Having spent months shrouded in secrecy and concealment, the new generation of spectacular and aggressive looking World Rally Cars are poised to make their debut competitive outing in just a few days. Citroën, M-Sport, Hyundai and Toyota will each launch the challengers they hope will steal the show throughout the 13-round series that kicks off at the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo (16-22 January).

The new technical regulations, along with the dramatic aero package that will adorn the cars, will set these World Rally Cars apart from their predecessors and are sure to increase competition between the manufacturers, each having strived to push the boundaries and gain any small advantage in their individual and distinctive designs. A shuffle-up in some of the driver line-ups will also add potency to the mix, not least as reigning FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier takes #1 on to the M-Sport Fiesta WRC after four years of domination with Volkswagen. New manufacturers and regulations, all-new cars and crews in different teams; the season ahead looks to be the most open in years.

Rallye Monte-Carlo remains the jewel in the sport’s crown and is the oldest rally in the world, established in 1911 originally to promote Monte-Carlo as a tourist destination with competitors starting from different European cities before gathering in Monaco. While classed as an asphalt event, its winter slot in the calendar almost guarantees unpredictable conditions and a tricky mix of dry and wet asphalt, snow and ice in the French mountains can be expected. Gambling on tyre choices that provide the best compromise for all these conditions - potentially all in the same stage - is an art form that also tests drivers’ abilities to read the road and manage pace and tyre wear throughout an entire stage, or loop of stages.

Behind the leading WRC crews, competition in the FIA WRC 2 Championship will be fierce. Still seeking a top-level seat, Andreas Mikkelsen will compete in Škoda’s R5 machinery in Monte-Carlo and while the former VW driver looks to be the favourite in the category, he will be up against some formidable rivals, including Frenchman Bryan Bouffier who won the event when it was a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. The FIA WRC 3 Championship contenders are also back in action in their two-wheel drive machinery, one driver has entered the new FIA WRC Trophy and four crews will contest the popular RGT category in Porsche and Abarth machinery.

Before any of the action gets underway, however, the WRC Season Opening celebration will kick off the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship in Monaco on Thursday afternoon.

THE 2017 ROUTE

To mark the start of a new era in the FIA World Rally Championship, the Automobile Club de Monaco has also redesigned its route with no less than 85% of it being new for the 85th edition of this legendary event. After the start in Monte-Carlo’s Casino Square on Thursday evening, crews immediately head to two night stages en-route back to the service park in Gap. Two loops of three stages to the north form the lengthiest day of competition on Friday and an equally gruelling day awaits on Saturday with a new-look loop of stages. This year crews will service in Gap on Saturday night before driving to the Principality of Monaco for the overnight halt and Parc Fermé. Sunday may only cover just over 50 kilometres of competition, but with only a tyre fitting zone, daunting stages and potentially inclement weather and road conditions, the two runs over these two stages – including the famous Col de Turini – are sure to keep the crews on their toes. The traditional prize-giving then takes place in front of Monaco’s Place du Palais Princier, one of the highlights of the season.

Three stages will be broadcast live on television; SS1 on Thursday evening, SS12 on Saturday and the closing Power Stage on Sunday (SS17).

WHAT WE SAID…

“This is the start of a really exciting new chapter in the FIA World Rally Championship and it’s going to be fascinating to see how each of the cars perform and which drivers can adapt and get the most out of a totally new package. And all of this on Rallye Monte-Carlo, one of the trickiest events on the calendar,” said Jarmo Mahonen, FIA Rally Director. “The sport has moved though some great times and this year’s Rallye Monte-Carlo marks the 50th anniversary win by my fellow Finn Rauno Aaltonen. Looking back it seems incredible he and his 1275cc Mini Cooper S with barely a quarter of the power of the current cars completed a 3,000 kilometre, 50-hour non-stop concentration run before even starting nearly 2,000 kilometres of what we would now consider to be ‘the event’! Times have changed a lot, but the one consistent thing is that it has never ever been easy to win Rallye Monte-Carlo with its enormously challenging conditions.”

RALLY DATA

MEDIA ACCREDITATION

The Accreditation Centre is located at the Centre Omnisport COSEC, Avenue de Traunstein, Gap. The opening hours are:

RALLYE MONTE-CARLO TIMETABLE AND MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES ORGANISED BY THE FIA

FIA PRESS CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE

MANUFACTURER ENTRIES, RALLYE MONTE-CARLO

ADDITIONAL MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES 

Autograph Signing Session: On Friday and Saturday selected crews will be available for a 15 minute autograph session. This will take place in the service park during the end of day service at the teams’ service areas. 

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS

The provisional classifications for all the WRC Championships can be found on the following link:

http://www.fia.com/events/world-rally-championship/season-2017/standings

STAGE CHART

Shortly after the finish of the event, a downloadable stage chart showing the progressive positions of the leading crews during the rally will be available. This is copyright free for editorial purposes and available at the following link:

http://www.fia.com/events/world-rally-championship/season-2017/stage-chart-12