FIA-FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: SEASON 2, A DREAM LINE UP
After the successful launch of the W2RC in 2022, all the major bike and car rally-raid stars have confirmed their presence for season 2. It is a dream line up that will compete for the 2023 titles.
In the cars: Peterhansel, Sainz, Ekström and Chicherit join Al Attiyah, Loeb and Al Rajhi. All the big names are now entered in a championship that has just gone up a notch.
The cards have also been extensively reshuffled in T3 and T4 with new technical alliances, the arrival of the young revelations from season 1 racing the entire calendar and the return of two major manufacturers: Polaris and Yamaha.
In the FIM category, almost all the riders and manufacturers involved in RallyGP in 2022 are back. In Rally2, the route to the top level is being structured with teams banking on the future generation.
Barely crowned with the first W2RC laurels at the traditional FIA and FIM awards ceremonies this month, the 2022 world champions and winners of the different categories will be putting their titles on the line as of the next Dakar. The first of the five rounds of the 2023 W2RC calendar is about to reveal the new stakes, starting with the cars...
The drama of top-flight competition
The Dakar is the highlight of the season. Only a few top competitors have what it takes to win it. The winners bask in the warm glow of victory, while the also-rans are sometimes left with a bitter taste in their mouths. The new format of the world championships will keep a prestigious goal in their sights throughout the year, with intermediate rounds that can turn the championship on its head and spark duels or full-blown battles. A total of five rounds will decide the winners of the World Championship in its inaugural edition. The riders, drivers and crews at the top of the final general standings will be crowned world champions in the motorbike and car categories. The results achieved during the season will also have an impact on the World Constructors' Championship, again with one prize per category.
Harmonised regulations and the pursuit of zero emissions
The discussions among the Dakar sporting teams, the FIA and the FIM has led to the result that all the stakeholders in rally raids wanted. For example, the specifications that govern the various classes and categories are now perfectly aligned, following a painstaking process of combing through each organisation's regulations to draw up joint texts. Harmonisation makes life easier for tuners, constructors, riders, drivers and crews. Furthermore, sporting arbitrage rules will be more transparent for everyone.
A great deal of thought has gone into putting rally raid on a path towards lower carbon emissions. This has been the guiding principle for the launch of the T1-Ultimate category for cars and trucks, which puts the spotlight on the constructors at the vanguard of the energy transition. The plain aims to have no fossil fuel cars on the start line by 2030 and to pursue all potential avenues of research to curb the emissions of vehicles in the other categories.
Calendar
In 2023, the maiden edition of the new format World Championships will comprise five rallies. The regulations also make a distinction between "marathon events" with more than 10 days of racing and shorter rallies which, for obvious reasons, will award fewer points.
- Dakar (SAU) : 31/12/2022 > 15/01/2023
- Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (ARE) : 26/02/2023 > 03/03/2023
- Sonora Rally (MEX) : 22/04/2023 > 28/04/2023
- Desafio Ruta 40 (ARG) : 26/08/2023 > 01/09/2023
- Rallye du Maroc (MAR) : 12/10/2023 > 18/10/2023
FIA points scale
The standings will change according to the results of each stage and the overall outcome. The points awarded for stages will not be added to the tally unless the riders, drivers or crews remain in the race until the finish. However, competitors will be allowed to start a stage (and, therefore, to earn points) even if they have failed to complete the previous one, albeit with a heavy time penalty
Marathon events
- General standings, points awarded to the top 15 competitors: (50, 40, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2).
- Stage classification, points awarded to the top 5 competitors: (5, 4, 3, 2 and 1).
Rally events
- General standings, points awarded to the top 15 competitors: (30, 25, 20, 17, 15, 13, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2).
- Stage classification, points awarded to the top 5 competitors: (5, 4, 3, 2 and 1).
Constructor classification
- Each constructor can field a maximum of three riders, drivers or crews in each event. Only the top two from each team will score points, which will be awarded following the above scale.
FIM points scale
Due to the particularities of the motorbike race, most notably the hazards faced by riders, the FIM strongly emphasises consistency over raw speed. Therefore, points towards the world championship standings will be based entirely on the final general standings of each event. A coefficient will be applied to the points at stake according to the event format.
Scale of points
- General standings, points awarded to the top 15 competitors: (25, 20, 16, 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1).
Coefficients
- A coefficient of 1 will be applied to "FIM Rally" events.
- A coefficient of 1.5 will be applied to "FIM Marathon Rally" events. The result will be rounded up to the nearest integer.
Constructor classification
- Each constructor can field a maximum of three riders or drivers in each event. Only the top two from each team will score points, which will be awarded following the above scale.
