The 2011 World Rally Championship was the 39th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of 13 rallies, beginning with Rally Sweden on 10 February and ended with Wales Rally GB on 13 November.
Sébastien Loeb claimed his eighth consecutive World Championship title at the Wales Rally of Great Britain when title rival Mikko Hirvonen retired on the first day with an engine that was too damaged to restart.
Changes
The new technical regulations for the World Rally Car became effective from 2011. The cars were based on the previous Super 2000 cars, fitted with a supplementary kit, which included turbo and rear-wing additions. The kit must be able to be fitted or removed within a defined time limit, to be determined. They will be powered by a 1600cc turbo engine instead of the previous 2000cc turbo unit. The sporting regulations were amended to allow any tyre manufacturer to supply tyres. Regulations were implemented to control costs. The amended regulations were presented to the WMSC for a fax vote before 20 July 2010. Michelin and British tyre firm DMACK became the two tyre suppliers for the season, following Pirelli's contract coming to an end and their announcement as the official tyre supplier for Formula One. Additional championship points will be awarded to the top three crews on a televised stage on the final day of each rally, known as the "Power Stage". 3 points will be awarded to the stage winner, with 2 and 1 for second and third respectively.
Calendar
The 2011 championship was contested over thirteen rounds in Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Oceania. Following a fax vote by the members of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC), the following calendar had been agreed for the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship. Rd.Start dateFinish dateRallyRally headquartersSurfaceStagesDistanceSupport class110 February13 February 59th Rally SwedenKarlstad, Värmland CountySnow22351.24 kmPWRC23 March6 March 8th Rally Guanajuato Mexico León, GuanajuatoGravel22365.34 kmSWRC324 March27 March 45th Vodafone Rally de PortugalFaro, Faro DistrictGravel17385.37 kmPWRC/WRC Academy414 April16 April 3rd Jordan Rally WRCAmmanGravel20333.04 kmSWRC56 May8 May 8th Rally d'Italia SardiniaOlbia, SardiniaGravel18339.70 kmSWRC/WRC Academy626 May29 May 31st Rally ArgentinaCarlos Paz, CórdobaGravel19378.15 kmPWRC716 June19 June 57th Acropolis RallyLoutraki, CorinthiaGravel18348.80 kmSWRC828 July31 July 61st Neste Oil Rally FinlandJyväskylä, Central FinlandGravel22314.39 kmPWRC/SWRC/WRC Academy918 August21 August 29th ADAC Rallye DeutschlandTrier, Rhineland-PalatinateTarmac19359.59 kmSWRC/WRC Academy108 September11 September 21st Repco Rally AustraliaCoffs Harbour, New South WalesGravel26368.96 kmPWRC1129 September2 October 2nd Rallye de France - AlsaceStrasbourg, AlsaceTarmac23337.43 kmSWRC/WRC Academy1220 October23 October 47th RallyRACC Catalunya - Costa DauradaSalou, CataloniaMixed18406.52 kmPWRC/SWRC1310 November13 November 67th Wales Rally GBCardiff, WalesGravel23353.53 kmPWRC/WRC AcademySources: Calendar changes Rally di Sardegna and Rally Argentina returned to the WRC after one year in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, replacing Rally Bulgaria and Rally Japan. Acropolis Rally replaced Rally of Turkey after a sabbatical year. Rally Australia replaced Rally New Zealand and relocated for the second time in five years. After moving from Perth in Western Australia to Kingscliff on the east coast after the 2006 event, the event ran out of Coffs Harbour, to the south. The city has regularly hosted a round of the Australian Rally Championship for over a decade.
Teams and drivers Manufacturer teams Manufacturer Car Team Tyre No Drivers Co-drivers Rounds Citroën Citroën DS3 WRC Citroën Total World Rally Team 1 Sébastien Loeb Daniel Elena All 2 Sébastien Ogier Julien Ingrassia All ICE 1 Racing 8 Kimi Räikkönen Kaj Lindström 1, 3–4, 7–13 Petter Solberg World Rally Team 11 Petter Solberg Chris Patterson All Van Merksteijn Motorsport 14 Peter van Merksteijn Jr. Eddy Chevaillier 3–7 Erwin Mombaerts 9–13 20 Peter van Merksteijn Sr. 5, 7 Ford Ford Fiesta RS WRC Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team 3 Mikko Hirvonen Jarmo Lehtinen All 4 Jari-Matti Latvala Miikka Anttila All M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team 5 Henning Solberg Ilka Minor 1–4 Matthew Wilson Scott Martin 5–13 6 Mads Østberg Jonas Andersson 1–9, 11–13 Evgeny Novikov Denis Giraudet 10 15 Matthew Wilson Scott Martin 1–4 Henning Solberg Ilka Minor 5–13 16 Per-Gunnar Andersson Emil Axelsson 5 Aaron Burkart Andre Kachel 9 18 Ott Tänak Kuldar Sikk 13 54 Evgeny Novikov Stéphane Prévot 2, 5 Denis Giraudet 7–8, 11 Munchi's Ford World Rally Team 7 Federico Villagra Jorge Pérez Companc 2–6 José Díaz 7 Diego Curletto 12 Team Abu Dhabi 10 Khalid Al Qassimi Michael Orr 1, 3–5, 8, 10–12 Evgeny Novikov Denis Giraudet 13 Monster World Rally Team 43 Ken Block Alex Gelsomino 1–3, 6, 9–13 FERM Power Tools World Rally Team 9 Dennis Kuipers Frédéric Miclotte 1–3, 5, 7–9, 11–13 Bjorn Degandt 4 18 René Kuipers Robin Buysmans 9 Annemieke Hulzebos 7–8 Mini Mini John Cooper Works WRC Mini WRC Team 37 Dani Sordo Carlos del Barrio 5, 8–9, 11–13 52 Kris Meeke Paul Nagle 5, 8–9, 11–13 Brazil World Rally Team 12 Daniel Oliveira Fernando Mussano 13 Carlos Magalhães 5–12 World Rally Car entries ineligible to score manufacturer points Manufacturer Car Team Drivers Co-drivers Rounds Citroën Citroën DS3 WRC Citroën Racing Technilogies Evgeny Novikov Denis Giraudet 12 Ford Ford Fiesta RS WRC M-Sport Per-Gunnar Andersson Emil Axelsson 1 Team Quinta do Lorde Bernardo Sousa António Costa 3 Team Greece Lambros Athanassoulas Nikolaos Zakheos 7 HJ-Autotalo.com Jari Ketomaa Mika Stenberg 8 Czech Ford National Team Martin Prokop Jan Tománek 13Mini Mini John Cooper Works WRC Motorsport Italia/BAMP Armindo Araújo Miguel Ramalho 5, 7–9, 11–13 Grifone Patrik Flodin Goran Bergsten 5, 9 Matti Rantanen Mikko Lukka 8 Prodrive Mattias Therman Janne Perälä 8 Equipe de France FFSA Pierre Campana Sabrina De Castelli 9, 11 Palmerinha Rally Paulo Nobre Edu Paula 13
Driver changes
After being promoted to the Citroën works team for the 2010 Rally Finland in place of Dani Sordo, Sébastien Ogier signed a contract to drive for the team for the entire 2011 season, despite an offer from Ford. 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Kris Meeke will move to the World Rally Championship, joining debutants Mini in their Prodrive-run John Cooper Works WRC. He will be joined by Dani Sordo after the Spaniard lost his place at Citroën. Peter van Merksteijn Jr. will compete for Van Merksteijn Motorsport with a Citroën DS3 WRC in 10 selected events, while his father Peter van Merksteijn Sr. will drive in 3. Daniel Oliveira who previously competed in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge will compete with a MINI John Cooper Works WRC in selected events for the Brazil World Rally Team. Dennis Kuipers, who raced in 2010 with a Ford Fiesta S2000 run by M-Sport, will compete for the FERM Power Tools World Rally Team.
Team changes Mini returned to the World Rally Championship as a factory team for the first time since 1967. The manufacturer used the Mini John Cooper Works, to be run by Dave Richards' Prodrive team after Prodrive failed in their bid to join the and Formula One grids. The John Cooper Works WRC will be run in a limited campaign of selected events for the 2011 season, with a view to taking part in the full World Championship from 2012.
SWRC entries
No Team Driver Co-driver Car Rounds 21 Czech Ford National Team Martin Prokop Jan Tománek Ford Fiesta S2000 2, 5, 7–9, 11–12 22 MM Motorsport Ott Tänak Kuldar Sikk Ford Fiesta S2000 2, 5, 7–9, 11–12 23 Barwa World Rally Team Nasser Al-Attiyah Giovanni Bernacchini Ford Fiesta S2000 2, 4–5, 7, 9, 11–12 24 Team Quinta do Lorde Bernardo Sousa António Costa Ford Fiesta S2000 4–5, 7 Paulo Babo 8–9, 11–12 25 Red Bull Škoda Juho Hänninen Mikko Markkula Škoda Fabia S2000 2, 5, 7–9, 11–12 27 Hermann Gassner, Jr. Katharina Wüstenhagen 4–5, 7–9, 11–12 26 ME3 Rally Team Karl Kruuda Martin Järveoja Škoda Fabia S2000 2, 4–5, 7–9, 12 28 PS Engineering Eyvind Brynildsen Cato Menkerud Škoda Fabia S2000 4–5, 7–9, 11 Craig Breen Gareth Roberts Ford Fiesta S2000 12 29 Turán Motorsport Frigyes Turán Gábor Zsíros Ford Fiesta S2000 4–5, 7–9, 11–12 30 PCR Sport Albert Llovera Diego Vallejo Fiat Abarth Grande Punto S2000 4–5, 7–9, 11–1232 Motorsport Italia/BAMP Armindo Araújo Miguel RamalhoMini John Cooper Works S2000337 Volkswagen Motorsport Joonas Lindroos Pasi KipeläinenŠkoda Fabia S20008 Andreas Mikkelsen Ola Floene8 Christian Riedemann Michael Wenzel9, 12 Hans Weijs, Jr. Bjorn Degandt9 Yeray Lemes Rogelio Peñate12 Kevin Abbring Lara Vanneste13 Sepp Wiegand Timo Gottschalk1339 FERM Power Tools World Rally Team René Kuipers Annemieke HulzebosFord Fiesta S20001, 542 Brazil World Rally Team Daniel Oliveira Carlos MagalhãesMini John Cooper Works S20003–4 Additional guest entries 49 Ammar Hijazi Rally Team Ammar Hijazi Joseph Matar Škoda Fabia S2000 4 49 Mitsubishi Ralliart Finland Juha Salo Marko Salminen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X R4 8 50 Robot Racing Felix Herbold Michael Kölbach Ford Fiesta S2000 9 49 Team Emap Yacco Julien Maurin Olivier Ural Ford Fiesta S2000 11
PWRC entries
No Team Driver Co-driver Car Rounds 21 Uspenskiy Rally Tecnica Patrik Flodin Göran Bergsten Subaru Impreza WRX STI 1, 3, 8, 12 Maria Andersson 6 Timo Alanne 13 33 Dmitry Tagirov Anna Zavershinskaya 1, 3, 6, 8, 12–13 22 Lotos Dynamic Rally Team Michał Kościuszko Maciek Szczepaniak Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 3, 6, 8, 10, 12–13 23 G.B Motors Gianluca Linari Paolo Gregoriani Subaru Impreza WRX STI 1 Nicola Arena 3, 6, 10, 13 Chiara Bioletti 12 24 Bilbutikken AS World Rally Team Anders Grøndal Veronica Engan Subaru Impreza WRX STI 1, 3 Brendan Reeves Rhianon Smyth 10 Jarkko Nikara Petri Nikara Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 8, 13 Carles Llinas Juan Torra 12 25 Jukka Ketomäki Rally Team Jukka Ketomäki Kai Risberg Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1, 3, 8, 12–13 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 10 26 Semerád Rally Team Martin Semerád Michal Ernst Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 1, 3, 6, 8, 12–13 27 Harry Hunt Motorsport Harry Hunt Sebastian Marchall Citroën DS3 R3T 3 Robbie Durant 6, 8, 10, 12–13 28 Team Abu Dhabi Majed Al Shamsi Khaled Al Kendi Subaru Impreza WRX STI 1 Killian Duffy 3, 8, 10, 12–13 29 Bader Al Jabri Stephen McAuley 1, 3, 8, 10, 12–13 30 Mentos Ascania Racing Oleksandr Saliuk, Jr. Pavlo Cherepin Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 1, 3, 8, 10, 12–13 31 Oleksiy Kikireshko Vadym Cherneha 1, 3 Sergei Larens 8, 10, 12–13 32 Valeriy Gorban Yevheniy Leonov 1 Sergei Larens 3 Vadym Cherneha 8 Andriy Nikolaiev 10, 12–13 34 Darnytsa Motorsport Yuriy Protasov Adrian Aftanaziv Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1, 3, 6, 8 35 Ralliart Italy Nicolàs Fuchs Rubén García Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1, 3, 6, 8, 12–13 37 Ricardo Triviño Sergio Salom 1 39 Benito Guerra Borja Rozada 10 36 Easycar Rally Team Rami Jaber Nicola Fearnley Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 3 38 New Zealand World Rally Team Hayden Paddon John Kennard Subaru Impreza WRX STI 3, 6, 8, 10, 12 39 GMA Racing Benito Guerra Borja Rozada Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 3, 6, 8 RMC Motorsport 12–13 Additional guest entries 49 Team Além Mar Ricardo Moura Luis Ramalho Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 3 49 VRS Rally Team Alejandro Levy Diego Levy Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 6 50 Schroeder Competicion Ezequiel Campos Christian Winkler Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 6 149 ST Motors Riku Tahko Markus Soininen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 8 150 Autosport Technology Mikko Pajunen Jani Salo Renault Clio R3 8 49 Coffs Coast Rally Team Nathan Quinn David Green Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 10 50 Gotech Rally Team Leigh Gotch Rodger Pederson Subaru Impreza WRX STI 10 50 North Road Garage Jason Pritchard Dale Furniss Subaru Impreza WRX STI 13
WRC Academy entries The WRC Academy used identical Ford Fiesta R2s.