Format changes set to enhance the racing in 2022
Munich, 15 December 2021 – Rallycross Promoter GmbH has today confirmed the introduction of a number of key regulation changes for the FIA World Rallycross Championship, FIA RX2e Championship and FIA European Rallycross Championships (Euro RX1 and Euro RX3).
In recent months, the Promoter has been engaged in regular and constructive discussions with teams, event organisers, the FIA and the governing body’s Off-Road Commission with the common goal of enhancing the show and attracting new fans – as World RX prepares to embark upon its exciting new electric era in 2022. The format changes agreed have now been ratified by the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC), and will come into force from next season.
In World RX, each race weekend will begin with a new ‘SuperPole’ shootout immediately after Free Practice, in which all World Championship competitors will complete a single timed lap from a standing start to determine grid positions for Heat One, replacing the traditional grid draw.
Single-header events will comprise three Heats, reduced to two for double-headers. Finishing positions in Heat races will be more important than before, as they will decide the starting positions for the following Heat. The Ranking at the end of the Heats will still be established by total race time.
All drivers will then enter a ‘Progression’ race, in which the highest-ranked driver from the Heats chooses their grid slot first, followed by the second-highest and so forth. The top ten drivers from the ‘Progression’ stage will advance to the Semi-Finals, from where the top five (first and second from each Semi-Final, plus the highest-ranked third-placed driver) proceed to the Final.
All races will feature a maximum of five cars, starting line-abreast and competing over five laps. Championship points will only be awarded at the end of the weekend, according to the following breakdown from first place down to 15th: 20-16-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. The changes will apply to all championships with the exception of ‘SuperPole’, which is for World RX only – the grid draw remains for RX2e, Euro RX1 and Euro RX3.
Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said:
“We have always recognised rallycross’ immense potential – that is what attracted us to World RX in the first place. In this digital age, its short, sharp races featuring spectacular, no-holds-barred action make it a surefire crowd-pleaser, but we also recognise that it is not yet the product we would ultimately like it to be.
“We consulted the teams to gather their thoughts, and were pleased to note that they echoed our feelings; indeed, it soon became clear that we had quite a lot of common ideas for how to enhance this great discipline. We duly agreed upon a number of key changes to develop the event format and make World RX even more exciting for existing fans and easier to understand for new audiences – and this is something we will continue evaluating throughout the years to come.
“We are particularly looking forward to the new ‘SuperPole’ shootout, which introduces a real ‘jeopardy’ element into the opening phase of the weekend and will reward the best drivers – and with all races now featuring in-line starts, the action is set to be red-hot from the get-go every time. We cannot wait to see the fruit of everybody’s efforts when the new season gets underway.”
