Junior World Rally Championship
Category | Group Rally4 |
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Country | International |
Inaugural season | |
Drivers' champion | Sami Pajari |
Co-Drivers' champion | Marko Salminen |
Official website | www |
Current season |
World Rally Championship |
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Current season |
Support championships |
Former: |
Car classes used |
Related lists |
The FIA Junior World Rally Championship (also Junior WRC or JWRC) is an international rally competition restricted to drivers under 29 years old. The championship consists of select rallies on the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar. The category has been a stepping stone in the career of WRC Champions Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier, as well as current drivers such as Dani Sordo, Elfyn Evans and Thierry Neuville. Junior WRC differs from other WRC championships as all cars are identical, provided and serviced by the same entity under contract to the FIA. The car used in 2021 was a Ford Fiesta Rally4.[1] Championship titles are awarded to the winning Driver and Co-Driver. There is also a Nations Trophy.
The 2021 season of Junior WRC will be the last under two-wheel drive regulations. New Junior categories inside each of WRC-2 and WRC-3 were announced in March 2021 to begin in the 2022 season.[2] The FIA also announced simultaneously that there will be no two-wheel drive championship within WRC. However, Junior WRC will continue in 2022 in the existing arrive-and-drive format run by M-Sport Poland using four-wheel drive Group Rally3 cars on selected rounds of the WRC calendar.[3][4]
History[]
The championship was first held in 2001 as the FIA Super 1600 Drivers' Championship, and included six events in Europe. Sébastien Loeb became the series' first champion, driving a Super 1600-class Citroën Saxo. The series became the Junior World Rally Championship the following year.
In 2007, the championship did not include events outside Europe, and was known as the FIA Junior Rally Championship (JRC) for one season only.
In 2011 the FIA replaced the Junior WRC with WRC Academy. This was the first year the championship was managed under contract. M-Sport provided identical Ford Fiesta R2 cars to entrants to use. In 2013 the series was renamed to FIA Junior World Rally Championship once again.[5]
In 2014 Citroën won the contract to run JWRC providing Citroën DS3 R3T cars. M-Sport repurposed the old Ford Fiesta R2 units for the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy. In 2017 M-Sport regained the running rights continuing to use the Ford Fiesta R2. Following the introduction of the Rally Pyramid in 2019, the latest evolution Ford Fiesta Rally4 was introduced for the second round of the 2020 season.
At the 2018 season the number of rallies were reduced to 5, while the last rally gives double points.
In March 2021 the FIA announced there will not be any two-wheel drive championships in WRC from 2022.[2] It was later announced Rally3 cars will be used for Junior WRC from then on.[3][4]
Rules[]
The Junior WRC is open to drivers under the age of 29 who have not competed as a Priority 1 (P1) driver in an FIA World Rally Championship event. Competitors drive identical Ford Fiesta Rally4 cars using Pirelli tyres. There is no obligation to enter a minimum number of rounds and all rounds contribute to the championship points tally.[6]
The point-scoring system is the same as in the WRC, WRC-2 and WRC-3 championships, with points allocated to the top ten classified finishers as follows:
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
The last rally in the season awards double classification points to competitors who have started at least 3 previous rounds. Power Stage points are not awarded in Junior WRC as in the other WRC championships, however JWRC competitors can score one championship bonus point for each stage win during the season.[6]
The Nations Trophy sums points of the best performing driver from each nation each round, not including stage points.[6]
Results[]
Drivers' Championship[]
Year | Series name | Champion | Car | 2nd place | Car | 3rd place | Car |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Junior World Rally Championship | Sami Pajari | Ford Fiesta Rally4 | Ford Fiesta Rally4 | Ford Fiesta Rally4 | ||
2020 | Tom Kristensson | Ford Fiesta Rally4 | Ford Fiesta Rally4 | Sami Pajari | Ford Fiesta Rally4 | ||
2019 | Jan Solans | Ford Fiesta R2 | Tom Kristensson | Ford Fiesta R2 | Ford Fiesta R2 | ||
2018 | Emil Bergkvist | Ford Fiesta R2 | Ford Fiesta R2 | Ford Fiesta R2 | |||
2017 | Nil Solans | Ford Fiesta R2 | Ford Fiesta R2 | Ford Fiesta R2 | |||
2016 | Simone Tempestini | Citroën DS3 R3T | Martin Koči | Citroën DS3 R3T | Citroën DS3 R3T | ||
2015 | Quentin Gilbert | Citroën DS3 R3T | Ole Christian Veiby | Citroën DS3 R3T | Citroën DS3 R3T | ||
2014 | Stéphane Lefebvre | Citroën DS3 R3T | Alastair Fisher | Citroën DS3 R3T | Martin Koči | Citroën DS3 R3T | |
2013 | Pontus Tidemand | Ford Fiesta R2 | Ford Fiesta R2 | Sander Pärn | Ford Fiesta R2 | ||
2012 | WRC Academy | Elfyn Evans | Ford Fiesta R2 | Ford Fiesta R2 | Pontus Tidemand | Ford Fiesta R2 | |
2011 | Craig Breen | Ford Fiesta R2 | Egon Kaur | Ford Fiesta R2 | Alastair Fisher | Ford Fiesta R2 | |
2010 | Junior World Rally Championship | Aaron Burkart | Suzuki Swift S1600 | Hans Weijs, Jr. | Citroën C2 S1600 | Todor Slavov | Renault Clio R3 |
2009 | Martin Prokop | Citroën C2 S1600 | Michał Kościuszko | Suzuki Swift S1600 | Aaron Burkart | Suzuki Swift S1600 | |
2008 | Sébastien Ogier | Citroën C2 S1600 | Aaron Burkart | Citroën C2 S1600 | Martin Prokop | Citroën C2 S1600 | |
2007 | FIA Junior Rally Championship | Per-Gunnar Andersson | Suzuki Swift S1600 | Urmo Aava | Suzuki Swift S1600 | Martin Prokop | Citroën C2 S1600 |
2006 | Junior World Rally Championship | Patrik Sandell | Renault Clio S1600 | Urmo Aava | Suzuki Swift S1600 | Per-Gunnar Andersson | Suzuki Swift S1600 |
2005 | Dani Sordo | Citroën C2 S1600 | Kris Meeke | Citroën C2 S1600 | Guy Wilks | Suzuki Ignis S1600 | |
2004 | Per-Gunnar Andersson | Suzuki Ignis S1600 | Nicolas Bernardi | Renault Clio S1600 | Guy Wilks | Suzuki Ignis S1600 | |
2003 | Brice Tirabassi | Renault Clio S1600 | Suzuki Ignis S1600 | Daniel Carlsson | Suzuki Ignis S1600 | ||
2002 | Daniel Solà | Citroën Saxo VTS S1600 | Citroën Saxo VTS S1600 | Janne Tuohino | Citroën Saxo VTS S1600 | ||
2001 | FIA Cup for Super 1600 Drivers | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën Saxo VTS S1600 | Fiat Punto S1600 | Niall McShea | Ford Puma S1600 Citroën Saxo VTS S1600 |
- Notes
- The 2011 and 2012 championships were run as the FIA WRC Academy.
- The 2007 championship was run as the FIA Junior Rally Championship.
- The 2001 championship was run as the FIA Cup for Super 1600 Drivers.
Statistics[]
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Round wins[]
- Updated after 2020 season.
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Gallery[]
François Duval driving a Ford Puma S1600 at the 2001 Rally Finland.
Sébastien Loeb driving his Citroën Saxo VTS S1600 in 2001.
Fiat Punto S1600 at the 2001 Rally Finland.
Renault Clio S1600 at the 2004 Rally Finland.
2004 Suzuki Ignis S1600 at an auto show in 2003.
Opel Corsa S1600 driven in 2005.
Suzuki Swift S1600 at the 2007 Rally Finland.
Ford Fiesta ST at the 2007 Wales Rally GB.
Sébastien Ogier with a Citroën C2 S1600 in 2008 Rallye Deutschland.
Martin Prokop with a Citroën C2 S1600 at the 2009 Cyprus Rally.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Junior World Rally Championship". WRC - World Rally Championship. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
- ^ a b "FIA Announces World Motor Sport Council Decisions". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
- ^ a b "APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR JUNIOR WRC DRIVE DAY".
- ^ a b "NEW-LOOK CALENDAR TEMPTS JUNIOR WRC HOTSHOTS".
- ^ "Exciting changes for 2013 WRC". WRC.com. WRC Official Website. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
- ^ a b c "2021 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP – SPORTING REGULATIONS" (PDF).
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External links[]
- World Rally Championship
- Rally racing series
- Recurring sporting events established in 2001