Rallying will play a central role at the FIA Motorsport Games 2024 when the event's third edition is staged in Valencia, Spain, between 23-27 October this year. Rally2, Rally4 and Historic Rally all return to feature expanded categories for 2024, while an exciting new All-Stars category will bring the world’s top rally drivers to compete in Spain.

The discipline became part of the Games at its second edition, staged in France during October 2022, when Rally2, Rally4 and Historic Rally were contested on a series of tarmac stages between Marseille and Toulon.
 
The Rally2 class caters for four-wheel-drive machinery, encouraging entrants from national and regional championships up to the premier FIA World Rally Championship. Two-wheel-drive Rally4 machinery is found in the FIA World Rally Championship, the FIA European Rally Championship, as well as national and regional championships. The Historic category combines excitement with nostalgia, as cars from 1970 through 1981 hit the stages.
 
In 2022, the first gold medal in Rally2 went to the host nation, Team France, as the crew of Mathieu Arzeno and Romain Roche prevailed in their Škoda Fabia. Rally4 was won by the Italian-liveried Peugeot 208 pairing of Roberto Daprà and Luca Guglielmetti, while Team Italy also celebrated gold in Historic Rally thanks to Andrea “Zippo” Zivian and Nicola Arena, who brought the iconic Audi Quattro to the event.
 
Following its successful debut the Rally discipline is set for a significant expansion at the third FIA Motorsport Games, where a total 10 gold medals will be up for grabs. Rally2, Rally4 and Historic Rally all remain part of the programme, with each now be split into three distinct categories: one comprising a mixed-surface itinerary, another focussed solely on gravel, and a third contested on tarmac.
 
The 10th category is Rally All-Stars, a brand-new addition to the programme which will compete on a mixed surface and award a single set of medals. Excitingly, this will open the FIA Motorsport Games to top-line FIA World Rally Championship drivers for the very first time.
 
Moreover, the expansion of the Rally discipline will ensure greater medal-winning prospects for a wider group of FIA National Sporting Authorities (ASN). While its popularity is undeniably global, rallying has strong roots in several regions that do not have a tradition of circuit racing. Oftentimes, this is due to terrain or climate, which makes rally competition more accessible. 

Carlos Sainz, the double FIA World Rally Champion and four-time Dakar Rally winner, believes that this expansion can have a positive impact on the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games.
 
"Rallying can be a little different depending on the country," explained Sainz. "Tarmac, for example, is not the most usual surface on continents like Africa and South America. The FIA Motorsport Games was created to concentrate, during a single weekend, all the motorsport activity worldwide," he continued. "For this, sporting regulations should encourage every country to be present, so I welcome this increase of categories, especially in rallying.”
 
Sainz also believes that the discipline will attract big crowds when the action takes place at Valencia’s Western Mountain and at Circuit Ricardo Tormo, both of which are close to the bustling Mediterranean city.
 
"Rally fans in Spain are very numerous and they will be out in big numbers on the road stages during the event,” said Sainz, who won on home soil in 1992 on his way to a second FIA World Rally title. “The FIA Motorsport Games in Valencia will be a great chance to enjoy the performances of drivers from all over the world competing for their national teams.”
 

FIA Road Sport Director Andrew Wheatley said: "Rallying will once again take centre stage at the FIA Motorsport Games 2024 in Valencia. With the return of Rally2, Rally4, and Historic Rally and the introduction of the thrilling All-Stars category, this year's edition promises to be more exciting than ever. 

“Female and male competitors from around the globe, representing their national ASN in modern and historic cars, will be joined by the world's top rally drivers to compete in Spain, showcasing the depth, talent and incredible diversity within the rallying community. We are proud to build on the success of the 2022 edition with new features and expanded categories, which reflect our commitment to promoting dynamic competition in rallying."

While each Rally category is unique, there are a handful of consistent rules across the discipline. In all cases, the driver must represent their own ASN but can compete alongside a co-driver of a different nationality.

In each category except for Rally All-Stars, drivers on the FIA Priority list are not eligible to compete. Rally All-Stars, meanwhile, is reserved for FIA Priority drivers who have won an FIA championship in the past five years, or are contracted to a manufacturer.

Each of the three Rally2 categories will be open to Rally 2 Cars, while drivers require the international licence ITC-R. The mixed surface category will comprise 12 stages – six gravel, six tarmac – plus two Super Special Stages and the deciding Medal Stage. The tarmac category will play out over six stages plus a Super Special Stage and the Medal Stage, while the gravel category will consist of six regular stages, one Super Special, and finally the Medal Stage.
 
Rally2 Roll of Honour
2022: Mathieu Arzeno & Romain Roche (Team France)

Rally4 is open to Rally 4 cars homologated after 1 January 2019, as well as R2 cars homologated before 31 December 2018. Drivers must hold at least the international licence ITD-R. The mixed-surface contest will consist of six gravel stages and six on tarmac, as well as two Super Special Stages and a Medal Stage. Both the Tarmac category and Gravel category will run across six stages plus a Super Special and a Medal Stage.
 
Rally4 Roll of Honour
2022: Roberto Daprà & Luca Guglielmetti (Team Italy)

Historic Rally is open to a range of machinery homologated between 1970 and 1981. In all cases, cars must hold a valid FIA HTP (Historic Technical Passport) and comply with FIA Appendix K. As for drivers, they require at least the international licence ITD-R. The mixed surface category will comprise 12 stages – six tarmac, six gravel – plus two Super Special Stages and the Medal Stage. The tarmac category will play out over six stages plus a Super Special Stage and the Medal Stage, while the gravel category will consist of six stages, one Super Special, and the Medal Stage.
 
Rally Historic Roll of Honour
2022: Andrea “Zippo” Zivian & Nicola Arena (Team Italy)

Rally All-Stars marks an exciting new addition for the FIA Motorsport Games. The category will be open to Rally 2 cars, while drivers must hold an International Licence ITC-R and be on the FIA Priority list. This will mean that Rally All-Stars features the world’s leading competitors – including those from the prestigious FIA World Rally Championship. The mixed itinerary consists of six stages on gravel and six on tarmac, as well as two Super Specials and the Medal Stage. The Medal Stage is a three-car battle with each car simultaneously completing a loop of each of the three separate sections of the stage at Circuit Ricardo Tormo.