Drivers voiced sharp criticism during last weekend’s Rally Portugal over the extreme length of the competition days. On Friday, for example, crews were on the road for around 15 consecutive hours — the first car left parc fermé at 6:00 a.m. and checked into evening service only around 9:00 p.m.
During the day, crews had only two short remote service breaks, which allowed for a brief snack — but no time to rest.
“Like we can clearly see, it’s doable. We are all here, but I don’t think it’s clever at some point,” said Toyota driver Rovanperä bluntly.
According to Rovanperä, the issue is a matter of safety.
“We are driving with four or five hours of sleep during the weekend, many nights in a row. So we can do it, but I don’t know if it’s clever when we try to stay awake on the road sections. At some point, it starts to get quite tough. So I think it’s just unnecessary to be in the car for 15 hours like that,” the Finnish star explained.
Rovanperä wasn’t the only driver to complain about fatigue. Even the rally winner, Sébastien Ogier, admitted he couldn’t recall ever feeling this exhausted after a rally.
The Finnish champion said that drivers haven’t yet discussed the matter formally with the FIA. But if it were up to him, days that gruelling should no longer be part of the WRC.
“We don’t need days this long, so I don’t know why we even need to be discussing them. But I think there should be a clear rule from the FIA about the maximum day length – like we have talked about before,” Rovanperä stated.
“If we have a long day like this, then we need to have a late morning the next day. Now we’re waking up at 5 a.m. again, but we’re only done with the videos at midnight. I think at some point, you just need to have a rest,”
Adequate rest is essential
Rovanperä believes drivers and co-drivers should be guaranteed at least 7–8 hours of sleep each night.
“We don’t need to be leaving parc fermé at 6 a.m. It could be 9 a.m. and the schedule would still work. Every organiser can do that,” Rovanperä emphasised.
Interestingly, the FIA already has the issue raised by Rovanperä on its agenda. In early May, the governing body announced it was reviewing the working hours and conditions of personnel involved in the WRC.
“Work is now underway between the FIA, WRC Promoter and the competitors to generate a set of guidelines for event organisers to better advise and inform on improving practices when creating itineraries and the schedule of the rally week,” the FIA said in a statement published a few weeks ago.
“The target is to complete these guidelines in the coming months and begin implementation for events of the 2026 season, with a long-term view to make improvements and reduce the pressure on employees working within the championship.”
