Overview on the 2024 World Rally Championship (WRC)

By Vianney Andrew Yiga

The 2024 WRC season is anticipated to be nothing but a thrilling season of high-speed action and intense competition across a diverse range of terrains and locations in four continents. This year’s calendar, with a few changes, will feature iconic rallies and challenging stages around the globe. The most recent (also opening action) was the Rallye Monte-Carlo (25^th-28^th January), whose 17-stage action saw a win for Thierry Neuville after defeating Sebastien Ogier by just under 27% of a minute in an entertaining competition. The Belgian driver scored 18, 7 and 5 points, respectively, from the overall position by Saturday, the accumulated position of Sunday, and the crisp 14.8km power stage drive.

The lone pure snow and ice rally (Sweden) is set to follow closely from 15^th-18^th February in the frosty but exciting times of the year. With a kick start Shakedown in Håkmark, Rally Sweden will provide action in the cold negative degrees of Northern Sweden. As a change from previous calendars, the 19-stage safari rally in Kenya will now shift to a more traditional 28^th-31^st March date series, a fun-packed Easter weekend which also coincides with a beginning rainy season in Naivasha.

The Croatia rally from 18^th-21^st April is a favorite to many fans since 2021, due to the uniquely placed asphalt tracks that are visible around. In a similar hit, gravel nature of the Rally de Portugal, whose roads are soft and sandy but steadfastly become rocky, will start from 9^th-12^th May for a total 335.26 km in Matosinhos, Porto to wow the crowds. Rally fans will be staged to a two-fold actioned end of the first 2024 half, as Rally Italia Sardegna (30^th May-2^nd June) and Rally Poland (27^th-30^th June) showcase gravel surfaces to the fans. In-comes a newcomer “Rally Latvia” from 18^th-21^st July, located in the vibrant southern coastal city of Liepāja, the largest city in the Kurzeme Region and the third-largest city in the country.

Rally Finland, known for its smooth and wide gravel roads, numerous big jumps and blind crests will showcase action from 1^st-4^th August. With a different touch, Rally Finland will closely be followed by Acropolis Rally Greece (5^th-8^th September), offering an eye-catching winding, rocky mountain stages. South America will assert its spectacular presence with Rally Chile (26^th-29^th September), a gravel-surfaced rally which was won by Hyundai Motorsport´s Estonian rally driver Ott Tänak in 2023.

Central European Rally (31^st October-3^rd November) which is co-hosted between Austria, Czech Republic and Germany will be the second-last event of the year before the WRC 2024 championship is crowned at the grand finale at Rally Japan from 21^st-24^th November.

The WRC 2024 will definitely gather fans and competitors because of many reasons among which Diverse Locations, Competitive Field, Technical Regulations, Championship Format, and fan engagement are key. The championship is expected to deliver adrenaline-fueled action, unforgettable moments, and captivating stories for fans and drivers, as the latter push themselves and their machines to the limit in pursuit of victory on the world’s most challenging rally stages.

There is also an additional spice to the title fights with the introduction of a new points-scoring system that is steadfastly creating divided opinions amongst the drivers and teams.