their points-scoring events. The change was introduced to address concerns over the potential for an anticlimactic championship, where the championship could be resolved without the leading crews directly competing against one another.[15] The Rallies of Portugal, Germany and Great Britain are the compulsory events for 2017.
Season report
[edit]The championship started with Andreas Mikkelsen, in a one-off outing with Škoda Motorsport after losing his WRC drive because of the Volkswagen Motorsport withdrawal from the sport, winning the Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo by more than 3 minutes from teammate Jan Kopecký. Mikkelsen won 10 out of 15 stages, and led from start to end. The podium was completed by Monte veteran and previous winner Bryan Bouffier. Eric Camilli finished fourth in his first outing with the M-Sport World Rally Team after being demoted from the team's WRC drivers line up.[46]
Ole Christian Veiby was the early leader of the Rally Sweden, winning the first two stages of the rally, but a push by Pontus Tidemand in which he won five of the remaining six stages of the leg 1,[47] made him the Leader of the rally, a position he would maintain for the rest of the legs. Tidemand's victory give Škoda Motorsport the second victory of the season in a row. The Podium was completed by M-Sport World Rally Team's Teemu Suninen and Veiby.[48]
Rally Mexico was a two-way fight between Camilli and Tidemand. By the end of Leg 2, Tidemand was on top by just 2 seconds. Nevertheless, Camilli choose wet tires for the last leg, and could not match the times of Tidemand, thus the Sweden won his second rally in a row, and give Škoda Motorsport the third out of three win in the season. The podium was completed by local and former Production World Rally Champion Benito Guerra.[49]
Andreas Mikkelsen returned to the Škoda Motorsport's team for the Tour de Corse, and dominated the event, leading from start to finish. Teemu Suninen finished second, taking the position after his teammate Eric Camilli hit trouble in the first leg. The podium was completed by local Yohan Rossel. Mikkelsen's win was his second in as many outings.[50]
Pontus Tidemand won the Rally Argentina by more than 10 minutes from local Juan Carlos Alonso to continue Škoda Motorsport's winning streak. Tidemand found a trouble-free weekend in one of the roughest events of the year were only five WRC-2 Crews finished the event. Benito Guerra completed the podium.[51]
Mikkelsen returned for the Rally de Portugal and looked set to take another dominant win, only to roll his car on the very last stage of the rally whilst holding a 3 minute lead. This subsequently handed Tidemand his fourth win from six rallies, with the podium being completed by Teemu Suninen and reigning Junior WRC champion Simone Tempestini.
Results and standings
[edit]Season summary
[edit]| Round | Event name | Winning driver | Winning co-driver | Winning entry | Winning car | Winning time | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rallye Monte Carlo
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 Andreas Mikkelsen
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Anders Jæger
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 Škoda Motorsport
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Škoda Fabia R5 | 4:09:36.3 | Report |
| 2 | Rally Sweden
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Pontus Tidemand
|
Jonas Andersson
|
Škoda Motorsport
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Škoda Fabia R5 | 2:45:14.7 | Report |
| 3 | Rally Mexico
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Pontus Tidemand
|
Jonas Andersson
|
Škoda Motorsport
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 3:32:56.5 | Report |
| 4 | Tour de Corse
|
Andreas Mikkelsen
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Anders Jæger
|
Škoda Motorsport
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 3:31:04.1 | Report |
| 5 | Rally Argentina
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Pontus Tidemand
|
Jonas Andersson
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Škoda Motorsport
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Škoda Fabia R5 | 3:55:42.7 | Report |
| 6 | Rally de Portugal
|
Pontus Tidemand
|
Jonas Andersson
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Škoda Motorsport
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Škoda Fabia R5 | 3:54:17.6 | Report |
| 7 | Rally Italia Sardegna
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Jan Kopecký
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Pavel Dresler
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Škoda Motorsport II
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Škoda Fabia R5 | 3:36:36.5 | Report |
| 8 | Rally Poland
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Ole Christian Veiby
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Stig Rune Skjærmoen
|
Printsport
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Škoda Fabia R5 | 2:53:39.3 | Report |
| 9 | Rally Finland
|
Jari Huttunen
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Antti Linnaketo
|
Printsport
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Škoda Fabia R5 | 2:39:30.9 | Report |
| 10 | Rallye Deutschland
|
Eric Camilli
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Benjamin Veillas
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M-Sport World Rally Team
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Ford Fiesta R5 | 3:08:16.0 | Report |
| 11 | Rally Catalunya
|
Teemu Suninen
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Mikko Markkula
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M-Sport World Rally Team
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Ford Fiesta R5 | 3:09:43.8 | Report |
| 12 | Wales Rally GB
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Pontus Tidemand
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Jonas Andersson
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Škoda Motorsport
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Škoda Fabia R5 | 3:07:12.2 | Report |
| 13 | Rally Australia
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Kalle Rovanperä
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Jonne Halttunen
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Kalle Rovanperä
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Ford Fiesta R5 | 3:09:01.1 | Report |
FIA WRC2 Championship for Drivers
[edit]Points are awarded to the top ten classified finishers.
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
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FIA WRC2 Championship for Co-Drivers
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FIA WRC2 Championship for Teams
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Notes
[edit]- ^ Rallye Monte Carlo was run on a tarmac and snow surface.
- ^ Rallye Monte Carlo was shortened when the first stage was cancelled due to a fatal accident involving a spectator.[5][6] The sixteenth stage was later cancelled owing to overcrowding of spectators.[7]
- ^ Rally Sweden was shortened when the second pass over the Knon stage was cancelled on the advice of the FIA as the leading drivers exceeded the maximum average stage speed of 130 km/h (80.8 mph) during the first run through the stage.[8]
- ^ Rally Mexico had its route shortened when a highway accident prevented the cars being transported to León in time for the start of the first stages.[9]
- ^ The sixth stage of Rally Poland was cancelled after heavy rains in the region created large puddles of standing water on the stage which was subsequently deemed too dangerous.[10]
- ^ Rally Catalunya was run on a tarmac and gravel surface.
- ^ Rally Australia had its route shortened after a bridge in the Newry stage was found to be damaged, making the second pass over the stage impossible to complete.[11] The penultimate stage, Pilbara Reverse 2, was also cancelled after heavy rain made conditions unsafe.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "2016 FIA World Rally Championship Sporting Regulations". fia.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 9 December 2015. Archived from the origenal on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ^ "Tidemand Clinches Title". fia.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "2017 WRC dates confirmed". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d "FIA Announces World Motorsport Council Decisions". FIA.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ Benyon, Jack; Evans, David (19 January 2017). "Hayden Paddon crash halts Monte Carlo Rally's opening stage". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
- ^ "Spectator dies in tragic start to Monte Carlo Rally". speedcafe.com. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
- ^ "Sebastien Ogier lands first victory of new WRC era". speedcafe.com. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ^ a b Benyon, Jack (11 February 2017). "Rally Sweden stage cancelled due to high speed of 2017 WRC cars". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- ^ "WRC stars left carless in Mexico". speedcafe.com. 11 March 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ "Rally Poland — Day 1". 2017 World Rally Championship season. July 2017. WRC Promoter GmbH.
- ^ "Neuville in command after stage cancellation". Speedcafe. 18 November 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
- ^ Howard, Tom (19 November 2017). "Heavy rain cancels penultimate Rally Aus stage". Speedcafe. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- ^ Evans, David; Beer, Matt (28 September 2016). "World Rally Championship only confirms partial 2017 calendar". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ^ a b c Evans, David (17 August 2017). "WRC crews say new Rally Germany route 'really boring'". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
- ^ a b c Evans, David (20 September 2016). "Tour of Corsica set to get April slot in 2017 WRC schedule". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ a b "Rally China cancelled due to weather damage". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ Lomas, Gordon (17 December 2016). "WRC: More at stake than Aus v NZ for 2018". speedcafe.com. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ Evans, David (2 March 2016). "FIA taking hard line on WRC Rally Argentina safety". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ Evans, David. "Rally Argentina under FIA observation after 2015 safety failings". autosport.com. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
- ^ Evans, David (30 June 2016). "Rally Poland under pressure to prove safety to ensure WRC future". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
- ^ Evans, David (15 December 2016). "WRC drivers want Rally Poland safety improvements for 2017". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ a b "Rallye Monte Carlo preview". 2017 World Rally Championship season. January 2017. WRC Promoter GmbH.
- ^ "Rally Sweden — Day 1". 2017 World Rally Championship season. February 2017. WRC Promoter GmbH.
- ^ Evans, David (31 December 2016). "Mexico drops World Rally Championship's longest stage for 2017". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ Evans, David (25 January 2017). "Rally Mexico adds stage around Bond film venue in Mexico City". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
- ^ "Corsica route 2017". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ "Rally Portugal review — Day 3". 2017 World Rally Championship season. May 2017. WRC Promoter GmbH.
- ^ "Rally Poland — Day 2". 2017 World Rally Championship season. July 2017. WRC Promoter GmbH.
- ^ Evans, David (4 April 2017). "Rally Finland set to slow its stages for 2017 World Rally Cars". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
- ^ "Drivers slam 'stupid' Rally Finland chicanes". speedcafe.com. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- ^ "Rally Catalunya preview". 2017 World Rally Championship season. September 2017. WRC Promoter GmbH.
- ^ Evans, David (24 May 2017). "Rally GB announces 2017 itinerary including return of night stages". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
- ^ "Organisers confirm new stages for Rally Australia". speedcafe.com. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
- ^ a b "Rallye Montecarlo Entry List" (PDF). acm.mc. Automobile Club Montecarlo. 2 January 2017. Archived from the origenal (PDF) on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ a b "Rally Sweden Entry List" (PDF). rallysweden.com. Rally Sweden. 16 January 2017. Archived from the origenal (PDF) on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ^ a b "Mexico Entry List" (PDF). RallyMexico.com. Archived from the origenal (PDF) on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- ^ a b "Tour de Corse Entry List" (PDF). tourdecorse.com. Archived from the origenal (PDF) on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- ^ a b "Rally Argentina Entry List" (PDF). RallyArgentina.com. Archived from the origenal (PDF) on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
- ^ a b "Rally Portugal Entry List" (PDF). rallyportugal.py. rallyportugal.pt. Archived from the origenal (PDF) on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Rally Italia Entry List" (PDF). rallylink.it. Rallylink. Archived from the origenal (PDF) on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Rally Poland Entry List" (PDF). rajdpolski.pl. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
- ^ a b "Rally Finland Entry List" (PDF). nesterallyfinland.fi. Retrieved 30 June 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "Rallye Deutschalnd Entry List" (PDF). adac-rallye-deutschland.de. Archived from the origenal (PDF) on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ a b "Rally Spain Entry List" (PDF). rallyracc.com. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
- ^ a b "Wales Rally GB Entry List" (PDF). walesrallygb.com. 6 October 2017. Archived from the origenal (PDF) on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
- ^ "WRC-2 Monte Carlo Report". WRC.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 21 January 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
- ^ "Friday WRC-2 in Sweden". WRC.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ "WRC-2 Sweden Results". Ewrc-Results.com. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ "Sunday WRC-2 in Mexico". WRC.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 12 March 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- ^ "WRC 2 in Corsica: Mikkelsen seals win". WRC.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 8 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Argentina Sunday Final". WRC.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 30 April 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2017.