The sporting format for the FIA World
Rallycross Championship has evolved for the 2024 campaign, with the races set
to be even more exciting and dramatic for fans as drivers are incentivised to push
flat-out on every single lap. So how does it all break down?
Each race weekend will begin with the
traditional practice sessions, to allow competitors to settle into the groove, refine
their set-ups and get to grips with the track if it is new to them.
The single-lap SuperPole shootout has been
replaced by pre-determined starting positions for all heats, in which
competitors will line up side-by-side on the same row. This will ensure greater
parity by reducing the jeopardy of track evolution and grid slots.
What this means is that – in the instance of a
16-car field – every driver will compete in the first race of a heat once, the
second race of a heat once, the third race of a heat once and the fourth race
of a heat once. They will also start one race from pole position, one race from
second on the grid, one race from third on the grid and one race from fourth on
the grid. This will be adapted accordingly for races featuring more or less
than four cars, and double-header events will comprise fewer heats.
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS UP FOR GRABS IN EVERY RACE
Competitors will race for position rather than
time, making the format more easily understandable. Championship points will be
awarded in all heat races, from five for the winner down to a single point for
fifth place. Non-finishers will receive one point, while non-starters will not
score. Failure to take the joker lap will result in a one-point deduction, with
disqualification being penalised by the loss of at least two championship
points.
The points scored during the heats will form
the basis for the ranking, with tie-breaks resolved in favour of the driver who
achieved better results from starting positions further from pole.
The top 12 drivers in the classification will advance
to the semi-finals, with those placed first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth and
11th participating in semi-final one and those placed second,
fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth and 12th lining up in semi-final two. Each
semi-final will take the form of a six-car race on a two-by-two grid, and like
the heats, will run over five laps.
Ten championship points will be awarded to each
semi-final winner, with eight points going to the runner-up and then six points,
four points, two points and one point respectively for the remaining finishers.
Non-finishers will receive one point, while non-starters will not score.
Failure to take the joker lap will result in a one-point deduction, with
disqualification being penalised by the loss of at least two championship
points.
The same format and scoring system applies to the final, contested
by the top three finishers from each semi-final. The positions in the ranking
will determine which of the semi-final winners begins the final on pole – with the
higher-ranked driver taking precedence. The same logic will decide the grid positions
for the second and third-placed semi-finalists.
The maximum possible score from a race weekend will therefore be 40
championship points, with all points counting towards the overall
classification. Should two drivers end up tied on points, they will be
separated by most wins in finals (and then second places, third places and so
forth if necessary).
“I think it’s good that we are going back to scoring points in the
heats,” opines CE Dealer Team star and seven-time World RX winner, Niclas Grönholm.
“Last year, you could have a really good weekend until almost the end and still
come away with not much to show for it.
“I think racing and fighting for position is always going to make drivers
go for the smallest gaps, so there will maybe be more incidents and collisions
and a little bit more work for the mechanics fixing the cars between the races,
but that is all more action so from the fans’ perspective, I think it’s good.”
Portugal
Spain
France
