Rally Pyramid

The Rally Pyramid is a hierarchy of rally car technical specifications defined by the FIA for use in world and regional championship rallying. Each tier of the pyramid is known as a Group, despite little to no variations or classes within the group.^[a] At the top of the pyramid is the group Rally1, used only at elite level in the World Rally Championship (WRC). At the foot of the pyramid is Rally5, designed for cost effective introductory rallying. The design of the pyramid aims to modernise the steps of progression and give structure to the technical regulations of cars used across the sport in a similar way to terminology used in formula racing. The biggest differences between each group of cars is the performance and the costs involved to manufacture, run and maintain them. From 2022, the support championships of the WRC and European Rally Championship (ERC) will also be renamed and reconfigured to reflect the tiers of the pyramid.

With the launch of the Rally Pyramid in 2019, three classes of Group R (including any sub-classes) were immediately renamed as Groups of the rally pyramid. R1, R2 and R5 became the technical standard for Rally5, Rally4 and Rally2 respectively. Rally1 cars would replace the existing World Rally Car with new regulations in the 2022 WRC season, although the FIA sporting regulations started using 'Rally1' terminology in 2020.^[1] The newly created Rally3, designed to cover the performance gap between Rally4 and Rally2, introduced a new ruleset of car for 2021.

Previous names used[]

Prior to the introduction of the Rally Pyramid the various levels and organisations of rallying competitions used a mix of groups and classes of car which did not seem to have an obvious or organised path in a rallyists career. Further, nor did the championships have an obvious route of progression. Rally Car (RC) sporting classes were introduced in 2014 for organising the groups and classes into fair competitive footing with numbering echoing the groups of the pyramid: RC1 at top level runs down to RC5. Though always referred to in regulatory notes the categories are rarely mentioned by manufacturers or commentators.

The World Rally Car (RC1) was clearly used at world level but rarely in championships elsewhere. The 'WRC+', introduced in 2017, can not even be run by anybody other than the manufacturers registered in WRC.

Group R, was primarily used by Europeans in national, regional and WRC support championships. It had 5 classes but not all were equally successful. The two wheel drive classes (R1, R2 and R3) arrived 5 years before the four wheel drive classes (R4 and R5) and had their regulations changed over time. R4 was designed around the Group N ruleset and was not hugely successful for professional teams and prestige championships, but kept some privateers competing in older cars. In the same RC2 category as R4 and outperforming them, R5 became hugely popular as a replacement for the high performance S2000 (a separate specific subset of Group A rules). R3 class cars, though not hugely unsuccessful, were often overlooked after R2 presumably because a driver was looking to progress to four wheel drive.

The World Rally Championship has changed over recent years (see support championships), RC2 support championships have included WRC2, WRC2Pro and WRC3 but not all ran consistently, nor ever consistently allowing the same particular class of car. As recently as 2018 though the WRC allowed S2000 cars, Group R and Group N to compete at RC2 level together. Super 1600 and Group R could also compete together at RC3 level, while Group A, Group R, Group N and kit cars could compete at RC2 level.^[2] Meanwhile, the level of progression in the European Championship stepped up from 2wd R2 in ERC3, to a mix of Group N and R-GT machinery in ERC2, with Group R5 cars leading ERC1.

An example route of progression for a driver aiming to be World Champion may have been via a RC4 category Group R, R2 class in ERC3, followed by a 4WD Group N car (perhaps re-homologated in class NR4 in Group R) in ERC2, upgrading to RC2 category Group R, R5 class in WRC2 or ERC1 then finally progressing to WRC+ in WRC.

One of the aims of the pyramid is to match the tiers of competition with the tiers of the cars from 2022. Thus a Rally3 car will run in WRC3 and ERC3, a Rally4 in WRC4 and ERC4. However this won't apply to top level competition, there will not therefore be an ERC2 championship as Rally2 will be used as the highest performance car in ERC overall championship.^[3]

Rally Pyramid summary[]

All groups except Rally1 are also eligible to enter the overall championships of APRC, CODASUR and NACAM.

Rally1[]

Group Rally1 cars are due to be introduced in time for the 2022 World Rally Championship season as a replacement for the World Rally Car which has been in place in various forms since 1997. The regulations, formed and approved by the existing WRC teams, were designed to ultimately reduce costs compared to the current 'WRC+' car and also reflect the growing trend of hybrid retail equivalent models. To help reduce costs, many parts will become standardised or removed from the current world rally car. The rules surrounding the manufacture of the chassis means Rally1 will be the first real break from consumer production cars in World Rallying since Groups B and S were abandoned in the 1980s.

Key new features will include:^[4][8][9]

• Allowing for scaling dimensions of the road going car
• Centrally developed 'spaceframe' roll cage structures to improve safety and costs
• Synthetic fuels, claimed to be renewable and sustainable^[10]
• The addition of bolt-on hybrid power units centrally provided by Compact Dynamics, giving an additional 100 kw of power. Their use on special stages will be restricted by the FIA and/or rally organisers initially, as well as exclusively powering the vehicle around the service park and road sections.^[11]

To reduce costs the cars will have:

• less complex suspension, common supplier to all teams
• a reduction from 6 to 5 speed gearboxes, in common with Rally2 cars including the removal of 'flappy-paddle' gear shifters
• removal of the active central differential
• ban on liquid cooled brakes
• simplified fuel tank shape.

Championships[]

The only competition designed for the Rally1 is the flagship World Rally Championship series for elite drivers. The car may enter other individual rallies by the manufacturer teams but won't be a feature of any championships lower than the WRC.

Current cars[]

As the regulations have not yet been finalised no Rally1 cars have been produced yet but Toyota Gazoo Racing cars, M-Sport and Hyundai Motorsport are all committed to develop cars.^[12][13][14] Many commentators and even M-Sport themselves have already begun calling the current WRC car Rally1.^[15]

Manufacturer	Car	Debut	Image
Ford	Ford Puma Rally1[16]	2022

Rally2[]

Rhys Yates and James Morgan contesting Rallye Monte-Carlo 2020 in a Ford Fiesta Rally2.

Group Rally2 regulations are carried forward from the R5 class of Group R, as outlined in Appendix J Article 261. Therefore any existing R5 homologated car can also enter into competition alongside recently homologated models in Rally2. They are defined as four-wheel drive touring or large scale production cars with a supercharged petrol engine.^[17]

Championships[]

The current formats of WRC2, WRC3 and top levels of regional championships European Rally Championship (ERC) and Middle East Rally Championship (MERC).

From 2022 only WRC2 Open and Junior categories at world level.

Current cars[]

Manufacturer	Car	Debut	Image
Citroen	Citroën C3 Rally2[18]	2021
Ford	Ford Fiesta Rally2[19]	2020
Hyundai	Hyundai i20 N Rally2[20]	2021
Skoda	Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo[21]	2019
Existing R5 class cars of Group R

Rally2 Kit[]

Group Rally2 Kit is the renamed 'R4 Kit' developed by Oreca. These cars will be eligible for the overall world and regional championships but are not promoted as a tier of progression on the pyramid by the FIA and will not be eligible for any WRC or ERC support championships from 2022.^[3] Popular in the Middle East and Africa, it's unclear why the FIA approved the pyramid-style name change with R4 and Group N cars continuing to be permitted in those championships. Indeed the defining ruleset, Appendix J Article 260E, has reverted to being titled R4-Kit in its latest revision in April 2021.^[22]

Though both Rally2 (R5) and Rally2 Kit (R4 Kit) are both classed within RC2, the groups had been split between ERC1/MERC1 and ERC2/MERC2 championships up to 2021.

Rally3[]

Rally Poland 2021 Radosław Typa 01

Group Rally3 contains a brand new specification of car introduced in 2021 and defined as a four-wheel drive touring or large scale production car with a petrol engine. The specification is defined in Article J Appendix 260, the same article as R1, R2 (now Rally5 and Rally4) as well as R3. It is the highest tier on the pyramid to have multiple classes based on engine cylinder capacity, allowing for possibility of upgrade of a Rally4 car to Rally3.^[3] The group is designed to be entry level and the most cost-efficient way to go rallying with four wheel drive. The FIA have included a rally-ready price cap of €100,000 in the homologation requirements.^[4] The cars have been described as a modern day Group N and a 4WD version of the R2.^[4][23] Any of the below classes are eligible for FIA Group Rally3 events or competitions.

Championships[]

Only FIA European Rally Championship has a championship specifically for Rally3 cars in 2021, ERC Junior.^[25]

From 2022 it will be the sole car allowed in WRC3, split between Open and Junior categories,^[7] along with ERC3 Open and Junior categories.^[6][7]

Current Cars[]

Manufacturer	Car	Debut	Image
Ford	Ford Fiesta Rally3[26]	2021

Rally4[]

Jean-Baptiste Franceschi and Romain Courbon contesting a stage of Rally Italia Sardegna 2018. This Ford Fiesta R2T is eligible to compete in Group Rally4 competitions.

Group Rally4 regulations are carried forward from the R2 class of Group R as defined in Appendix J Article 260, and there are multiple classes due to the Group R legacy. Therefore any existing R2 car can also enter into competition alongside recently homologated models in Rally4. As all JWRC cars are provided by M-Sport, they can be expected to enter identical cars.

Championships[]

The current format of JWRC at world level, ERC3, ARC3 and MERC3.

From 2022 there will be no two wheel drive support championships at world level. Open and Junior categories in ERC4.

Current cars[]

Manufacturer	Car	From	To	Image
Ford	Ford Fiesta Rally4[27]	2021
Opel	Opel Corsa Rally4[28]	2021
Peugeot	Peugeot 208 Rally4[29]	2021
Renault	Renault Clio Rally4[30]	2021
Existing R2 class cars of Group R

Rally5[]

Rally Poland 2021 Paulo Soria

Group Rally5 regulations are carried forward from the R1 class of Group R as defined in Appendix J Article 260, although the sub-classes have effectively merged and capacity of turbocharged engines has increased to 1333cc.^[1] Therefore existing R1A or R1B cars can enter into competition designed for Rally5 amongst cars homologated in Rally5.

Championships[]

No specific competitions at world level but they are eligible for ERC3 and ERC3J alongside Rally4 cars. For 2021 Toksport WRT have introduced the Clio Trophy, an arrive and drive tournament run on ERC events using centrally provided and serviced Renault Clio Rally5 cars.^[31]

From 2022, ERC3 will become ERC4 for two wheel drive cars.

Current cars[]

Manufacturer	Car	Debut	Image
Ford	Ford Fiesta Rally5[32]	2021
Renault	Renault Clio Rally5[33]	2021
Existing R1 class cars of Group R

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rally Pyramid.

• Official website