World Rally Championship

Delivering epic action across the globe since 1973, the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) continues to shine a spotlight on sustainability in 2025 while also placing a firm focus on safety and performance.

At the heart of the FIA WRC is the flagship Rally1 category, which came on stream in 2022. It sits at the top of the FIA Rally Pyramid and utilises regulations developed by the FIA in partnership with the competing manufacturers – Hyundai, M-Sport (Ford) and Toyota.

Using 100 per cent fossil-free fuel, Rally1 cars have been made lighter, simpler and more affordable for the 2025 season. Without the plug-in hybrid units deployed over the past three years, the minimum weight of the cars has been lowered from 1260 kilograms to 1180 kilograms. To maintain an equivalent power-to-weight ratio between the 2024 and 2025 Rally1 cars, the air restrictor size has been reduced from 36mm to 35mm.

Significantly, Rally1 cars have been developed from three very different vehicle types – B-Class, C-Class and Compact Crossover – in keeping with the philosophy of the regulations.

Major safety gains were also achieved in the design of Rally1 machinery by using a tubular safety cell – the result of months of intensive research and development – which reduces accident intrusion by up to 50 per cent.

The 2025 FIA WRC consists of 14 rounds in five continents with coveted titles up for grabs for drivers in Rally1, Rally2 and Rally3 cars, which are equipped with tyres from new official supplier, Hankook Tire. Four rounds run on asphalt, nine on gravel and one and ice and snow to underline the varied and thrilling nature of the challenge in store.

In the 2024 season, Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe clinched the FIA World Rally Championship title, while Toyota Gazoo Racing claimed the Manufacturers’ crown.

In WRC2, Sami Pajari and Enni Mälkönen emerged victorious, while Diego Dominguez and Rogelio Peñate claimed victory in WRC3. In the WRC Masters Cup, Armin and Ella Kremer took the title, and Romet Jürgenson secured the Junior WRC crown.

Titles up for grabs

FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers

FIA World Rally Championship for Co-Drivers

FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers

FIA World Rally Championship for Teams

FIA WRC2 Championship for Drivers

FIA WRC2 Championship for Co-Drivers

FIA WRC2 Challenger Championship for Drivers

FIA WRC2 Challenger Championship for Co-Drivers

FIA WRC2 Championship for Teams

FIA WRC Masters Cup for Drivers

FIA WRC Masters Cup for Co-Drivers

FIA WRC3 Championship for Drivers

FIA WRC3 Championship for Co-Drivers

FIA Junior WRC Championship for Drivers

FIA Junior WRC Championship for Co-Drivers

What’s new for 2025?

• To place a greater emphasis on winning events outright, while ensuring there’s still plenty to compete for on the Sunday of each rally, an updated points system has been developed for 2025. Points are allocated on a sliding scale of 25-17-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 to the top 10 classified finishers. A separate Sunday allocation of 5-4-3-2-1 rewards the top five according to the results of the final leg, while the fastest quintet on the Power Stage score 5-4-3-2-1 points. Having been able to bank a maximum of 30 points in 2024, a driver winning the rally, topping the Super Sunday order and going quickest on the Power Stage can secure 35 points in 2025.

• New official FIA WRC supplier Hankook Tire is providing its Ventus Z215 soft and super soft tyre with the i*Cept SR20 snow tyre also available with or without studs fitted for the early-season Rallye Monte-Carlo and Rally Sweden. The Dynapro tyre is for use on the gravel events.
• Contested over 14 rounds compared to the previous 13, the WRC visits the Spanish island of Gran Canaria, for Rally Islas Canarias, Paraguay and Saudi Arabia for the first time.
• EKO Acropolis Rally Greece returns to the late June slot it last occupied in 2005, while Delfi Rally Estonia is back after running as part of the FIA European Rally Championship in 2024.
• Rally del Paraguay’s inclusion means two rallies are being held in South America for the first time since 2019.
• The all-new Rally Saudi Arabia becomes the deciding round with Forum8 Rally Japan now the penultimate event of the year.
• A Remote Service Zone (RSZ) has been introduced as an alternative to the Remote Tyre Fitting Zone (TFZ). This provides WRC event organisers with greater flexibility in planning itineraries, helping to reduce road section distances or reach special stages that would otherwise be out of range.
• It also allows competitors and teams to carry out repairs or adjustments when there is no midday service schedule in an effort to keep more cars competing for longer.
• Three team members per crew are permitted to transport designated tools and spare parts to the RSZ and perform work alongside the crew within the zone.
• To enhance storytelling and provide more opportunities for media features, a competing crew carrying out repairs or adjustments to their car during a rally can receive physical assistance from another P1 crew entered under the same competitor licence and nominated to score points.
• As part of the regulation updates implemented around the future introduction of a service park ‘command centre’, the transmission of data between a team and a competing car or communication to/from the crew will be enabled through WRC Promoter for non-sporting purposes and controlled and administered by the FIA.  
  The FIA WRC’s Sporting Regulations have been updated to include the objectives of the FIA's approved environmental strategy and amended with the appropriate terminology.
• On every round, each Rally1 manufacturer must offer a passenger ride to a VIP or media guest in one of its P1 entries for the third pass of shakedown, rather than multiple cars as was the case previously. This is being done to increase the significance of each passenger ride.

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 SUPPORT CATEGORIES EXPLAINED

Support categories are contested at all FIA World Rally Championship rounds. Catering for different budgets and levels of experience, the support categories highlight the accessible nature of WRC events of all-comers.

FIA WRC2 Championship

• Flagship category for Rally2 cars on all 14 rounds of the season
• Drivers and co-drivers must be registered in WRC2 with the FIA
• Best six scores from seven nominated events are counted

FIA WRC2 Challenger Championship 

• Previous winners of the WRC2 or WRC3 titles (in Rally2 cars) cannot take part
• Drivers previously nominated for WRC manufacturer points also not eligible
• Best six scores from seven nominated events are considered

FIA WRC2 Championship for Teams

• Teams must be registered to compete in WRC2 with the FIA
• They must nominate two drivers on a maximum of seven events to score points
• Points scored on five out of six rounds in Europe are counted plus points scored on a bonus seventh event outside Europe

FIA WRC3 Open Championship

• Catering for Rally3 cars on all 14 rounds
• Open to drivers and co-drivers registered in WRC3 with the FIA
• Crews can nominate seven events on which to score points and count their best six results

FIA Junior WRC Championship

• Arrive-and-drive category providing an opportunity for young drivers to build experience and showcase their ability in Ford Fiesta Rally3 cars run by M-Sport Poland on Hankook tyres
• Drivers must register to compete in Junior WRC and sign the driver agreement
• They must have been born on or after 01/01/96
• Drivers who have competed with P1 status or nominated to score manufacturer points are not eligible

FIA WRC Masters Cup

• For drivers and co-drivers registered with the FIA born on or before 01/01/75
• As well as Rally2 cars, drivers can use Rally3, Rally4, Rally5, Rally5-Kit and RGT cars
• Points scored on six out of seven rounds can be counted

WRC2/WRC3 entry list lettering:

D = Drivers’ championship

C = Co-Drivers’ championship

T = Teams’ championship

CD = Challenger championship Drivers

CC = Challenger championship Co-Drivers

DM = Masters Cup Drivers

CM = Masters Cup Co-Drivers

J = Junior WRC Drivers/Co-Drivers

More information:

Click HERE for the Sporting Regulations and click HERE for the official WRC website