The 2025 FIA World Rally Championship is a planned motorsport season that will be the fifty-third occurrence of the World Rally Championship, an international rallying series organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and WRC Promoter GmbH. Teams and crews compete for the World Rally Championships for Drivers, Co-drivers and Manufacturers. Crews are free to compete in cars complying with Groups Rally1 to Rally5 regulations; however, only manufacturers competing with Rally1 cars are eligible to score points in the manufacturers' championship. The championship is set to begin in January 2025 with the Monte Carlo Rally and conclude in November 2025 with the calendar newcomer Rally Saudi Arabia. The series is supported by the WRC2 and WRC3 categories at every round of the championship and by Junior WRC at selected events.
Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe are the reigning drivers' and co-drivers' champions, having secured their first championship titles at the 2024 Rally Japan. Toyota are the defending manufacturers' champions.
Calendar
edit
The 2025 season is scheduled to be contested over fourteen rounds crossing Europe, Africa, South America and Asia.
| Round | Start date | Finish date | Rally | Rally headquarters | Surface | Stages | Distance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 January | 26 January |  Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo
|
Gap, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France | Mixed[a] | 18 | 344.01 km | [1] |
| 2 | 13 February | 16 February |  Rally Sweden
|
Umeå, Västerbotten County, Sweden | Snow | 18 | 301.16 km | [2] |
| 3 | 20 March | 23 March |  Safari Rally Kenya
|
Nairobi, Nakuru County, Kenya | Gravel | TBA | TBA | |
| 4 | 24 April | 27 April |  Rally Islas Canarias
|
Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain | Tarmac | 18 | 308.50 km | [3] |
| 5 | 15 May | 18 May |  Rally de Portugal
|
Matosinhos, Porto, Portugal | Gravel | TBA | TBA | |
| 6 | 5 June | 8 June |  Rally Italia Sardegna
|
Olbia, Sardinia, Italy | Gravel | TBA | TBA | |
| 7 | 26 June | 29 June |  Acropolis Rally Greece
|
Lamia, Central Greece, Greece | Gravel | TBA | TBA | |
| 8 | 17 July | 20 July |  Rally Estonia
|
Tartu, Tartu County, Estonia | Gravel | TBA | TBA | |
| 9 | 31 July | 3 August |  Rally Finland
|
Jyväskylä, Central Finland, Finland | Gravel | TBA | TBA | |
| 10 | 28 August | 31 August |  Rally del Paraguay
|
Encarnación, Itapúa, Paraguay | Gravel | TBA | TBA | |
| 11 | 11 September | 14 September |  Rally Chile
|
Concepción, Biobío, Chile | Gravel | TBA | TBA | |
| 12 | 16 October | 19 October |  Central European Rally
|
Bad Griesbach, Bavaria, Germany | Tarmac | TBA | TBA | |
| 13 | 6 November | 9 November |  Rally Japan
|
Toyota, Aichi, Japan | Tarmac | TBA | TBA | |
| 14 | 27 November | 30 November |  Rally Saudi Arabia
|
Jeddah, Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia | Gravel | TBA | TBA | |
| Sources:[4][5] | ||||||||
Calendar changes
editThe calendar was expanded to fourteen rounds, including five flyaway events.[6] This was originally planned for the 2024 season,[7] but WRC Promoter GmbH retained the total of thirteen events in the hopes of attracting more Rally1 entries.[8]
- Rally Estonia is set to return to the championship after missing the 2024 season.[9] The event is due to replace Rally Latvia on the calendar.[10]
- Rally Islas Canarias is due to be promoted from the European Rally Championship and become a World Championship event under a two-year deal.[11] The event is planned to be run on tarmac roads.[12]
- Rally Saudi Arabia is due to join the championship in 2025 as their orgainsers signed a ten-year contract with WRC Promoter GmbH.[13] The rally is planned to be based in Jeddah, and be run as the season finale.[14]
- Rally Paraguay is set to become a WRC event from 2025 after signing a multi-year deal, making Paraguay the thirty-eighth nation to host a WRC championship round.[15]
- The Croatia Rally will not be featured on the calendar for the first time since the event joined the championship in 2021.[16] However, the event is set to return in 2026.[17]
- Rally Poland will also be removed from the calendar after making a one-year return to the championship in 2024.[18]
Contracted crews
editThe following manufacturers are set to contest the championship under Rally1 regulations.[19]
In detail
editHyundai team chief Cyril Abiteboul confirmed that Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja will continue driving for their team in 2025.[20] Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe extended their contract for one year with the team.[21]
Toyota retained the crew of Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen, who are due to return full-time after they contested a partial season in 2024.[22] They are set to join the crew of Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin and of Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston as the team's full-time competitors.[23] Newly-crowned WRC2 champion Sami Pajari, who ran selected races with the team in 2024, was signed with a full-time programme with the team.[24] However, he would be joined with a new co-driver following the departure of Enni Mälkönen at the end of last season.[25] Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais would continue to run a partial season with the team.
Regulation changes
editTechnical regulations
edit
South Korean tyre manufacturer Hankook will become the official tyre supplier of the championship, providing tyres to all entrants of four wheel drive cars.[26] The company replaces Pirelli, who supplied tyres to the championship between 2021 and 2024.[27] Under the terms of the agreement, Hankook will supply tyres until the end of the 2027 championship.[28]
Rally1 cars will no longer use the hybrid system introduced in 2022, and subsquently the minimum weight of the cars and the width of the air intake will be reduced to compensate for the change so that cars maintain the same power-to-weight ratio that they had with the hybrid system.[29] The decision was made when teams expressed concerns about the increasing costs of repairing them.[30]
Notes
edit- ^ The Monte Carlo Rally is run on a tarmac and snow surface.
References
edit- ^ "Itinerary Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo 2025". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ "Itinerary Rally Sweden 2025". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "Itinerary Rally Islas Canarias 2025". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "WRC reveals spectacular expanded 2025 calendar". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "WRC reveals spectacular expanded 2025 calendar". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ Howard, Tom (4 July 2024). "WRC set to expand to 14 rounds for 2025 campaign". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ Howard, Tom (19 May 2023). "WRC closing in on 14-round 2024 calendar". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ Barry, Luke (15 August 2023). "WRC to unveil 13-round 2024 calendar before Greece". dirtfish.com. DirtFish. Archived from the original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ Cole, Michael (23 November 2023). "European Rally Championship set for Estonia in 2024 as WRC returns in 2025". balticnews.com. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ Howard, Tom (23 June 2024). "WRC adds Paraguay to 2025 calendar in multi-year deal". Autosport. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ Brittle, Cian (12 March 2024). "Rally Islas Canarias agrees two-year deal to join WRC calendar". blackbookmotorsport.com. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ Evans, David (11 March 2024). "Canary islands WRC slot for 2025". dirtfish.com. DirtFish. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ Howard, Tom (2 June 2024). "WRC signs 10-year deal to host Saudi Arabia round". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ Evans, David (1 June 2024). "Saudi Arabia confirmed as WRC round for 2025". dirtfish.com. DirtFish. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ Lindsay, Alasdair (23 June 2024). "Paraguay joins WRC calendar from 2025". dirtfish.com. DirtFish. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ Howard, Tom (20 July 2024). "Croatia Rally confirms absence from 2025 WRC schedule". Autosport. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ Howard, Tom (15 November 2024). "Croatia strikes new deal to rejoin WRC in 2026". Autosport. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- ^ Howard, Tom (27 April 2024). "WRC working on Croatia renewal, Poland a one-off". Autosport. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ "WRC manufacturers confirm three-year hybrid agreement". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ^ Malk, Regina (28 July 2024). "Ott Tänak jätkab Hyundai tiimis 2025. aastal". saartehaal.postimees.ee (in Estonian). Postimees. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Neuville signs extended WRC deal with Hyundai". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
- ^ "Partial programme will help me 'recharge' for full-time return, says Kalle Rovanperä". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "Pajari promoted as Toyota reveals 2025 WRC roster". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 25 November 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ Evans, David (25 November 2024). "Toyota signs Pajari for fourth full-time 2025 seat". dirtfish.com. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ Barry, Luke (24 November 2024). "Pajari and co-driver Mälkönen end their partnership". dirtfish.com. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ "Hankook wins WRC tyre tender". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 6 December 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ "Pirelli won't bid for WRC tire supply contract". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 19 September 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ Bowen, James (6 December 2023). "Hankook to become WRC tire supplier from 2025". dirtfish.com. DirtFish. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ Thukral, Rachit (15 November 2024). "WRC drops hybrid power as part of 2025 Rally1 refresh". Autosport. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- ^ Evans, David (16 November 2024). "Hybrid removed from Rally1 cars for 2025". dirtfish.com. DirtFish. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
External links
edit- Official website (in English, French, and Spanish)
- FIA World Rally Championship 2025 at eWRC-results.com