The 2013 World Rally Championship was the 41st season of the
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
, an
auto racing
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
championship recognised by the
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; en, International Automobile Federation) is an association established on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users. It is the governing body for ...
as the highest class of international
rallying. The season was run over 13 rallies, starting with the
Rallye Monte Carlo
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rallye Monte-Carlo (officially ''Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo'') is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco. The rally now takes place along the French Riviera in Monaco and southeast ...
on 16 January, and finishing with the
Wales Rally of Great Britain on 17 November.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-W ...
entered the series as a constructor with the
Polo R WRC,
while
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
and
Mini
The Mini is a small, two-door, four-seat car, developed as ADO15, and produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors, from 1959 through 2000. Minus a brief hiatus, original Minis were built for four decades and sold during ...
ended their factory support for the
Fiesta RS WRC and
John Cooper Works WRC respectively,
though both continued to make their cars available to customer teams.
The 2013 season also marked the first appearances of the Super 2000 and Group N replacement category,
Group R
In relation to motorsport governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, Group R refers to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for rally competition. The Group R regulations were created in 2008 as a gradual ...
. As part of this introduction, the support series –
Super 2000,
Group N Production Cars and the
World Rally Championship Academy – were restructured, with the Super 2000, four-wheel-drive Group R and Group N categories reorganised as the
FIA World Rally Championship-2, two-wheel-drive Group R categories becoming
FIA World Rally Championship-3, and the WRC Academy becoming the
FIA Junior World Rally Championship. An FIA Production Car Cup will also be awarded to a registered entrant in WRC-2 who is driving a Group N car.
Sébastien Loeb
Sébastien Loeb (; born 26 February 1974) is a French professional rallying, rally, auto racing, racing and rallycross driver. He is the most successful driver in the World Rally Championship (WRC), having won the world championship a record nin ...
started the season as the defending
World Champion
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
after securing his ninth consecutive title in 2012.
However, Loeb did not return to contest the full 2013 season.
Citroën were the defending
Constructors' Champions. Both Loeb and Citroën secured their titles at the
2012 Rallye de France Alsace.
Volkswagen Motorsport
The Volkswagen Motorsport was a works rally team of the German car manufacturer Volkswagen, who competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and Dakar Rally.
The team started competing in WRC in 1978 and used different specs of Volkswagen Gol ...
driver
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
won the Drivers' Championship at the
Rallye de France Alsace
The Rallye de France Alsace was a rally competition held in the Alsace region of France. The rally took place on roads in the Vosges mountains, as well as on similar vineyard tracks to Rallye Deutschland.
In 2010, it became the French round of ...
, after
Qatar World Rally Team driver
Thierry Neuville
Thierry Jean Neuville (born 16 June 1988) is a Belgian rally driver who is competing in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. During his career, he has finished as runner-up in the drivers' championship five times (2013, 2016–2 ...
failed to score maximum points on the rally-opening power stage. Neuville finished runner-up in the championship, ahead of Ogier's teammate,
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and 2019 ...
. In the Manufacturers' Championship,
Volkswagen Motorsport
The Volkswagen Motorsport was a works rally team of the German car manufacturer Volkswagen, who competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and Dakar Rally.
The team started competing in WRC in 1978 and used different specs of Volkswagen Gol ...
won the Championship at the
Rally de España as Ogier and Latvala finished in the top two placings.
Abu Dhabi Citroën Total World Rally Team finished second with
Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team
The M-Sport Ford World Rally Team (formerly M-Sport World Rally Team, Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team and Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team) is the privately run World Rally Championship team of M-Sport, the firm run by Malcolm Wilson that was previ ...
in third.
Calendar
The 2013 calendar was announced at a meeting of the
FIA World Motor Sport Council
The World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) is a major organ within the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's governance structure. Its primary role is amending current regulations and drafting new regulations for all of international motor spo ...
in Singapore on 28 September 2012.
The 2013 championship was contested over thirteen rounds in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
,
North America,
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
and
Oceania
Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...
.
Calendar and event changes
* The route of the
Acropolis Rally
The Acropolis Rally of Greece ( el, Ράλλυ Ακρόπολις) is a rally competition that is part of the World Rally Championship (WRC). The rally is held on very dusty, rough, rocky and fast mountain roads in mainland Greece, usually duri ...
was heavily revised; where the
2012 event was run over , the 2013 rally route was cut back to just , held over two days of competition.
*
Rally Australia
Rally Australia is an automobile rally event which was held in Coffs Harbour as the final leg of the World Rally Championship (WRC) until 2018.
First run in 1988, the rally was held in and around Perth, Western Australia until 2006. It was par ...
is scheduled to return to the calendar, replacing the
Rally New Zealand
The Rally New Zealand is an annual rally race in New Zealand. It was first included as a round of the World Rally Championship in 1977. The race is famous for its fast flowing gravel roads which carry the competitors through forests and alongside ...
as part of the event-sharing agreement established between the two events in 2008. The route for the event was adjusted from that used in
2011, with existing stages variously merged and trimmed down to make way for new stages and create a compact route that was as long as possible.
* The route of the
Rallye Deutschland
The ADAC Rallye Deutschland is a rally event held in Germany. The event was first held in 1982 and originally hosted by e.g. Frankfurt, Mainz and Koblenz. In 2000, the rally was relocated to the region around Trier. Previously part of the Europ ...
was changed for 2013, with the start moving from
Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
to
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
. The first leg of the event included a series of brand-new stages between the two cities that formed the first leg of the event before the competitors arrive in Trier, which served as the base for the rally.
*
Rally de Catalunya
The Rally Catalunya (formerly: Rallye Catalunya) is a rally competition held in Catalonia region of Spain, on the World Rally Championship schedule. Now held on the wide, smooth and sweeping asphalt roads around the town of Salou, Costa Daurad ...
, which had been the final event of 2012, was moved back to the final weekend of October to become the penultimate event of the season. The rally will feature a revised route for 2013, with the introduction of night stages and a more even split between tarmac and gravel roads than in previous years.
* The
Rally Italia Sardegna
The Rally Italia Sardegna (until 2010 Rally d'Italia Sardegna) is a rally competition in Sardinia, Italy, which has been a round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) schedule and also the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC).
Characteristics ...
was brought forward, from October to June.
* The
Wales Rally GB
Wales Rally GB was the most recent iteration of the United Kingdom's premier international motor rally, which ran under various names since the first event held in 1932. It was consistently a round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) calen ...
will return to its traditional end-of-season date, having been brought forward to September for the 2012 season in a failed bid to promote tourism in the region. The event was relocated from
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
to
Deeside
Deeside ( cy, Glannau Dyfrdwy) is the name given to a predominantly industrial conurbation of towns and villages in Flintshire and Cheshire on the Wales–England border lying near the canalised stretch of the River Dee that flows from nei ...
in the
County of Flintshire.
This move enabled event organisers to introduce a brand-new route for the 2013 event, the rally run through the regions of
Snowdonia
Snowdonia or Eryri (), is a mountainous region in northwestern Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951.
Name and extent
It was a commonly held belief that the na ...
and
Denbighshire
Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...
. More than half the stages will either be brand-new or returning after an absence of over twenty years, and will include a return to
Gwydyr
Gwydir Forest, also spelled Gwydyr, is located in Conwy county borough and the Snowdonia National Park in Wales. It takes its name from the ancient Gwydir Estate, established by the John Wynn family of Gwydir Castle, which owned this area.
...
, a stage which has not featured in the route since the 1960s.
* The
Rally Mexico
Rally Mexico, formerly known as Rally America is a round of the FIA World Rally Championship. The rally entered the championship schedule in the 2004 season. The event's itinerary is based in the state of Guanajuato. The stages take place in t ...
featured a heavily revised route, which saw the introduction of several brand-new stages and the reconfiguration of older ones.
* The route of
Rally Sweden
The Rally Sweden ( sv, Svenska rallyt), formerly the International Swedish Rally, and later the Uddeholm Swedish Rally, is an automobile rally competition held in February in Värmland, Sweden and relocated to Umeå in 2022. First held in 1950, ...
crossed over the Norwegian border to include stages previously used in
Rally Norway
Rally Norway is the Norwegian rally which has been part of the WRC calendar in 2007 and 2009. This rally and Rally Sweden are the only two rallies part of the WRC calendar which are mainly held on snow, with the Monte Carlo Rally also featuring ...
.
Signed teams and drivers
World Rally Championship
The following teams and drivers are scheduled to compete in the World Rally Championship during the 2013 season:
Team changes
*
Citroën will expand its
works team
A works team (sometimes factory team, company team) is a sports team that is financed and run by a manufacturer or other business. Sometimes, works teams contain or are entirely made up of employees of the supporting company.
Association footb ...
, the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, to become a three-car operation,
with the team's third car to be run part-time. The Abu Dhabi Citroën Total World Rally Team will run two additional cars as a satellite team of the works outfit which is eligible to score manufacturers' points independently of the works team.
*
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
will no longer provide manufacturer support to its teams in 2013.
The
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team
The M-Sport Ford World Rally Team (formerly M-Sport World Rally Team, Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team and Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team) is the privately run World Rally Championship team of M-Sport, the firm run by Malcolm Wilson that was previ ...
will still operate as a WRC team and be eligible to score World Championship points, with the team having acquired backing from
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...
to run three cars.
Like Citroën, M-Sport's entries were structured into two teams that are able to score points independently of one another; in the absence of a Ford factory team, the Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team became the ''de facto'' lead team, and the Qatar World Rally Team was set up as a satellite operation.
*
Hyundai will return to the series in 2014 as a manufacturer after an eleven-year absence. The company has announced plans to compete with the
i20 WRC at selected events in 2013, ahead of a full championship campaign in 2014.
Hyundai had previously competed in the WRC from
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
to
2003 with the
Accent WRC.
* In October 2012,
Mini
The Mini is a small, two-door, four-seat car, developed as ADO15, and produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors, from 1959 through 2000. Minus a brief hiatus, original Minis were built for four decades and sold during ...
formally terminated their factory-supported WRC programme, but stated that as the
John Cooper Works WRC had met the
FIA
FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used.
Fia or FIA may also refer to: People
* Fia Backs ...
's homologation requirements for
World Rally Car
A World Rally Car is a racing automobile built to the specific regulations set by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and designed for competition in the World Rally Championship (WRC). The cars were introduced in 1997 as a repl ...
s, they would make the car available to customer teams who wished to compete with it.
Prodrive
Prodrive is a British motorsport and advanced engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Aston Martin, Bahrain Raid Xtreme and Team X44. Its advanced technolo ...
announced their intentions to continue campaigning with cars,
but Team Mini Portugal,
Palmeirinha Rally and the
Armindo Araújo World Rally Team were closed down.
* Following the closure of
Team Mini Portugal, several members of
Motorsport Italia—the organisation that prepared and managed the Team Mini Portugal entries in 2012—formed a new team with the backing of Polish oil conglomerate
Grupa Lotos, to be known as
Lotos Team WRC.
The team later switched to competing with a
Ford Fiesta RS WRC
The Ford Fiesta RS WRC is the World Rally Car built for the Ford World Rally Team by Ford Europe and M-Sport for use in the World Rally Championship 2011–2016. It is based upon the Ford Fiesta road car, and replaced the Ford Focus RS WRC, whi ...
.
*
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-W ...
will enter the championship as a manufacturer team, entering two
Polo R WRCs for a full-season campaign
– to be headed by
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
and co-driver
Julien Ingrassia
Julien Ingrassia (born 26 November 1979) is a retired French rally co-driver. Working with Sébastien Ogier, he became World Rally Champion in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 with Volkswagen Motorsport, 2017 and 2018 with M-Sport World Rally Team, ...
– who contested the
2012 season with a
Škoda Fabia
The Škoda Fabia is a supermini car produced by Czech manufacturer Škoda Auto since 1999. It is the successor of the Škoda Felicia, which was discontinued in 2001. The Fabia was available in hatchback, estate (named Fabia Combi) and saloo ...
S2000.
Driver changes
*
Chris Atkinson
Chris Atkinson (born 30 November 1979 in Bega, New South Wales, Australia) is a professional rally driver. In the World Rally Championship (WRC), Atkinson drove for the Subaru World Rally Team between 2004 and 2008. His best finish on an indi ...
, who made several guest appearances with a variety of teams in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
, will drive for the
Abu Dhabi Citroën team at events where
Dani Sordo
Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo (born 2 May 1983) is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland.
Career
Sordo began in motocross wh ...
will drive for sister team
Citroën Abu Dhabi.
*
Nasser Al-Attiyah
Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah ( ar, ناصر صالح ناصر عبدالله العطية : nāṣir ṣāliḥ nāṣir ʿabdullāh al-ʿaṭṭīyah; born 21 December 1970 in Doha) is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He wa ...
, who contested the
2012 season with
Citroën will switch to
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
for 2013, driving for
Qatar M-Sport,
where he will compete in selected events on the 2013 calendar.
*
Khalid Al Qassimi will return to the World Rally Championship in 2013, after spending
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
on sabbatical.
Having spent most of his competitive career at the WRC level driving for
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
, Al Qassimi will switch to
Citroën for the 2013 season, driving a
DS3 prepared by
Citroën Racing
Citroën Racing is a motorsport brand and department of the French automobile manufacturer, ''Automobiles Citroën''. It is most notable for entering the Citroën World Rally Team into the World Rally Championship until 2019, thus helping to pro ...
.
*
Bryan Bouffier
Bryan Bouffier (born 1 December 1978) is French rally driver. He is currently competing in the European Rally Championship with a Citroën DS3 S2000. He won the 2011 Monte Carlo Rally and the 2013 Tour de Corse.
Career
In 2002 Bouffier won ...
, who won the
2011 Rallye Monte Carlo, will make his debut in a WRC-spec car at the
Rallye Monte Carlo
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rallye Monte-Carlo (officially ''Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo'') is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco. The rally now takes place along the French Riviera in Monaco and southeast ...
driving a privately entered Citroën DS3 WRC.
*
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
Production Car Champion Benito Guerra will make his debut in a WRC-spec car at the
Rally Sweden
The Rally Sweden ( sv, Svenska rallyt), formerly the International Swedish Rally, and later the Uddeholm Swedish Rally, is an automobile rally competition held in February in Värmland, Sweden and relocated to Umeå in 2022. First held in 1950, ...
.
*
Juho Hänninen
Juho Ville Matias Hänninen (born 25 July 1981) is a Finnish rally driver. He is the 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) champion and 2011 Super 2000 World Rally Championship (S-WRC) champion with co-driver Mikko Markkula driving a works ...
will return to the WRC after a four-year absence, driving a Ford Fiesta prepared by
M-Sport
M-Sport is an auto racing team and motorsport engineering company headquartered at Dovenby Hall near Cockermouth, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom. Formed in 1979 by the World Rally Championship driver Malcolm Wilson, and originally known as ...
at selected events on the 2013 calendar.
In the time since his last appearance at the WRC level in
2007, Hänninen won the
2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge
The Intercontinental Rally Challenge was an FIA-sanctioned rallying series organised by SRW Events and Eurosport Events, and aimed to "give new opportunities to young or amateur rally drivers competing in recognised regional and international ral ...
,
2011 Super 2000 World Rally Championship and
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
European Rally Championship
The European Rally Championship (officially FIA European Rally Championship) is an automobile rally competition held annually on the European continent and organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).
The championship has b ...
titles.
*
Michał Kościuszko will make his
World Rally Car
A World Rally Car is a racing automobile built to the specific regulations set by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and designed for competition in the World Rally Championship (WRC). The cars were introduced in 1997 as a repl ...
debut, driving a
Mini John Cooper Works WRC
The Mini John Cooper Works WRC is a World Rally Car debuted by the Mini WRC Team during the 2011 World Rally Championship season. It is the first rally car to bear the Mini label in top-level rallying since the 1960s. The car was entered in a lim ...
prepared by Italian entrant
Lotos Team WRC.
Kościuszko later moved to
M-Sport
M-Sport is an auto racing team and motorsport engineering company headquartered at Dovenby Hall near Cockermouth, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom. Formed in 1979 by the World Rally Championship driver Malcolm Wilson, and originally known as ...
.
*
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and 2019 ...
will partner
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
racing for Volkswagen.
Latvala described Ford's decision to end its works programme as the key factor that influenced his decision to change teams.
* At the
2012 Paris Motor Show
The Mondial de l'Automobile de Paris 2012, known in English as the 2012 Paris Motor Show, took place from 29 September to 14 October 2012 at Paris Expo.
Introductions Production cars
* Audi A3 Sportback
* Audi RS5 Cabriolet
* BMW 1 Series 3DR
...
, nine-time
World Champion
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
Sébastien Loeb
Sébastien Loeb (; born 26 February 1974) is a French professional rallying, rally, auto racing, racing and rallycross driver. He is the most successful driver in the World Rally Championship (WRC), having won the world championship a record nin ...
announced that he would only compete at selected events during the 2013 season, confirming his entry in the
Rallye Monte Carlo
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rallye Monte-Carlo (officially ''Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo'') is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco. The rally now takes place along the French Riviera in Monaco and southeast ...
, but revealing that he had "no fixed plans" for the remainder of the season.
At
Citroën's formal team launch, Loeb confirmed that his programme for the 2013 season would consist of just four events,
and later announced that he would venture out into other motorsport categories, including the
FIA GT Series
The GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup, officially known as Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS for sponsorship reasons, formerly the FIA GT Series, is a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) w ...
and the
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), also known as The Race to the Clouds, is an annual automobile hillclimb to the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado, USA. The track measures and has over 156 turns, climbing from the sta ...
.
*
Andreas Mikkelsen
Andreas Mikkelsen (born 22 June 1989) is a Norwegian rally driver. He is currently competing in the World Rally Championship-2 for Toksport World Rally Team. He previously drove for the factory teams of Volkswagen, Citroën and Hyundai in the Wo ...
will compete part-time in a
Volkswagen Polo R WRC
The Volkswagen Polo R WRC is a World Rally Car built and operated by Volkswagen Motorsport and based on the Volkswagen Polo for use in the World Rally Championship. The car, which made its début at the start of the 2013 season, is built to th ...
, joining the championship at the
Rally of Portugal.
*
Thierry Neuville
Thierry Jean Neuville (born 16 June 1988) is a Belgian rally driver who is competing in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. During his career, he has finished as runner-up in the drivers' championship five times (2013, 2016–2 ...
will move from
Citroën's junior team to
Qatar M-Sport.
Prior to his move to M-Sport, Citroën had planned to offer Neuville a place in their factory team, driving in Sébastien Loeb's place at the nine rounds Loeb will not appear at in 2013.
*
Evgeny Novikov
Evgeny Maksimovich Novikov (russian: Евгений Максимович Новиков, translit=Yevgeniy Maksimovich Novikov; born 19 September 1990) is a former Russian rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2007 to ...
was promoted from
M-Sport
M-Sport is an auto racing team and motorsport engineering company headquartered at Dovenby Hall near Cockermouth, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom. Formed in 1979 by the World Rally Championship driver Malcolm Wilson, and originally known as ...
's satellite team to the ''de facto'' manufacturer team.
*
Mads Østberg
Mads Østberg (born 11 October 1987) is a Norwegian rally driver. His co-driver is Torstein Eriksen.
Career
Østberg competed in his first rally in 2004. His first World Rally Championship event was the 2006 Swedish Rally, in which he finishe ...
will leave the
Adapta World Rally Team
The Adapta WRT is a World Rally Championship team. Sometimes it is referred to as Adapta AS. It has previously competed with Subaru Impreza WRC of many evolutions, now they use Ford Fiesta RS WRC. Adapta WRT is signed to manufacturers champio ...
to join
Qatar M-Sport.
*
Henning Solberg
Henning Solberg (born 8 January 1973) is a Norwegian rally and rallycross driver. Together with his female co-driver Ilka Minor, he currently competes in the World Rally Championship (WRC) with cars of M-Sport.
Solberg is the older brother of ...
will return to the WRC with a privately entered
Ford Fiesta after missing most of the 2012 season when his team, the
Go Fast Energy World Rally Team
Go, GO, G.O., or Go! may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Games and sport
* Go (game), a board game for two players
* ''Travel Go'' (formerly ''Go – The International Travel Game''), a game based on world travel
* Go, the starting position lo ...
withdrew after two rounds.
*
Petter Solberg
Petter Solberg (born 18 November 1974) is a Norwegian former professional rally and rallycross driver.
Solberg debuted in the World Rally Championship in 1998 and was signed by the Ford factory team in 1999. The following year, Solberg started ...
, the
2003 World Drivers' Champion, announced that he would not participate in the 2013 season after he was unable to secure a drive.
*
Dani Sordo
Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo (born 2 May 1983) is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland.
Career
Sordo began in motocross wh ...
will return to
Citroën World Rally Team
The Citroën Total World Rally Team was the Citroën factory backed entry into the World Rally Championship, run by Citroën Racing.
History 1990–1998 seasons
The Citroën ZX Rally raid won the Rally raid Constructors' Championship in 1993, 1 ...
after two years developing the
Mini John Cooper Works WRC
The Mini John Cooper Works WRC is a World Rally Car debuted by the Mini WRC Team during the 2011 World Rally Championship season. It is the first rally car to bear the Mini label in top-level rallying since the 1960s. The car was entered in a lim ...
with the
Prodrive WRC Team
The Prodrive WRC Team, formerly known as the Mini WRC Team was the name given to the World Rally Championship (WRC) team run by Prodrive. Prodrive developed the car, the Mini John Cooper Works WRC, in cooperation with MINI.
Mini in rallying
...
.
Sordo will be nominated to score manufacturer points in events where Sébastien Loeb is not competing.
*
Ott Tänak
Ott Tänak (; born 15 October 1987) is an Estonian rally driver and the 2019 World Rally Champion. He is currently teamed with Martin Järveoja and is competing for Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT.
Tänak achieved his maiden drivers' world title in ...
lost his seat with
M-Sport
M-Sport is an auto racing team and motorsport engineering company headquartered at Dovenby Hall near Cockermouth, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom. Formed in 1979 by the World Rally Championship driver Malcolm Wilson, and originally known as ...
.
*
Matthew Wilson
Matthew Wilson (born 29 January 1987) is a British rally driver from Cockermouth in Cumbria. He is the son of M-Sport boss and former World Rally Championship driver Malcolm Wilson. Wilson competed in the WRC for the Stobart M-Sport Ford team. ...
will return to the World Rally Championship, making a guest appearance at the
Rally Sweden
The Rally Sweden ( sv, Svenska rallyt), formerly the International Swedish Rally, and later the Uddeholm Swedish Rally, is an automobile rally competition held in February in Värmland, Sweden and relocated to Umeå in 2022. First held in 1950, ...
after
Nasser Al-Attiyah
Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah ( ar, ناصر صالح ناصر عبدالله العطية : nāṣir ṣāliḥ nāṣir ʿabdullāh al-ʿaṭṭīyah; born 21 December 1970 in Doha) is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He wa ...
fell ill before the event.
Wilson last competed in the
2012 Wales Rally GB
The 68th Wales Rally GB is the tenth round of the 2012 World Rally Championship season and is held between 14 and 16 September 2012.
The rally is also the sixth round of the Super 2000 World Rally Championship.
Results Event standings
Speci ...
, after being forced to miss most of the
2012 season due to injury.
Changes
Class changes
The 2013 season will see the introduction of a new rally category,
Group R
In relation to motorsport governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, Group R refers to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for rally competition. The Group R regulations were created in 2008 as a gradual ...
.
No new cars will be homologated under the
Group A
Group A is a set of motorsport regulations administered by the FIA covering production derived vehicles intended for competition, usually in touring car racing and rallying. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, Group A vehicles ...
and
Group N
In relation to international motorsport governed by the FIA, Group N refers to regulations providing 'standard' large scale series production vehicles for competition. They are limited in terms of modifications permitted to the standard specifi ...
regulations for production cars, and will instead be reclassified under Group R before being phased out of competition. With the introduction of Group R, the rules for the feeder categories re-written in a bid to boost entries:
* In the WRC Championship, entries registered as manufacturers must enter all thirteen rounds of the championship with a minimum of two cars. These teams may score drivers' and manufacturers' championship points at every round they enter.
* Major entries that are registered as WRC teams but not as manufacturers must take part in at least seven events – including at least one outside Europe – with a one or two-car team. These teams are eligible to score manufacturers' points if the cars entered meet the
homologation of those cars that are entered by teams registered as manufacturers.
* In the WRC-2 Championship – open to R5, R4, Super 2000 and N4 cars – teams must contest at least seven events, with their best six results from the first seven events they enter being counted towards their final points tally. There will be no penalty for missing rounds.
* In the WRC-3 Championship – open to two-wheel-drive cars conforming to the FIA's R1, R2 and R3 technical regulations – teams must contest at least six events, with their best five results from the first seven events they enter being counted towards their final points tally. There will be no penalty for missing rounds.
* The Junior WRC Championship will be open to drivers under the age of twenty-six. All teams will contest the same six events—the Rallies of
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
,
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and
Catalunya
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...
—with their five best results counting towards their final score.
Organisational structure
After the collapse of promoter North One Sport and parent company Convers Sports Initiatives in early 2012,
and being forced to arrange event coverage on an event-by-event basis for most of the 2012 season, the World Rally Championship sought out a new promoter for 2013 in
Red Bull House Media.
At the end of the
2012 season, the FIA elected not to renew their contract with British firm Stage One Technology to provide timing services for stages. They were replaced by Spanish outfit Sistemas Integrales de Telecomunicacion.
Rally summaries
Round 1 — Monte Carlo Rally
The opening event of the season was run in difficult conditions, with heavy snowfalls recorded the length of the route. In his final appearance at the Monte Carlo Rally,
Sébastien Loeb
Sébastien Loeb (; born 26 February 1974) is a French professional rallying, rally, auto racing, racing and rallycross driver. He is the most successful driver in the World Rally Championship (WRC), having won the world championship a record nin ...
secured a record seventh victory on the event, winning by over a minute and a half. The World Champion took the lead during the first day and quickly established a one-minute margin to his former teammate,
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
. Ogier went on to finish second in the
Volkswagen Polo R WRC
The Volkswagen Polo R WRC is a World Rally Car built and operated by Volkswagen Motorsport and based on the Volkswagen Polo for use in the World Rally Championship. The car, which made its début at the start of the 2013 season, is built to th ...
's debut, having set the fastest time on the opening stage of the rally. Teammate
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and 2019 ...
was less-fortunate, sliding off the road on the fourth leg of the rally and retiring. Despite beating Loeb's times on several stages, Ogier was quoted as saying he had no intention of challenging Loeb's lead as it was "never a part of the plan", whilst team principal Jost Capito stated that it was more important for the team to secure a strong result than it was to challenge for outright victory. Nevertheless, some observers admitted that Loeb was untouchable, regardless Ogier's motivation.
Dani Sordo
Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo (born 2 May 1983) is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland.
Career
Sordo began in motocross wh ...
secured third place after spending most of the rally trading place with
Qatar M-Sport's Evgeny Novikov
Evgeny Maksimovich Novikov (russian: Евгений Максимович Новиков, translit=Yevgeniy Maksimovich Novikov; born 19 September 1990) is a former Russian rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2007 to ...
until the Russian crashed out of the event on the
Col de Turini. The event was ultimately cut short when rally organisers cancelled the final two stages in the face of overwhelming spectator numbers that blocked access to the stages. As a result, no points were offered for the
Power stage
The Power Stage (abbreviated as PS) is a special stage that usually runs as the final stage of a rally in the World Rally Championship (WRC). Additional championship points are available to the fastest five crews through the stage regardless of ...
.
Round 2 — Rally Sweden
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
secured the
Volkswagen Polo R WRC
The Volkswagen Polo R WRC is a World Rally Car built and operated by Volkswagen Motorsport and based on the Volkswagen Polo for use in the World Rally Championship. The car, which made its début at the start of the 2013 season, is built to th ...
's maiden victory in Sweden, winning the rally by forty seconds ahead of
Sébastien Loeb
Sébastien Loeb (; born 26 February 1974) is a French professional rallying, rally, auto racing, racing and rallycross driver. He is the most successful driver in the World Rally Championship (WRC), having won the world championship a record nin ...
. Ogier took the lead of the rally early on the first day,
and steadily built up a thirty-second lead over the rest of the field. After struggling with a poor set-up early in the rally,
Sébastien Loeb
Sébastien Loeb (; born 26 February 1974) is a French professional rallying, rally, auto racing, racing and rallycross driver. He is the most successful driver in the World Rally Championship (WRC), having won the world championship a record nin ...
steadily began to recover, and eventually launched a final assault as the rally crossed over the border into Norway. Loeb successfully took ten seconds away from Ogier as he won three consecutive stages until made a mistake on the penultimate stage and hit a snowbank, at which point he decided to back off.
Ogier and teammate
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and 2019 ...
went on to set the two fastest times on the
Power Stage
The Power Stage (abbreviated as PS) is a special stage that usually runs as the final stage of a rally in the World Rally Championship (WRC). Additional championship points are available to the fastest five crews through the stage regardless of ...
, with the three bonus World Championship points giving Ogier the lead in World Drivers' Championship.
Mads Østberg
Mads Østberg (born 11 October 1987) is a Norwegian rally driver. His co-driver is Torstein Eriksen.
Career
Østberg competed in his first rally in 2004. His first World Rally Championship event was the 2006 Swedish Rally, in which he finishe ...
completed the podium, narrowly beating Latvala.
Mikko Hirvonen
Mikko Hirvonen (born 31 July 1980) is a Finnish former rally driver, and a current Rally-Raid driver, who drove in the World Rally Championship. He placed third in the drivers' championship and helped Ford to the manufacturers' title in both 2 ...
lost twenty minutes in an accident on the first day and ultimately went on to finish seventeenth,
whilst
Evgeny Novikov
Evgeny Maksimovich Novikov (russian: Евгений Максимович Новиков, translit=Yevgeniy Maksimovich Novikov; born 19 September 1990) is a former Russian rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2007 to ...
rolled on the final day and fell from fifth to ninth overall.
Round 3 — Rally Mexico
With
Sébastien Loeb
Sébastien Loeb (; born 26 February 1974) is a French professional rallying, rally, auto racing, racing and rallycross driver. He is the most successful driver in the World Rally Championship (WRC), having won the world championship a record nin ...
contesting just four events in 2013, the
Rally of Mexico became the first rally since the
1992 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire
The Rallye Côte d'Ivoire, perhaps better known as the Rallye Bandama as it was originally called, or the Ivory Coast Rally is a rally race held annually in Côte d'Ivoire in Africa. In common with other races on the continent, it is known for its ...
to start without a
World Champion driver taking part. The first leg of the rally was marked by a three-way battle, with
Thierry Neuville
Thierry Jean Neuville (born 16 June 1988) is a Belgian rally driver who is competing in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. During his career, he has finished as runner-up in the drivers' championship five times (2013, 2016–2 ...
,
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
and
Mads Østberg
Mads Østberg (born 11 October 1987) is a Norwegian rally driver. His co-driver is Torstein Eriksen.
Career
Østberg competed in his first rally in 2004. His first World Rally Championship event was the 2006 Swedish Rally, in which he finishe ...
all holding the lead of the rally. As Ogier gradually established a lead over Østberg as Neuville fell behind until a mechanical issue forced Østberg into a premature retirement. Østberg was able to re-enter the rally the next day under "Rally 2" regulations, but the accompanying five-minute penalty put him out of contention and
Mikko Hirvonen
Mikko Hirvonen (born 31 July 1980) is a Finnish former rally driver, and a current Rally-Raid driver, who drove in the World Rally Championship. He placed third in the drivers' championship and helped Ford to the manufacturers' title in both 2 ...
emerged as Ogier's closest challenger; Østberg ultimately finished eleventh, but scored two bonus world championship points on the
Power Stage
The Power Stage (abbreviated as PS) is a special stage that usually runs as the final stage of a rally in the World Rally Championship (WRC). Additional championship points are available to the fastest five crews through the stage regardless of ...
. Ogier went on to win his second rally in succession by three and a half minutes, with Hirvonen second and Neuville completing the podium.
Dani Sordo
Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo (born 2 May 1983) is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland.
Career
Sordo began in motocross wh ...
—driving for the
Citroën works team in Loeb's absence—was fourth, while
Nasser al-Attiyah
Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah ( ar, ناصر صالح ناصر عبدالله العطية : nāṣir ṣāliḥ nāṣir ʿabdullāh al-ʿaṭṭīyah; born 21 December 1970 in Doha) is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He wa ...
,
Chris Atkinson
Chris Atkinson (born 30 November 1979 in Bega, New South Wales, Australia) is a professional rally driver. In the World Rally Championship (WRC), Atkinson drove for the Subaru World Rally Team between 2004 and 2008. His best finish on an indi ...
and
Ken Block all marked their return to the WRC with fifth, sixth and seventh place respectively.
Round 4 — Rally de Portugal
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
took his third consecutive win in Portugal.
Mads Østberg
Mads Østberg (born 11 October 1987) is a Norwegian rally driver. His co-driver is Torstein Eriksen.
Career
Østberg competed in his first rally in 2004. His first World Rally Championship event was the 2006 Swedish Rally, in which he finishe ...
took an early lead, but rolled his
Ford Fiesta RS WRC
The Ford Fiesta RS WRC is the World Rally Car built for the Ford World Rally Team by Ford Europe and M-Sport for use in the World Rally Championship 2011–2016. It is based upon the Ford Fiesta road car, and replaced the Ford Focus RS WRC, whi ...
when he mis-heard a pace note on the first day, and he was forced to retire.
Dani Sordo
Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo (born 2 May 1983) is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland.
Career
Sordo began in motocross wh ...
emerged as Ogier's next challenger, but his bid to win the rally came to an abrupt end when he was similarly forced to retire after crashing. Ogier and teammate
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and 2019 ...
built up a lead over third-placed
Mikko Hirvonen
Mikko Hirvonen (born 31 July 1980) is a Finnish former rally driver, and a current Rally-Raid driver, who drove in the World Rally Championship. He placed third in the drivers' championship and helped Ford to the manufacturers' title in both 2 ...
until disaster struck the two
Volkswagen Polo R WRC
The Volkswagen Polo R WRC is a World Rally Car built and operated by Volkswagen Motorsport and based on the Volkswagen Polo for use in the World Rally Championship. The car, which made its début at the start of the 2013 season, is built to th ...
s on the final day. Ogier lost thirty seconds on a single stage with a mechanical problem, whilst the same fate befell Latvala, who subsequently lost second place to Hirvonen. The Volkswagens recovered quickly, and Ogier went on to win the power stage and the rally, but the damage had been done and Latvala finished three minutes behind Hirvonen.
Evgeny Novikov
Evgeny Maksimovich Novikov (russian: Евгений Максимович Новиков, translit=Yevgeniy Maksimovich Novikov; born 19 September 1990) is a former Russian rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2007 to ...
recovered from a slow start to his season to finish fourth, the highest-placed Ford driver, with
Nasser Al-Attiyah
Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah ( ar, ناصر صالح ناصر عبدالله العطية : nāṣir ṣāliḥ nāṣir ʿabdullāh al-ʿaṭṭīyah; born 21 December 1970 in Doha) is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He wa ...
in fifth and
Andreas Mikkelsen
Andreas Mikkelsen (born 22 June 1989) is a Norwegian rally driver. He is currently competing in the World Rally Championship-2 for Toksport World Rally Team. He previously drove for the factory teams of Volkswagen, Citroën and Hyundai in the Wo ...
sixth in the third Volkswagen. Østberg re-entered the rally after his roll and went on to finish eighth, picking up two extra World Championship points on the power stage.
Round 5 — Rally Argentina
After missing the rallies of Mexico and Portugal to compete in the
FIA Grand Touring Series,
Sébastien Loeb
Sébastien Loeb (; born 26 February 1974) is a French professional rallying, rally, auto racing, racing and rallycross driver. He is the most successful driver in the World Rally Championship (WRC), having won the world championship a record nin ...
marked his return to rallying with first place in the Rally Argentina.
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
took the lead early on, but made a mistake whilst driving in heavy fog. He lost forty seconds, allowing Loeb to seize the advantage.
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and 2019 ...
and
Mikko Hirvonen
Mikko Hirvonen (born 31 July 1980) is a Finnish former rally driver, and a current Rally-Raid driver, who drove in the World Rally Championship. He placed third in the drivers' championship and helped Ford to the manufacturers' title in both 2 ...
fought over the final podium position until Hirvonen's
Citroën DS3 WRC
The Citroën DS3 WRC is the World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing for use from the 2011 World Rally Championship season. It is based upon the Citroën DS3 road car, and replaced the highly successful Citroën ...
developed an electrical problem. Latvala could not afford to rest, as he found himself fighting with
Evgeny Novikov
Evgeny Maksimovich Novikov (russian: Евгений Максимович Новиков, translit=Yevgeniy Maksimovich Novikov; born 19 September 1990) is a former Russian rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2007 to ...
. A late charge on the final day—including the fastest time on the power stage—was enough for Latvala to secure third place and his first podium in Argentina. Hirvonen recovered to finish sixth overall, finishing third on the power stage to score an additional World Championship point.
Round 6 — Acropolis Rally
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and 2019 ...
took his first win of the 2013 season, and his first win for
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-W ...
on the Acropolis Rally. The opening forty-seven kilometre stage proved to be difficult, claiming three high-profile victims in
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
,
Mads Østberg
Mads Østberg (born 11 October 1987) is a Norwegian rally driver. His co-driver is Torstein Eriksen.
Career
Østberg competed in his first rally in 2004. His first World Rally Championship event was the 2006 Swedish Rally, in which he finishe ...
and
Mikko Hirvonen
Mikko Hirvonen (born 31 July 1980) is a Finnish former rally driver, and a current Rally-Raid driver, who drove in the World Rally Championship. He placed third in the drivers' championship and helped Ford to the manufacturers' title in both 2 ...
in short order, and
Evgeny Novikov
Evgeny Maksimovich Novikov (russian: Евгений Максимович Новиков, translit=Yevgeniy Maksimovich Novikov; born 19 September 1990) is a former Russian rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2007 to ...
emerged as the surprise early leader, building up a thirty-second advantage at the end of the first leg. The Russian's lead was short-lived, as he developed a puncture early in the second leg and was forced to limp back to the service park. Latvala took control of the rally while
Andreas Mikkelsen
Andreas Mikkelsen (born 22 June 1989) is a Norwegian rally driver. He is currently competing in the World Rally Championship-2 for Toksport World Rally Team. He previously drove for the factory teams of Volkswagen, Citroën and Hyundai in the Wo ...
in the third factory-supported Polo R began to work his way up through the points-paying positions. He ultimately missed out on a podium finish of his own, as
Dani Sordo
Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo (born 2 May 1983) is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland.
Career
Sordo began in motocross wh ...
and
Thierry Neuville
Thierry Jean Neuville (born 16 June 1988) is a Belgian rally driver who is competing in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. During his career, he has finished as runner-up in the drivers' championship five times (2013, 2016–2 ...
each took their second podium finish of the season with second and third place respectively. Latvala's result was briefly challenged by
Citroën, who believed his car was in violation of the technical regulations, but the protest was dismissed and Latvala's result was confirmed, allowing him to secure second place in the drivers' championship standings behind teammate Ogier.
Round 7 — Rally Italia Sardegna
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
held the lead of the rally from start to finish; with three stage wins on the first day, Ogier held a lead of 46.6 seconds over
Mikko Hirvonen
Mikko Hirvonen (born 31 July 1980) is a Finnish former rally driver, and a current Rally-Raid driver, who drove in the World Rally Championship. He placed third in the drivers' championship and helped Ford to the manufacturers' title in both 2 ...
, who battled for second with
Thierry Neuville
Thierry Jean Neuville (born 16 June 1988) is a Belgian rally driver who is competing in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. During his career, he has finished as runner-up in the drivers' championship five times (2013, 2016–2 ...
, with a difference of only 3.1 seconds at the end of the day. Both
Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team
The M-Sport Ford World Rally Team (formerly M-Sport World Rally Team, Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team and Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team) is the privately run World Rally Championship team of M-Sport, the firm run by Malcolm Wilson that was previ ...
drivers,
Mads Østberg
Mads Østberg (born 11 October 1987) is a Norwegian rally driver. His co-driver is Torstein Eriksen.
Career
Østberg competed in his first rally in 2004. His first World Rally Championship event was the 2006 Swedish Rally, in which he finishe ...
and
Evgeny Novikov
Evgeny Maksimovich Novikov (russian: Евгений Максимович Новиков, translit=Yevgeniy Maksimovich Novikov; born 19 September 1990) is a former Russian rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2007 to ...
retired. On the second day, Hirvonen started with a stage win, but on the next stage went wide and got stuck into a ditch, leaving second place to Neuville. Ogier's teammate,
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and 2019 ...
recovered from 12th position after a puncture on stage one, to finish third.
Dani Sordo
Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo (born 2 May 1983) is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland.
Career
Sordo began in motocross wh ...
was the best
Citroën finisher in fourth, ahead of
Martin Prokop
Martin Prokop (born 4 October 1982) is a Czech rally driver. He won the Junior World Rally Championship in the 2009 season.
Career
After competing in the Czech Rally Championship for four years, Prokop debuted in the World Rally Champions ...
in fifth, while
Elfyn Evans
Elfyn Rhys Evans (born 28 December 1988) is a Welsh rally driver. He is currently teamed with Scott Martin and is competing for Toyota Gazoo Racing in the World Rally Championship.
Career
The son of 1996 British Rally Championship Champion ...
finished sixth on his début in a World Rally Car.
Michał Kościuszko got his best result of the year in seventh, ahead of Østberg – recovering from his accident – to finish eighth via Rally-2.
Robert Kubica
Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing and rally driver. He was the first and, , the only Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. Between 2006 and 2009 he drove for the BMW Sauber F1 team, promoted from test d ...
got his first championship points by finishing ninth and
Khalid Al Qassimi completed the top ten finishers.
Round 8 — Rally Finland
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
won the rally to become the fifth non-Scandinavian driver to win the rally. Rally Finland started with a four-way fight between
Volkswagen Motorsport
The Volkswagen Motorsport was a works rally team of the German car manufacturer Volkswagen, who competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and Dakar Rally.
The team started competing in WRC in 1978 and used different specs of Volkswagen Gol ...
's Ogier,
Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT's
Mikko Hirvonen
Mikko Hirvonen (born 31 July 1980) is a Finnish former rally driver, and a current Rally-Raid driver, who drove in the World Rally Championship. He placed third in the drivers' championship and helped Ford to the manufacturers' title in both 2 ...
,
Qatar M-Sport WRT's
Mads Østberg
Mads Østberg (born 11 October 1987) is a Norwegian rally driver. His co-driver is Torstein Eriksen.
Career
Østberg competed in his first rally in 2004. His first World Rally Championship event was the 2006 Swedish Rally, in which he finishe ...
and
Qatar World Rally Team's
Thierry Neuville
Thierry Jean Neuville (born 16 June 1988) is a Belgian rally driver who is competing in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. During his career, he has finished as runner-up in the drivers' championship five times (2013, 2016–2 ...
. Ogier won the first stage, but Neuville won the second one to become the leader jointly with Hirvonen. Ogier set the fastest time for the third stage, and joined Neuville at the front. Hirvonen fought back on the very next stage, and returned to the joint lead with Neuville. The next stage saw heavy rain and a complicated Hirvonen lost sixteen seconds to be back in the fight. Østberg won the stage, but Neuville became the outright leader.
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and 2019 ...
hit a rock on the second stage and had to retire for the day. The second day started with a swap of the leading position between M-Sport's Neuville and Østberg. But on the second loop, both hit trouble and Ogier become the leader by over 30 seconds.
Kris Meeke
Kris Meeke (born 2 July 1979) is a Northern Irish professional rally driver, best known for competing in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). He was the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion. His co-driver is Seb Marshall, also B ...
lost nearly 25 seconds behind
Evgeny Novikov
Evgeny Maksimovich Novikov (russian: Евгений Максимович Новиков, translit=Yevgeniy Maksimovich Novikov; born 19 September 1990) is a former Russian rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2007 to ...
, but Meeke was attributed his afternoon time for both passes through the stage, and finished the day in fifth. The final day saw the podium finishers remain as the previous evening, after second placed Neuville won the battle with Østberg, when the latter went off to avoid a rock. Hirvonen finished fourth, with teammate
Dani Sordo
Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo (born 2 May 1983) is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland.
Career
Sordo began in motocross wh ...
finishing fifth after Meeke rolled his
Citroën DS3 WRC
The Citroën DS3 WRC is the World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing for use from the 2011 World Rally Championship season. It is based upon the Citroën DS3 road car, and replaced the highly successful Citroën ...
. Novikov recovered to finish sixth, with local
Jari Ketomaa
Jari Ketomaa (born 18 April 1979) is a Finnish former rally driver.
Career
A former kart racer, Ketomaa started rallying in 1995. He made his World Rally Championship debut in 2000 at Rally Finland. He won the Group N class of the Finnish Ra ...
in seventh in his
Ford Fiesta R5
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
. The top ten finishers were completed by
Per-Gunnar Andersson,
Robert Kubica
Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing and rally driver. He was the first and, , the only Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. Between 2006 and 2009 he drove for the BMW Sauber F1 team, promoted from test d ...
– scoring again with the
Citroën DS3 RRC – and
Andreas Mikkelsen
Andreas Mikkelsen (born 22 June 1989) is a Norwegian rally driver. He is currently competing in the World Rally Championship-2 for Toksport World Rally Team. He previously drove for the factory teams of Volkswagen, Citroën and Hyundai in the Wo ...
.
Round 9 — Rallye Deutschland
Dani Sordo
Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo (born 2 May 1983) is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland.
Career
Sordo began in motocross wh ...
won his first ever WRC event at the all-tarmac
Rallye Deutschland
The ADAC Rallye Deutschland is a rally event held in Germany. The event was first held in 1982 and originally hosted by e.g. Frankfurt, Mainz and Koblenz. In 2000, the rally was relocated to the region around Trier. Previously part of the Europ ...
after fighting back from fourth place. The first day finished with
Volkswagen Motorsport
The Volkswagen Motorsport was a works rally team of the German car manufacturer Volkswagen, who competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and Dakar Rally.
The team started competing in WRC in 1978 and used different specs of Volkswagen Gol ...
's
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
and
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and 2019 ...
in first and second, with
Thierry Neuville
Thierry Jean Neuville (born 16 June 1988) is a Belgian rally driver who is competing in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. During his career, he has finished as runner-up in the drivers' championship five times (2013, 2016–2 ...
in third. The second day of competition started with leader Ogier off the road after missing a braking point. This handed the lead to teammate Latvala, who fought to maintain this position from Neuville. Neuville won the first three stages of the day, but Latvala went on to win three stages from the second loop. Latvala lost the lead after an accident on stage 12, on a stage where Neuville and
Mads Østberg
Mads Østberg (born 11 October 1987) is a Norwegian rally driver. His co-driver is Torstein Eriksen.
Career
Østberg competed in his first rally in 2004. His first World Rally Championship event was the 2006 Swedish Rally, in which he finishe ...
also went off the road. Neuville took the lead, but lost it on the next stage to
Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT's Sordo. Day 3 finished with Sordo leading by only 0.8 seconds. In the final day of competition, Sordo retained the lead after Neuville went off in the very last stage and settled with second position and Mikko Hirvonen completed the podium.
Martin Prokop
Martin Prokop (born 4 October 1982) is a Czech rally driver. He won the Junior World Rally Championship in the 2009 season.
Career
After competing in the Czech Rally Championship for four years, Prokop debuted in the World Rally Champions ...
and
WRC-2
The FIA WRC2 (previously also known as World Rally Championship 2 and WRC 2), is a support championship of the World Rally Championship. The calendar consists of the same rallies and stages as the main class and crews usually compete immediately ...
frontrunners
Robert Kubica
Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing and rally driver. He was the first and, , the only Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. Between 2006 and 2009 he drove for the BMW Sauber F1 team, promoted from test d ...
and
Elfyn Evans
Elfyn Rhys Evans (born 28 December 1988) is a Welsh rally driver. He is currently teamed with Scott Martin and is competing for Toyota Gazoo Racing in the World Rally Championship.
Career
The son of 1996 British Rally Championship Champion ...
got their best results with fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. Latvala went on to finish seventh, with
Hayden Paddon
Hayden Paddon (born 20 April 1987) is a New Zealand rally driver. He was PWRC world champion in 2011 and won the New Zealand Rally Championship in 2008, 2009, 2013, 2018 and 2021.
Career
Paddon was introduced into motorsport at an early age, h ...
in eighth with a
Škoda Fabia S2000
The Škoda Fabia S2000 is a Super 2000 rally car built by Škoda Motorsport. It is based upon the Škoda Fabia road car.
History
It made its début at Rallye Monte Carlo 2009, with factory team Škoda Motorsport and drivers Jan Kopecký and ...
. Teammates Østberg and
Evgeny Novikov
Evgeny Maksimovich Novikov (russian: Евгений Максимович Новиков, translit=Yevgeniy Maksimovich Novikov; born 19 September 1990) is a former Russian rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2007 to ...
completed the top ten finishers.
Round 10 — Rally Australia
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
won the last non-European rally of the year.
Volkswagen Motorsport II
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-W ...
's
Andreas Mikkelsen
Andreas Mikkelsen (born 22 June 1989) is a Norwegian rally driver. He is currently competing in the World Rally Championship-2 for Toksport World Rally Team. He previously drove for the factory teams of Volkswagen, Citroën and Hyundai in the Wo ...
started leading the event with temporary co-driver
Paul Nagle
Paul Nagle (born 29 August 1978) is an Irish rally co-driver. Drivers with whom he has teamed include Kris Meeke, Gareth MacHale and Craig Breen. before losing the lead to championship leader Ogier, who won eight stages on the day. Early leader Mikkelsen finished the day in seventh position. On the second day, Ogier kept his stage-winning streak, to extend the lead to 45.9 seconds from
Mikko Hirvonen
Mikko Hirvonen (born 31 July 1980) is a Finnish former rally driver, and a current Rally-Raid driver, who drove in the World Rally Championship. He placed third in the drivers' championship and helped Ford to the manufacturers' title in both 2 ...
.
Kris Meeke
Kris Meeke (born 2 July 1979) is a Northern Irish professional rally driver, best known for competing in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). He was the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion. His co-driver is Seb Marshall, also B ...
went off the road in the third stage of the day. In the final day of competition, Ogier almost claimed the championship, but lost the opportunity when Hirvonen got a puncture on the final stage of the rally, to lose second place to
Thierry Neuville
Thierry Jean Neuville (born 16 June 1988) is a Belgian rally driver who is competing in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. During his career, he has finished as runner-up in the drivers' championship five times (2013, 2016–2 ...
; his fourth consecutive second place. After his puncture, Hirvonen finished third, ahead of
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and 2019 ...
,
Mads Østberg
Mads Østberg (born 11 October 1987) is a Norwegian rally driver. His co-driver is Torstein Eriksen.
Career
Østberg competed in his first rally in 2004. His first World Rally Championship event was the 2006 Swedish Rally, in which he finishe ...
, Mikkelsen,
Evgeny Novikov
Evgeny Maksimovich Novikov (russian: Евгений Максимович Новиков, translit=Yevgeniy Maksimovich Novikov; born 19 September 1990) is a former Russian rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2007 to ...
, local
Nathan Quinn
Nathan or Natan may refer to:
People
*Nathan (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name
*Nathan (surname)
*Nathan (prophet), a person in the Hebrew Bible
*Nathan (son of David), biblical figure, son of King David and ...
,
Khalid Al Qassimi and
Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari.
Round 11 — Rallye de France Alsace
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
clinched the title after
Thierry Neuville
Thierry Jean Neuville (born 16 June 1988) is a Belgian rally driver who is competing in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. During his career, he has finished as runner-up in the drivers' championship five times (2013, 2016–2 ...
failed to win the opening stage of the event, which was denoted as the Power Stage. After struggling through the first day, Ogier took the lead on the final day of the rally. Neuville finished the first day in the lead, but lost it after a puncture on stage 11, and eventually finished fourth.
Dani Sordo
Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo (born 2 May 1983) is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland.
Career
Sordo began in motocross wh ...
finished second, after battling for the lead from most of the rally, with
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and 2019 ...
completing the podium in third overall.
Evgeny Novikov
Evgeny Maksimovich Novikov (russian: Евгений Максимович Новиков, translit=Yevgeniy Maksimovich Novikov; born 19 September 1990) is a former Russian rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2007 to ...
finished fifth ahead of
Mikko Hirvonen
Mikko Hirvonen (born 31 July 1980) is a Finnish former rally driver, and a current Rally-Raid driver, who drove in the World Rally Championship. He placed third in the drivers' championship and helped Ford to the manufacturers' title in both 2 ...
,
Andreas Mikkelsen
Andreas Mikkelsen (born 22 June 1989) is a Norwegian rally driver. He is currently competing in the World Rally Championship-2 for Toksport World Rally Team. He previously drove for the factory teams of Volkswagen, Citroën and Hyundai in the Wo ...
and
Mads Østberg
Mads Østberg (born 11 October 1987) is a Norwegian rally driver. His co-driver is Torstein Eriksen.
Career
Østberg competed in his first rally in 2004. His first World Rally Championship event was the 2006 Swedish Rally, in which he finishe ...
. WRC-2 frontrunner
Robert Kubica
Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing and rally driver. He was the first and, , the only Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. Between 2006 and 2009 he drove for the BMW Sauber F1 team, promoted from test d ...
scored more championship points with ninth, with sportscar racer
Romain Dumas
Romain Dumas (born 14 December 1977) is a French racing driver and a Porsche factory driver. He first started out in karting and single-seater before becoming an expert driver in endurance racing, GT and sport-prototype. He has won the greatest r ...
completing the points in tenth, in a one-off drive. Nine-time World Champion
Sébastien Loeb
Sébastien Loeb (; born 26 February 1974) is a French professional rallying, rally, auto racing, racing and rallycross driver. He is the most successful driver in the World Rally Championship (WRC), having won the world championship a record nin ...
failed to finish his last appearance in the championship after his car slid wide on stage 15 and rolled into a ditch.
Round 12 — Rally Catalunya
The Mixed event saw the first rally of
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
as a
World Champion
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
. Ogier started the event in the best way, winning all the night stages of the first day. Teammate
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and 2019 ...
got the second place from local
Dani Sordo
Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo (born 2 May 1983) is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland.
Career
Sordo began in motocross wh ...
on the last stage. On the second day of tarmac stages, Ogier lost the lead to Latvala after a puncture, promoting Sordo and
Thierry Neuville
Thierry Jean Neuville (born 16 June 1988) is a Belgian rally driver who is competing in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. During his career, he has finished as runner-up in the drivers' championship five times (2013, 2016–2 ...
to second and third respectively. The last day of competition, on gravel, saw Ogier fight back from sixth to become the rally leader. Latvala finished second. This one-two finish for
Volkswagen Motorsport
The Volkswagen Motorsport was a works rally team of the German car manufacturer Volkswagen, who competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and Dakar Rally.
The team started competing in WRC in 1978 and used different specs of Volkswagen Gol ...
enabled the team to win the Manufacturers' Championship.
Mikko Hirvonen
Mikko Hirvonen (born 31 July 1980) is a Finnish former rally driver, and a current Rally-Raid driver, who drove in the World Rally Championship. He placed third in the drivers' championship and helped Ford to the manufacturers' title in both 2 ...
finished third after teammate Sordo retired with a broken suspension.
M-Sport
M-Sport is an auto racing team and motorsport engineering company headquartered at Dovenby Hall near Cockermouth, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom. Formed in 1979 by the World Rally Championship driver Malcolm Wilson, and originally known as ...
's trio of Neuville,
Evgeny Novikov
Evgeny Maksimovich Novikov (russian: Евгений Максимович Новиков, translit=Yevgeniy Maksimovich Novikov; born 19 September 1990) is a former Russian rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2007 to ...
and
Mads Østberg
Mads Østberg (born 11 October 1987) is a Norwegian rally driver. His co-driver is Torstein Eriksen.
Career
Østberg competed in his first rally in 2004. His first World Rally Championship event was the 2006 Swedish Rally, in which he finishe ...
finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively, followed by
Martin Prokop
Martin Prokop (born 4 October 1982) is a Czech rally driver. He won the Junior World Rally Championship in the 2009 season.
Career
After competing in the Czech Rally Championship for four years, Prokop debuted in the World Rally Champions ...
and
Hayden Paddon
Hayden Paddon (born 20 April 1987) is a New Zealand rally driver. He was PWRC world champion in 2011 and won the New Zealand Rally Championship in 2008, 2009, 2013, 2018 and 2021.
Career
Paddon was introduced into motorsport at an early age, h ...
in seventh and eighth. In ninth was
Robert Kubica
Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing and rally driver. He was the first and, , the only Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. Between 2006 and 2009 he drove for the BMW Sauber F1 team, promoted from test d ...
, to clinch the
WRC2
The FIA WRC2 (previously also known as World Rally Championship 2 and WRC 2), is a support championship of the World Rally Championship. The calendar consists of the same rallies and stages as the main class and crews usually compete immediately ...
title, ahead of rival
Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari.
Round 13 — Wales Rally GB
Sébastien Ogier
Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champion ...
won the last event of the season to round up a year with nine wins. Ogier led the event from start to finish, with teammate
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and 2019 ...
and
Thierry Neuville
Thierry Jean Neuville (born 16 June 1988) is a Belgian rally driver who is competing in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. During his career, he has finished as runner-up in the drivers' championship five times (2013, 2016–2 ...
completing the podium after taking their final positions on stage 6.
Robert Kubica
Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing and rally driver. He was the first and, , the only Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. Between 2006 and 2009 he drove for the BMW Sauber F1 team, promoted from test d ...
, who was making his début in a
Citroën DS3 WRC
The Citroën DS3 WRC is the World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing for use from the 2011 World Rally Championship season. It is based upon the Citroën DS3 road car, and replaced the highly successful Citroën ...
, rolled his car on the first stage of the second day of competition. Kubica later rejoined on the third day, only to roll out again on stage 11. Day four saw the end of a three-way battle for third in favour of Neuville between him,
Mads Østberg
Mads Østberg (born 11 October 1987) is a Norwegian rally driver. His co-driver is Torstein Eriksen.
Career
Østberg competed in his first rally in 2004. His first World Rally Championship event was the 2006 Swedish Rally, in which he finishe ...
and
Andreas Mikkelsen
Andreas Mikkelsen (born 22 June 1989) is a Norwegian rally driver. He is currently competing in the World Rally Championship-2 for Toksport World Rally Team. He previously drove for the factory teams of Volkswagen, Citroën and Hyundai in the Wo ...
, who finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Martin Prokop
Martin Prokop (born 4 October 1982) is a Czech rally driver. He won the Junior World Rally Championship in the 2009 season.
Career
After competing in the Czech Rally Championship for four years, Prokop debuted in the World Rally Champions ...
finished sixth, with
Dani Sordo
Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo (born 2 May 1983) is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland.
Career
Sordo began in motocross wh ...
in seventh after taking a five-minute penalty for a breach of the chassis regulations. The top ten finishers were completed by
WRC2
The FIA WRC2 (previously also known as World Rally Championship 2 and WRC 2), is a support championship of the World Rally Championship. The calendar consists of the same rallies and stages as the main class and crews usually compete immediately ...
drivers
Elfyn Evans
Elfyn Rhys Evans (born 28 December 1988) is a Welsh rally driver. He is currently teamed with Scott Martin and is competing for Toyota Gazoo Racing in the World Rally Championship.
Career
The son of 1996 British Rally Championship Champion ...
,
Jari Ketomaa
Jari Ketomaa (born 18 April 1979) is a Finnish former rally driver.
Career
A former kart racer, Ketomaa started rallying in 1995. He made his World Rally Championship debut in 2000 at Rally Finland. He won the Group N class of the Finnish Ra ...
and
Mark Higgins, all driving
Ford Fiesta R5
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
cars.
Notes:
* — Rally was shortened after stages were cancelled.
Results and standings
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers
Points are awarded to the top 10 classified finishers. There are also 3 bonus points awarded for Power Stage wins, 2 for second place and 1 for third.
FIA World Rally Championship for Co-Drivers
FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers
Footnotes
References
External links
Official website of the World Rally ChampionshipFIA World Rally Championship 2013at ewrc-results.com
{{Authority control
World Rally Championship seasons
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...