WRC3
| Category | Group Rally2 |
|---|---|
| Country | International |
| Inaugural season | 2020 |
| Tire suppliers | P |
| Drivers' champion |  Jari Huttunen |
| Co-Drivers' champion | Mikko Lukka |
| Official website | www |
 Current season | |
| World Rally Championship |
|---|
| Current season |
| Last complete season |
| Support categories |
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| Current car classes |
| Related lists |
The FIA World Rally Championship-3 or WRC-3 is a companion rally series to the World Rally Championship. The calendar consists of the same rallies and stages as the main class and crews usually compete immediately after WRC-2 entrants. Entry into the World Rally Championship-3 is currently limited to privately-entered crews competing with cars that are based on production models and homologated under Rally2 (previously called Group R5) rules,[1][2] though from 2022 the series will be limited to Group Rally3 cars.[3] There are championship titles awarded to Drivers and Co-Drivers. The current format of the series began in 2020.
History
The original incarnation of the series began in 2013 and was open to two wheel drive cars competing under Group R1, R2 and R3 regulations.[4] It ran until 2018 before it was cancelled when all WRC championships became four wheel drive with the exception of Junior WRC.[5]
The 2019 season saw the running of two categories in support of the World Rally Championship. These were known as the World Rally Championship-2 Pro for professional crews and manufacturer teams, and the World Rally Championship-2 for privateers. However, this multi-class structure was found to be too confusing, with customer drivers in WRC-2 Pro whilst manufacturer teams were unofficially supporting WRC-2 teams.[6] The categories were renamed again and The World Rally Championship-3 name was revived in 2020. Professional crews would now contest the World Rally Championship-2 and privateers would contest the World Rally Championship-3.[6] Stricter rules on entry eligibility were introduced in 2021 clarifying the line between professional and privateer.
In March 2021 the FIA announced that from the 2022 season WRC-3 would be a Group Rally3 car based championship with Open and Junior category titles.[3]
Rules
WRC-3 entries must be made by and in the name of the driver. Crews can compete in any rally on the WRC calendar but must nominate beforehand any rally that will count towards their WRC3 championship. Crews can nominate a maximum of 7 rounds and the best 5 results will contribute to the championship points tally. Unlike WRC-2, there is no requirement to enter any rallies outside Europe. Power Stage points also contribute as from the 2021 season onwards.[2]
To restrict professional drivers from entering, any driver who satisfies the following criteria is not eligible to enter WRC3:[2]
- Have previously won WRC-2 or WRC-3 in the previous five years
- Have previously driven for a WRC team and been nominated to score points
Results
Drivers' Championship
| Year | Champion | Car | 2nd place | Car | 3rd place | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 |  Yohan Rossel
|
Citroën C3 Rally2 |  Kajetan Kajetanowicz
|
Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo |  Chris Ingram
|
Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo |
| 2020 | Jari Huttunen
|
Hyundai i20 R5 |  Marco Bulacia Wilkinson
|
Citroën C3 R5 | Kajetan Kajetanowicz
|
Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo |
Co-Drivers' Championship
| Year | Champion | Car | 2nd Place | Car | 3rd Place | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Maciej Szczepaniak
|
Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo | Alexandre Coria
|
Citroën C3 Rally2 | Ross Whittock
|
Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo |
| 2020 | Mikko Lukka
|
Hyundai i20 R5 | Maciej Szczepaniak
|
Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo |  Aaron Johnston
|
Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 |
Round winners
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References
- ^ "WRC3". WRC - World Rally Championship. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "2021 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP – SPORTING REGULATIONS" (PDF).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "FIA Announces World Motor Sport Council Decisions". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 5 March 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ "Exciting changes for 2013 WRC". WRC.com. WRC Official Website. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
- ^ "FIA announces World Motor Sport Council decisions". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ a b Evans, David (8 October 2019). "FIA steps up plan to simplify WRC into five-tier career ladder". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
External links
- Official website (in English, French, and Spanish)