The scoring system of the Rally World Series will be renewed for next season. The seemingly complicated system does not garner praise.
– If you don’t follow the rally closely, the distribution of points is really confusing, head of Toyota’s WRC team Jari-Matti Latvala shakes Urheilu.
In the new system, the biggest points pot is distributed based on the results valid after Saturday’s race day. However, neither the driver nor the team will get these World Championship points if the driver stops on Sunday.
In addition, based on Sunday’s combined times alone, points are awarded in order of merit, and additional points are still awarded to the fastest at the Power Stage special stages that end the rallies.
In recent years, World Championship points have been awarded based on the final results of the rally. The winner has received 25 points, the runner-up 18 and so on. In addition, the Power Stage special tests have been awarded the same number of points as in the new system.
The new points system of the World Series: Based on the valid results at the end of Saturday, WC points will be awarded in order of superiority on a scale of 18-15-13-10-8-6-4-3-2-1. World Championship points are awarded to the fastest on the Sunday race day in order of superiority on a scale of 7-6-5-4-3-2-1. From the Power Stage, points are awarded to the fastest using the old system 5-4-3-2-1.
Latvala says directly that Toyota did not support the reform that has now come into effect. In the new system, for example, a traditional victory in a rally does not have the same value as before, when points are not distributed based on the overall result at the end of Sunday.
– When the reform was made, we were against it, Latvala downloads.
The team manager raises another possible problem. If the driver stops on Friday, what is the significance of Saturday?
– The driver drives quietly on Saturday and saves tires for Sunday. If you win Sunday and the Power Stage, you still get reasonably good points, Latvala illustrates.
For the World Series, it has been talked about for years that saving tires on Sunday and waiting for the final special test is a big problem. The situation is now turning upside down.
– You won’t do anything on Saturday if you cancel on Friday. On Saturday, you only destroy tires, while only on Sunday you can get points, Hyundai driver Esapekka Lappi cheers to Latvala.
Direct speech from Ott Tänak
There has been a heated discussion about the need to reform the World Rally Championship. Going back to Hyundai Ott Tänak and Latvala stress that the lack of stables is a big problem for the World Series. The costs of running the stables are currently too high, which does not attract new manufacturers to join.
– The cars are great, but far too expensive, Latvala says.
According to Tänak, the points system has nothing to do with how the sport is doing at the moment.
– The points do not change the fact that we have too many part-time drivers and too few manufacturers, or that TV income is lower than desired. We need something bigger than point changes, Tänak insists.
The Estonian world champion says he does not understand the idea behind the current reform. According to him, for example, only giving extra points on Sunday would have been an option. Latvala says that an extra point for the fastest in each special test could also have been a workable reform.
Lapland illustrates one more problem in the new system. Asphalt rallies offer an opportunity to save the budget.
– You may end up driving only on Sunday. As the number one car, drive the fastest on Sunday and take five points from “power” and you will already get 12 points, even if you only drive on Sunday, Lappi spins.
According to Tänak, the reform is strange and he doesn’t think the fans will like the confusing points system.
– For an ordinary follower, it is now difficult to follow the rally. History has shown that complicated things have never worked for the fans, Tänak says in his straightforward style.
The Estonian champion and Latvala remind us that the effects of the reform can only be seen in real life in the first rallies. The World Series starts at the end of January in Monte Carlo.
Toyota’s driver palette
The start of the season is also colored by the new hierarchy of Toyota drivers. Elfyn Evans is the team’s new number one driver, when Kalle Rovanperä does not drive a whole WC season. Sebastien Ogier and Rovanperä share responsibility as gig drivers Evans and Takamoto Katsuta alongside.
Latvala agrees to shed light on the division of labor of gig drivers for the early season. Ogier seen at his home rally in Monte Carlo.
– He would like to drive there, so it would seem that Kalle will start his season in the Swedish World Rally Championship, Latvala says.
The team manager says that the duo may be seen competing in the same rallies during the season.
– That is also possible, Latvala mumbles.