The 2010 World Rally Championship was the 38th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of 13 rallies, beginning with Rally Sweden on 11 February and ended with Wales Rally GB on 14 November.
France's Sébastien Loeb won the drivers championship, his seventh consecutive title, after winning his home rally on 3 October and Citroën secured their sixth Manufacturers' title. In the junior classes held alongside the main championship, Aaron Burkart won the JWRC Drivers' championship, Xavier Pons won the SWRC Drivers' championship, Red Bull Rally Team won the WRC Cup and Armindo Araújo retained his PWRC Drivers' championship title.
2010 was the final season that the 2.0 litre engine package–which débuted in the 1997 World Rally Championship–was used. It was also the final season that Pirelli was the sole tyre supplier for the championship; as DMACK and Michelin became the tyre suppliers and a new 1.6 litre engine package was introduced for the 2011 season.
Changes
Event organisers are given more flexibility. Rallies can be run over two, three or four days, but must finish on a Saturday or Sunday. Mixing asphalt and gravel surfaces is allowed, either within a stage or within the itinerary of a day. There will no longer be a minimum or maximum distance for a special stage. The total stage distance of the event has been changed to 300–500 kilometres. Night stages are permitted but should not form the whole itinerary of a day. There will be a new Super 2000 World Rally Championship (SWRC) class for drivers with Super 2000 cars, and within it there will be a WRC Cup for teams. Teams need to contest at least seven rounds, including at least one outside Europe. The WRC will also introduce a ranking system called the Drivers' World Rally Ranking system in 2010, similar to that in golf or tennis. A new points system has been introduced to all classes for the 2010 season, so that more finishers in a rally are awarded points. Previously points had been awarded to the top eight finishers: Year 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 2009 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 2010 25 18 15 12 10 8 6 4 2 1
It is the first time since 1997 that ten drivers will score points on a rally.
From June, the name of the co-driver will be included on the rear side windows of competition cars.
Calendar The 2010 championship was contested over thirteen rounds in Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, Asia and Oceania. Rd.Start dateFinish dateRallyRally headquartersSurfaceStagesDistanceSupport class111 February14 February 58th Rally SwedenKarlstad, Värmland CountySnow21345.15 kmPWRC/SWRC25 March7 March 7th Rally MexicoLeón, GuanajuatoGravel22354.60 kmPWRC/SWRC31 April3 April 2nd Jordan Rally WRCAmmanGravel21337.94 kmPWRC/SWRC416 April18 April 10th Rally of TurkeyIstanbul, MarmaraGravel23356.64 kmJWRC57 May9 May 40th Rally New ZealandAuckland, North IslandGravel21396.70 kmPWRC/SWRC626 May30 May 44th Vodafone Rally de PortugalFaro, Faro DistrictGravel18361.18 kmSWRC/JWRC79 July11 July 41st Rally BulgariaBorovets, Sofia ProvinceTarmac14353.58 kmJWRC829 July31 July 60th Neste Oil Rally FinlandJyväskylä, Central FinlandGravel19310.79 kmPWRC/SWRC920 August22 August 28th ADAC Rallye DeutschlandTrier, Rhineland-PalatinateTarmac19407.31 kmPWRC/SWRC/JWRC109 September12 September 9th Rally JapanSapporo, HokkaidoGravel26303.54 kmPWRC/SWRC111 October3 October 1st Rallye de France - AlsaceStrasbourg, AlsaceTarmac20351.80 kmPWRC/SWRC/JWRC1222 October24 October 46th RallyRACC Catalunya - Costa DauradaSalou, CataloniaMixed16355.30 kmJWRC1311 November14 November 66th Wales Rally GBCardiff, WalesGravel20344.66 kmPWRC/SWRCSources: The 2010 season included thirteen rallies, which was one more than 2009. Australia, Argentina, Cyprus, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Italy and Greece were dropped from the calendar for the 2010 season, while Sweden, Mexico, Jordan, Turkey, Germany, New Zealand, France and Japan returned. Bulgaria was part of the calendar for the first time.
The nine events also part of the Production World Rally Championship were Sweden, Mexico, Jordan, New Zealand, Finland, Germany, Japan, France and Great Britain. The six rallies also on the Junior World Rally Championship were Turkey, Portugal, Bulgaria, Germany, France and Spain. The ten rallies on the new Super 2000 World Rally Championship (for S2000 driver) and WRC Cup (for S2000 teams) were Sweden, Mexico, Jordan, New Zealand, Portugal, Finland, Germany, Japan, France and Great Britain.
The finalised calendar was published by the FIA on 11 December 2009, following earlier proposed calendars issued in September and October 2009. Teams and drivers In 2010 two categories were eligible to compete for the Manufacturer's championship:
Manufacturer must take part in all the rallies of the Championship with two cars of the same make must enter only cars corresponding to the 2010 homologated version of a World Rally Car in conformity with the 2010 Appendix J must inform the FIA of the name of the first driver entered for the season at the time of registration for the Championship. The driver may change only after the agreement of the WRC Commission. The driver of the second car may be changed for each of the rallies in the Championship
WRC Team must take part in a minimum of 8 rallies, including two outside Europe, with one or two cars; those rallies must be nominated on registering for the Championship cannot enter World Rally Cars homologated during the year 2010 and cannot use parts homologated after 2 January 2010 can only score points in the events it nominated on registering.
The registered Manufacturers were Citroën Total World Rally Team and BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team; the registered WRC Teams were Stobart M-Sport Ford, Munchi's Ford and the Citroën Junior Team.
All teams ran Pirelli tyres.
Manufacturers Manufacturer Car Team Tyre No Drivers Co-drivers Rounds Citroën C4 WRC Citroën Total World Rally Team 1 Sébastien Loeb Daniel Elena All 2 Dani Sordo Marc Martí 1–7 Diego Vallejo 9, 11–12 Sébastien Ogier Julien Ingrassia 8, 10, 13 Ford Focus RS WRC 09 BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team 3 Mikko Hirvonen Jarmo Lehtinen All 4 Jari-Matti Latvala Miikka Anttila All WRC Teams Ford Focus RS WRC 08 Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team 5 Marcus Grönholm Timo Rautiainen 1 Matthew Wilson Scott Martin 2–13 6 Henning Solberg Ilka Minor 1–6, 8, 10 Stéphane Prévot 13 Per-Gunnar Andersson Jonas Andersson 7 François Duval Denis Giraudet 9 43 Ken Block Alex Gelsomino 11–12 Munchi's Ford World Rally Team 9 Federico Villagra Jorge Pérez Companc 2–3, 5–6, 10 José Díaz 4, 12 Diego Curletto 11 Citroën C4 WRC Citroën Junior Team 7 Sébastien Ogier Julien Ingrassia 1–7, 9, 11–12 Dani Sordo Marc Martí 8 Diego Vallejo 10, 13 8 Kimi Räikkönen Kaj Lindström 1–4, 6–13 World Rally Car entries ineligible to score manufacturer points Manufacturer Car TeamTire Drivers Co-drivers Rounds Citroën C4 WRC Petter Solberg World Rally Team Petter Solberg Phil Mills 1–6 Chris Patterson 7–13 Xsara WRC Yvan Muller Gilles Mondesir 11Ford Focus RS WRC 08 Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team Matthew Wilson Scott Martin 1 Mattias Therman Janne Perala 1, 8 Juha Kankkunen Juha Repo 8 Liu Chao Dong Anthony McLoughlin 13 BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team Khalid Al Qassimi Michael Orr 1, 6, 8–13 Monster World Rally Team Ken Block Alex Gelsomino 2, 4, 6, 9, 13 Vanloon Racing Erik van Loon Harmen Scholtalbers 9 Synergon Turan Motorsport Frigyes Turán Gábor Zsiros 12 Focus RS WRC 07 Van Merksteijn Motorsport Peter van Merksteijn Sr. Erwin Mombearts 1 Peter van Merksteijn Jr. Eddy Chevaillier 1 Bernhard ten Brinke 9 Laurent Carbonaro Laurent Carbonaro Thierry Leon 6 Focus RS WRC 06 Ipatec Racing Dennis Kuipers Frédéric Miclotte 1 René Kuipers Erwin Berkhof 6, 13 Peter Stephenson Peter Stephenson Dai Roberts 13 Focus RS WRC 04 Clo Racing Jouni Arolainen Jouko Puhakka 1, 8 Mitsubishi Lancer WRC 05 Bert De Jong Bert De Jong Ton Hillen 9 Lancer Evo WRC2 Henk Vossen Henk Vossen Johan Findhammer 9 Peugeot 307 WRC Synergon Turan Motorsport Frigyes Turán Gábor Zsiros 6–7, 11 Jean-Marie Cuoq Jean-Marie Cuoq Pascal Duffour 6 Spyros Pavlides Spyros Pavlides Denis Giraudet 6 Škoda Fabia WRC Wevers Sport Erik Wevers Michiel Poel 9 Subaru Impreza WRC 2008 Ipatec Racing René Kuipers Erwin Berkhof 19 Mark van Eldik Mark van Eldik Robin Buysmans 9 Edwin Schilt Edwin Schilt Jacco de Kluijver 9 Adapta World Rally Team Mads Østberg Jonas Andersson 6 Impreza WRC 2007 1, 8, 13Impreza WRC 2006 Gert Huzink Gert Huzink Aaldert Aaltink 9 – indicates a car running with varying numbers during the season
Driver changes
Kimi Raikkonen joined Citroen Junior Team fulltime after leaving Scuderia Ferrari In the FIA Formula One World Championship and making his WRC debut during 2009 Rally Finland. Evgeny Novikov and Conrad Rautenbach both left Citroen Junior Team. Ken Block joined the series with Monster World Rally Team to contest selected rounds of the season.
J-WRC entries
No Team Driver Co-driver Car Rounds 21 Suzuki Sport Europe Aaron Burkart Andre Kachel Suzuki Swift S1600 4, 6, 9, 11–12 22 Knaf Talent First Team Holland Kevin Abbring Erwin Mombaerts Renault Clio R3 4, 6–7, 9, 11 23 Hans Weijs Jr. Bjorn Degandt Citroën C2 S1600 6–7, 9, 11–12 24 Rubicone Corse Egoi Eder Valdés López Albert Garduno Renault Clio R3 6–7, 9, 11–12 25 Mattei Racing Team Loic Mattei Julien Vial Renault Clio R3 4 26 Bulbet Rally Team Todor Slavov Dobromir Filipov Renault Clio R3 4, 7, 9, 11–12 27 Team Sab Motorsport Alessandro Broccoli Angela Forina Renault Clio R3 4, 6–7, 11–12 28 Harry Hunt Motorsport Harry Hunt Sebastian Marshall Ford Fiesta R2 4, 6–7, 11–12 29 Automeca Rallye & Racing Thierry Neuville Nicolas Klinger Citroën C2 S1600 4, 6–7, 9, 11 30 World Rally Team Estonia Karl Kruuda Martin Järveoja Suzuki Swift S1600 4, 6–7, 9 Martin Kangur Honda Civic Type-R R3 12 31 GMA Racing Yeray Lemes Rogelio Peňate Renault Clio R3 6–7, 9, 11–12 32 Citroën Junior Team Mathieu Arzeno Romain Roche Citroën C2 S1600 6–7 Renaud Jamoul 9, 11–12 Additional guest entries 149 ADAC Weser-Ems Christian Riedemann Josefine Beinke Ford Fiesta R2 9 149 Suzuki France Jérémi Ancian Damien Mezy Suzuki Swift S1600 11 49 Escudería La Selva Climent Domingo Joan Venceslao Peugeot 206 S1600 12
S-WRC entries