The World Rally Championship’s new factors system, that’s sophisticated upon first look, has divided opinion within the service park and amongst followers. A number of drivers voiced their criticism of the revamp within the lead as much as the rally, with the most typical gripes being that it’s too sophisticated and devalues the victory. Each opinions are after all legitimate, however these might definitely change in time.
The brand new system successfully splits a WRC occasion into two, and is designed to create extra pleasure on the ultimate day of rallies the place drivers up to now have cruised persevering tyres for the Energy Stage. Persevering with from final 12 months, a most of 30 factors might be scored by a crew and the winner of the occasion is decided on general time from begin to end.
What’s new is the actual fact factors at the moment are distributed otherwise, with a scale of 18-15-13-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 awarded to the highest 10 on the finish of Saturday, however solely to these crews who attain the end on Sunday. Softly launched beneath the banner of ‘Tremendous Sunday’ in Monte Carlo, the ultimate day now affords up a separate factors allocation [7-6-5-4-3-2-1] to the highest seven quickest crews throughout Sunday’s phases. That is along with the 5-4-3-2-1 in play for the rally-ending Energy Stage.
Did it have an effect in Monte Carlo?
The brief reply is sure. Nevertheless it didn’t have the unfavorable affect some drivers had been fearing. The winner of the rally, Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, did depart the occasion with probably the most factors.
PLUS: The new WRC highs Neuville reached to defeat Monte master Ogier
Below the brand new system, there may be the prospect the place the occasion winner might depart with much less factors than one other driver. Autosport has utilized the 2024 factors system to final 12 months’s rallies and this circumstance didn’t eventuate, however in Chile final 12 months winner Ott Tanak and runner-up Neuville would have left the occasion with the identical factors.
In Monte Carlo, Neuville topped the standings each on Saturday and Sunday night, in addition to successful the Energy Stage to attain an ideal rating. Apparently, the prospect of Saturday factors did play an element in Neuville pushing to attain that prime place on the day’s ultimate stage.
Photograph by: McKlein / Motorsport Images
Considerations that the rally winner may not rating probably the most factors had been abated by Neuville’s excellent displaying
“Yeah for positive, it was in my thoughts,” he mentioned. “The factors you are taking are taken and no one can take them away, so that’s one thing we are going to all the time have to recollect on the Saturday. For the lead it’s three factors completely different, so it’s actually vital.”
By way of the championship, the system has diminished the gaps between drivers. Neuville has a six-point lead over Sebastien Ogier and 9 over Elfyn Evans heading into Sweden. If the {old} system was utilized, Neuville could be main Ogier by eight and Evans by 13 factors.
A quirk of the system did eventuate in Monte Carlo as Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta completed the rally seventh behind Hyundai’s Andreas Mikkelsen, however scored three extra factors than the Norwegian. Katsuta was one of many beneficiaries after shedding 5 minutes on Friday to an off that put him properly down the order. He picked up 4 factors on Saturday, two on Sunday and three Energy Stage factors.
“We did have a little bit of a miserable second after we had our technique assembly the place we principally got here to the conclusion that it was higher off not going for the win” Cyril Abiteboul
It must be acknowledged nevertheless that the proviso for drivers to attain extra factors regardless of ending behind a rival already existed with the bonus factors supplied on the Energy Stage.
M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster additionally left with a degree which he claimed on Sunday, regardless of retiring from the rally on Saturday.
What was the decision from groups and drivers?
The jury could be very a lot nonetheless out and lots of are nonetheless to be satisfied by the brand new factors system. Evans has been among the many most vocal sharing his displeasure, though in Monte Carlo he really benefitted from it. The Welshman picked up 21 factors after ending Sunday second quickest, a efficiency which in 2023 would have yielded 17 factors, however he’s nonetheless not a fan of the idea.
“I suppose this time this new factors system has been sort, however I’m positive there are some losers on the system as properly. Much less mentioned about that the higher,” Evans instructed Autosport.
Photograph by: McKlein / Motorsport Images
Regardless of having fun with a diminished hole to Neuville than would have been the case beneath the {old} guidelines, Evans stays unconvinced
“It’s important to give it some thought. As a result of if we weren’t within the place we had been and there are new factors out there, we might have gone round to get third and that will have been the case. However I suppose somebody has obtained their want on that. It’s important to danger loads.
When requested if it has solved the Sunday format, he added. “Probably sure, however I believe it might have been solved in a neater and extra honest manner.”
Profitable Hyundai crew principal Cyril Abiteboul has been amongst these championing change throughout the WRC, however admitted that he nonetheless has considerations.
“I will likely be biased in my reply as the final word end result labored out for us, however it’s true that we did have a little bit of a miserable second after we had our technique assembly the place we principally got here to the conclusion that it was higher off not going for the win,” Abiteboul instructed Autosport.
“When a driver like Thierry within the automobile that he had and our group of individuals all come to that conclusion, it does say that there’s something that’s not precisely proper. Once more, the precept is nice and we had excellent motion on Sunday not only for the 2 main automobiles and I believe that’s good. However the prospect you might be higher off not successful a rally does say that it isn’t precisely proper. I believe the excellent news is it isn’t essentially an enormous factor to repair.”
Toyota boss Jari-Matti Latvala felt the factors system labored acceptably in Monte Carlo, however is reserving judgement till extra occasions have been run.
“I believe it has been working fairly okay at this occasion,” mentioned Latvala. “However when the rally finishes you possibly can’t calculate every thing in your head. Apart from that, I believe it has been working okay.”
Photograph by: Toyota Racing
Latvala believes extra rallies must be accomplished to construct a fuller image of how the principles adjustments will affect issues
Might adjustments be made to it sooner or later?
Following the discharge of the brand new factors system, the FIA issued a press release in December final 12 months confirming that “the affect of the adjustments to the factors system will likely be reviewed and monitored over the course of the upcoming season to permit for changes wherever obligatory”.
In concept adjustments might occur, however it could require a unanimous determination amongst stakeholders. In response to FIA deputy president Robert Reid, tweaks would solely be made if the system proves to be a “full catastrophe”.
“The World Motor Sport Council obtained the proposal from the WRC Fee and the world council questioned the complexity and had been instructed that was what the fee and the producers needed, so the world council mentioned ‘okay the specialists, the fee, says that may make a distinction’, so we had been blissful to go together with that,” Reid instructed Autosport on the Monte Carlo ceremonial begin.
“This went by means of a system of numerous stakeholders and everybody was allowed to analyse it and that is now as much as us, all of us, to present it an opportunity. Let’s have a look at what occurs” Simon Larkin
“We will at any level [make changes] however I don’t assume it’s notably honest to alter the principles midway by means of the competitors. If it’s a full catastrophe then for positive, however it’s a bit irritating when the FIA will get criticised for one thing they’d no half in apart from ratifying what the specialists mentioned was wanted.”
What must occur to benefit from the system?
There’s a sturdy case that the brand new factors system will enhance the motion on Sundays. Monte Carlo supplied a small style of what might occur this 12 months, and the prospect of a a lot tighter all-round championship battle. There are after all some loopholes that would come up the place motion could must be taken.
Finally the success of this factors system will come right down to how the WRC can educate its present viewers and interact a brand new fanbase. To be honest to the WRC and the a number of media shops protecting the championship, there have been enormous strides made to tell and educate.
Whereas the WRC TV commentators did a wonderful job to elucidate the system, the tv protection might have benefitted from graphics and a dwell factors tracker on Sunday to assist followers perceive and create a bit extra intrigue and pleasure from this ‘Tremendous Sunday’ format. The WRC Promoter is absolutely conscious that it wants to teach its viewers, however stands by its determination to implement the format within the first place.
Photograph by: M-Sport
WRC Promoter is standing by its logic for introducing the brand new guidelines that allowed Munster to gather a degree for his tempo on Sunday
“That is the regulation, we are going to push it and we are going to educate with every thing we are able to to make the followers come on aspect with it. That is our job,” mentioned WRC occasion director Simon Larkin.
“This went by means of a system of numerous stakeholders and everybody was allowed to analyse it and that is now as much as us, all of us, to present it an opportunity. Let’s have a look at what occurs.
“There have been numerous simulations performed by groups, us, even the FIA themselves. Is it more likely to have an effect on the end result of the championship? Most likely not. Can it affect on the story that may be instructed on an event-by-event-by-event foundation? Completely. There was numerous speak if it impacts on the credibility of the game. We do not assume so.”
Change was wanted to enhance the WRC occasion format, so the powers that be deserve credit score for making a courageous determination to try to enhance the championship. Solely time will inform how profitable this one will likely be.
What this Tremendous Sunday format has created is a platform that would have interaction with a brand new viewers, however the issue is making it seen. Presently, for probably the most half WRC protection is behind the paywall and providers the already initiated. It’s simpler mentioned than performed, however investing within the product by streaming the Sunday motion at no cost on social media for 12 months might pay dividends for the long run.
Turning Sunday successfully right into a dash rally makes it simple for informal followers to grasp and digest. It’s going to additionally most definitely be action-packed. It might persuade an off-the-cuff fan to hitch the devoted WRC fanbase, which is probably extra vital within the present local weather than infinite debates over the deserves of its daring swap up.
Photograph by: Austral / Hyundai Motorsport
Does extra must be performed to leverage the Tremendous Sunday format to extend eyes on the WRC?