The Clock

WRC cars don?t race directly against each other. They compete for the shortest overall time. Cars start at one or two minute intervals, racing against the clock, their times monitored and entered into the FIA computer. Unless they run into trouble, rivals rarely see each other during a stage. At the end of an event, the driver who?s taken the least amount of time to complete all the stages is the winner.

The Points

Results achieved during each of the 16 rallies count towards the two FIA world championships ? one for the drivers and one for the manufacturers. Drivers get 10 points for coming first, eight points for second place, six points for third, five points for fourth, four for fifth, three for sixth, two for seventh and one for eighth. Total driver and team points at the end of the season determine the respective championships.

The Time Controls

A rally itinerary is governed by a strict timetable. Drivers get time penalties for being late to clock in at the start of each stage and at the entry and exit of service parks. Late arrival at these controls is typically penalized with 10 seconds for every minute over schedule, with the penalized time added to the overall time of the driver. Drivers can be excluded from a rally if they are 15 minutes late for a time control, 30 minutes late for a leg or 60 minutes late for an entire rally.

Service Parks

After each group of stages is completed, the cars can visit a designated service park where repairs may be carried out by the teams under strict FIA supervision during a 20-minute time period. At the end of each day the crews are allowed a 45-minute period to work on the cars before they are locked away until the following morning?s restart. Crews are punished with time penalties for exceeding these allotted times.