An update on the 2016 sporting regulations

If in terms of technical regulations, 2016 plays the card of stability before the great upheaval of 2017, the sporting regulations of the World Rally Championship have been slightly modified. A few days before the opening of the season at Monte-Carlo (January 21-24), here is a quick overview of the big new features.

– The famous Power Stage is one of the main ones affected. The length will no longer necessarily be between 10 and 15 km, and the organizers can make a proposal to the FIA ​​and the Promoter of the WRC to offer the best sporting challenge while taking into account the requirements of live television.

– In the absence of a minimum number of events required for a WRC Team to participate, the number of authorized chassis has increased to three per car. Similar limitations apply to gearboxes, differentials and turbochargers.

– If the starting order for P1 competitors remains that of the Friday and Saturday Championship rankings, for safety and fairness purposes, P1 competitors racing under the regulations Rally 2 will start again after the other P1 drivers in accordance with their position in the standings.

– In the event that one of the rallies cannot take place completely, Championship points will be awarded on the basis of the established classification, with a scale depending on the percentage of the planned length of special stages covered: all points if more than 50%, half points if between 25 and 50% and no points if less than 25%.

– During the shakedown, for any false start, the competitor will be given a reference time of 10 minutes for the passage. P1 drivers must still complete a minimum of three passes on the shakedown, but P2, P3, RGT and non-priority drivers are no longer required to participate.

– Only P1 drivers will have an interval of at least two minutes on the starts and new starts lists. All other drivers will start at an interval of at least one minute.

– Cars unable to travel by their own means from the Parc Fermé to the service area can now be pushed or towed by the track marshals and/or team personnel.

– A WRC Team wishing to score points in the Manufacturers' Championship may register at any time before the closing date for entries of the first rally in which it has entered. The minimum number of seven rallies designated for each WRC Team no longer applies.

Find our 2016 WRC Guide in issue 2046 of AUTOhebdo, available from this Monday in digital version, and from this Wednesday on newsstands.