World Rally Championship: Difference between revisions

===Group B era===

[[Image:Rétromobile 2017 - Audi Quattro S1 replica - 1985 - 003.jpg|thumb|left|Group B [[Audi Quattro#Sport Quattro S1 E2|Audi Quattro S1]]]]

[[Image:Rétromobile 2017 - Lancia Delta S4 - circa 1986 - 001.jpg|thumb|right|Group B [[Lancia Delta S4]]]]

The 1980s saw the [[rear-wheel-drive]] [[Group 2 (motorsport)|Group 2]] and the more popular [[Group 4 (motorsport)|Group 4]] cars be replaced by more powerful [[four-wheel-drive]] [[Group B]] cars. [[Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile|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 [[Audi Quattro|Quattro]] in rallies for testing purposes with immediate success, other manufacturers started their all-wheel-drive projects. Group B regulations were introduced in the [[1982 World Rally Championship|1982]], and with only a few restrictions allowed almost unlimited power. Audi took the manufacturers' title in 1982 and [[1984 World Rally Championship|1984]] and drivers' title in [[1983 World Rally Championship|1983]] (Mikkola) and 1984 ([[Stig Blomqvist]]). Audi's [[France|French]] female driver [[Michèle Mouton]] came close to winning the title in 1982, but had to settle for second place after [[Opel]] rival Röhrl. The [[1985 World Rally Championship|1985]] title seemed set to go to Vatanen and his [[Peugeot 205|Peugeot 205 T16]] but 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.