List of World Rally Championship Drivers' champions

The World Rally Championship (WRC) is a rallying series administered by Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body.[1] The series currently consists of 13 three-day events driven on surfaces that range from gravel and tarmac to snow and ice. Each rally is split into 15–25 special stages, which are run against the clock on closed roads. The WRC was formed from well-known and popular international rallies, most of which had previously been part of the European Rally Championship and/or the International Championship for Manufacturers; the series was first contested in 1973.[2] The drivers' championship was first awarded in 1977 and 1978 as an FIA Cup for Drivers title, to Sandro Munari and Markku Alén, respectively. The first official world champion in rallying was Björn Waldegård in 1979.[3]

Sébastien Loeb has won the World Drivers' Championship a record nine times in a row.

Each season normally consists of 12 to 16 rallies driven on surfaces ranging from gravel and tarmac to snow and ice. Points from these events are calculated towards the drivers', co-drivers' and manufacturers' world championships. The driver's championship and manufacturer's championship are separate championships, but are based on the same point system. In the current points system, points are awarded at the end of each rally to the top ten WRC (overall) drivers that qualify as follows: 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1. In addition to those points, from 2011 each event holds 1 special stage, the Power Stage, in which drivers and co-drivers can score extra points – currently awarded to five fastest drivers (5, 4, 3, 2, 1). [4]

Sébastien Loeb holds the record for the most drivers' championships, winning nine during his career.[5] He also holds the record for the most championships won in a row; he won his nine titles consecutively from 2004 to 2012.[6] Sébastien Ogier is second with eight. Kalle Rovanperä is the youngest world champion; he was 22 years old when he won the 2022 World Rally Championship.[7] French drivers have won the most titles with 18 championships between 3 drivers. Finland are second with 16 championships between 8 different drivers. Citroën cars have won the most drivers' championships with nine titles, all of them with Loeb.

Colin McRae, winner of the 1995 World Rally Championship
Petter Solberg won the World Rally Championship in 2003.
Podiums The number of times the champion finished in the top three in a rally
Margin The margin of points by which the champion defeated the runner-up(s)

Winners

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By season

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List of World Rally Championship Drivers' champions
Season Country Driver Car Wins Podiums Points[a] Margin
1977   Italy Sandro Munari[b] Lancia Stratos HF 3 4 31 1
1978   Finland Markku Alén[b][c] Fiat 131 Abarth 4 8 52 21
1979   Sweden Björn Waldegård[d] Ford Escort RS1800 2 7 112 1
1980   West Germany Walter Röhrl Fiat 131 Abarth 4 6 118 54
1981   Finland Ari Vatanen Ford Escort RS1800 3 5 96 7
1982   West Germany Walter Röhrl Opel Ascona 400 2 8 109 12
1983   Finland Hannu Mikkola Audi Quattro A1/A2 4 7 125 23
1984   Sweden Stig Blomqvist Audi Quattro A2/Sport Quattro 5 6 125 21
1985   Finland Timo Salonen Peugeot 205 T16/E2 5 8 127 52
1986   Finland Juha Kankkunen Peugeot 205 T16 E2 3 6 118 14
1987   Finland Juha Kankkunen Lancia Delta HF 4WD 2 5 100 6
1988   Italy Miki Biasion Lancia Delta HF 4WD/integrale 5 6 115 29
1989   Italy Miki Biasion Lancia Delta integrale 16v 5 5 106 41
1990   Spain Carlos Sainz Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 4 9 140 45
1991   Finland Juha Kankkunen Lancia Delta HF integrale 16v 5 7 150 7
1992   Spain Carlos Sainz Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD 4 8 144 10
1993   Finland Juha Kankkunen Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD 5 7 135 23
1994   France Didier Auriol Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD 3 6 116 17
1995   United Kingdom Colin McRae Subaru Impreza 555 2 5 90 5
1996   Finland Tommi Mäkinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III 5 6 123 31
1997   Finland Tommi Mäkinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV 4 9 63 1
1998   Finland Tommi Mäkinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV/Evolution V 5 7 58 2
1999   Finland Tommi Mäkinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI 4 7 62 7
2000   Finland Marcus Grönholm Peugeot 206 WRC 4 7 65 5
2001   United Kingdom Richard Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 2001 1 6 44 2
2002   Finland Marcus Grönholm Peugeot 206 WRC 5 9 77 40
2003   Norway Petter Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 2003 4 7 72 1
2004   France Sébastien Loeb Citroën Xsara WRC 6 12 118 36
2005   France Sébastien Loeb Citroën Xsara WRC 10 13 127 56
2006   France Sébastien Loeb Citroën Xsara WRC 8 12 112 1
2007   France Sébastien Loeb Citroën C4 WRC 8 13 116 4
2008   France Sébastien Loeb Citroën C4 WRC 11 13 122 19
2009   France Sébastien Loeb Citroën C4 WRC 7 9 93 1
2010   France Sébastien Loeb Citroën C4 WRC 8 13 276 105
2011   France Sébastien Loeb Citroën DS3 WRC 5 9 222 8
2012   France Sébastien Loeb Citroën DS3 WRC 9 10 270 57
2013   France Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC 9 11 290 114
2014   France Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC 8 10 267 49
2015   France Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC 8 10 263 80
2016   France Sébastien Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC 6 11 268 108
2017   France Sébastien Ogier Ford Fiesta WRC 2 9 232 24
2018   France Sébastien Ogier Ford Fiesta WRC 4 6 219 18
2019   Estonia Ott Tänak Toyota Yaris WRC 6 9 263 36
2020   France Sébastien Ogier Toyota Yaris WRC 2 5 122 8
2021   France Sébastien Ogier Toyota Yaris WRC 5 7 230 23
2022   Finland Kalle Rovanperä Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 6 7 237 64
2023   Finland Kalle Rovanperä Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 3 8 250 34

* Season still in progress.

By driver

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Nine-time champion Sébastien Loeb and his co-driver Daniel Elena
 
Sébastien Ogier has the second most drivers' titles with eight.
 
Tommi Mäkinen won four World Rally Championships.
List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions by driver
Driver Total Seasons
  Sébastien Loeb 9 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
  Sébastien Ogier 8 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021
  Juha Kankkunen 4 1986, 1987, 1991, 1993
  Tommi Mäkinen 4 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
  Walter Röhrl 2 1980, 1982
  Miki Biasion 2 1988, 1989
  Carlos Sainz 2 1990, 1992
  Marcus Grönholm 2 2000, 2002
  Kalle Rovanperä 2 2022, 2023
  Sandro Munari 1 1977
  Markku Alén 1 1978
  Björn Waldegård 1 1979
  Ari Vatanen 1 1981
  Hannu Mikkola 1 1983
  Stig Blomqvist 1 1984
  Timo Salonen 1 1985
  Didier Auriol 1 1994
  Colin McRae 1 1995
  Richard Burns 1 2001
  Petter Solberg 1 2003
  Ott Tänak 1 2019

By nationality

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Marcus Grönholm, the seventh Finnish world champion
List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions by nationality
Country Drivers Total
wins
  France 3 18
  Finland 8 16
  Italy 2 3
  United Kingdom 2 2
  Sweden 2 2
  West Germany 1 2
  Spain 1 2
  Norway 1 1
  Estonia 1 1

By manufacturer

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Markku Alén driving a Lancia Delta HF 4WD in 1987. Rally versions of the Delta brought Lancia four drivers' titles.

Privateers counted as manufacturers.

List of World Rally Championship Drivers' champions by manufacturer
Manufacturer Total
  Citroën 9
  Toyota 9
  Lancia 5
  Ford 4
  Mitsubishi 4
  Peugeot 4
  Volkswagen 4
  Subaru 3
  Audi 2
  Fiat 2
  Opel 1

Notes

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  1. ^ Until 1997, only a certain number (seven, eight or nine) of a driver's best results counted towards the championship. The points column lists the points counted in the championship.[8]
  2. ^ a b In 1977 and 1978, the drivers' championships was the FIA Cup for Drivers.[9]
  3. ^ Alén drove a Lancia Stratos HF at the Rallye Sanremo and at the Lombard RAC Rally.[10]
  4. ^ Waldegård drove a Mercedes 450 SLC 5.0 at the endurance rallies; the Safari Rally and the Rallye Côte d'Ivoire.[11]

References

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General

Specific

  1. ^ "About FIA". FIA. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
  2. ^ "What is WRC?". World Rally Championship. Archived from the original on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  3. ^ "The WRC's greatest drivers". World Rally Championship. 23 July 2008. Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  4. ^ Rule changes summary juwra.com
  5. ^ "Loeb clinches eighth title". Sky Sports. 12 November 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  6. ^ "Hirvonen's exit hands eighth straight world title to Loeb". CNN. 11 November 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  7. ^ Howard, Tom (2 October 2022). "WRC New Zealand: Rovanpera clinches history making world title with victory". Autosport. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  8. ^ "1997 – Subaru". Subaru. Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
  9. ^ Hope-Frost, Henry; Davenport, John (2004). The Complete Book of the World Rally Championship. MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company. p. 13. ISBN 0-7603-1954-5.
  10. ^ Hope-Frost & Davenport 2004, pp. 13–14
  11. ^ "Björn Waldegård". Rally Base. Retrieved 10 December 2008.

See also

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