Under the new system, the first championship points were awarded on Saturday evening, but only provisionally. To retain these points, crews had to finish the rally on Sunday. Additional points were awarded on Sunday to the seven fastest drivers, with the Power Stage continuing to offer points to the top five in the traditional manner.
The system faced immediate criticism. Detractors pointed out the risk that the rally winner might not necessarily receive the most points from an event. This concern materialised as early as the season’s second round in Sweden, where rally winner Esapekka Lappi did not secure the highest points haul in Umeå.
Hyundai, particularly Thierry Neuville, appeared to adapt best to the new system, culminating in a world championship title.
The system aimed to eliminate Sunday cruising, and in that regard, it succeeded, ensuring thrilling finales on the rally’s closing day.
“It was certainly a big talking point, and it was something that pushed drivers to the limit, particularly on Sundays. I think Sunday is important – you know, in any sport, the climax is usually on Sunday, and that was the key thing we wanted to fix in our sport,” said Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul.
“Very often, the climax of our sport happens on Friday morning, when no one is really watching because they’re busy with other things,” Abiteboul added.
While the system succeeded in creating exciting Sundays, it had its flaws. As a result, the scoring format will revert closer to the previous system next season, with Saturday’s provisional points being scrapped entirely.
“We managed to completely change the pace, but I think we simply went a bit too far with it. There were discussions, and we realised this in January, but it was probably too late because the World Motor Sport Council had already made its decision, so we had to stick to it,” Abiteboul explained.
Abiteboul stressed that rally winners should be rewarded more generously. This season, it was common for two or even three drivers to finish with nearly identical points. Whether a driver finished first or third often didn’t make a significant difference, which, as Abiteboul noted, “should never be the case in competitive sport. The winner should always be the top scorer.”
“Hopefully, with what has been agreed for next year, we’ll still have some of that excitement, but maybe in a more reasonable way – one that better rewards the true rally hero of the weekend,” Abiteboul concluded.
Next season’s WRC points system has yet to be officially confirmed.
