The points system was radically changed for this year. Previously, WRC points were awarded to the top ten finishers in the overall classification and the top five in the Power Stage.
This season saw a complete transformation of the system, where significant conditional points are now given to the top ten drivers based on their standing on Saturday evening. These points are retained only if the driver finishes the rally on Sunday. Additionally, separate points are available on Sunday for the seven fastest drivers, along with the usual points from the Power Stage.
The maximum points for the weekend remains at 30, but the new system has increased the importance of Sunday. The leader on Saturday night receives 18 conditional points, which the leader might try to secure during Sunday’s stages. This provides others a good opportunity to chase Sunday’s points. Now, it’s possible to score up to 12 points on Sunday, even if a driver has previously retired from the rally.
The system has faced massive criticism. The main concern is that no points are currently awarded based on the final overall classification. The significance of winning a rally has been greatly diminished compared to previous seasons. This year, several rallies have already seen a situation where the actual rally winner has not taken the largest points haul from the weekend.
It seems that the current points system will remain a one-season experiment.
“It’s going to change. There has already been some discussion about it, and it’s been promised that it will change,” Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala revealed to RallyJournal.com
Latvala could not publicly speculate on how the system might be adjusted for next year.
“Will it go back to what it was like in 2023? I can’t promise that. But it will change,” Latvala assured.
At the start of the season, the FIA stated that it was possible to adjust the points system during the season if needed. However, no changes have been made, even though the system has been heavily criticised.
“There’s been a lot of debate about the system, and now it’s being addressed. But it couldn’t be changed mid-season – it would have been unfair to change it during the season,” Latvala said.
The biggest beneficiaries of the current system have been Hyundai and its drivers Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak. Neuville and Tänak have collected significantly more points on Sundays compared to Toyota’s drivers.
Neuville leads the drivers’ championship by 27 points ahead of Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier with four rounds remaining. In the manufacturers’ championship, Hyundai holds a 20-point lead over Toyota.
