The WRC has undergone a number of rule tweaks ahead of the 2024 season with a new points structure arguably the most significant change.
This season, championship points will now be divided into two with points awarded at the end of Saturday followed by a separate points allocation for Sunday. The new system aims to improve the show on the final day of rallies, as drivers had previously cruised through stages preserving tyres for the end-of-rally Power Stage.
Under the new system, a driver can still achieve a maximum of 30 points. However, a sliding scale of 18-15-13-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 points will be awarded at the end of Saturday, but only if a crew reaches Sunday’s final classification. If a crew fails to finish on Sunday, the Saturday points will be awarded to the next best-placed pairing.
Competitors will also do battle for a maximum of seven points on Sunday. Points will be awarded to the top seven competitors via the following sliding scale: 7-6-5-4-3-2-1. The end-of-rally Power Stage remains unchanged with points awarded to the top five fastest times.
While the rally winner will still be determined by overall time across the rally, Hyundai’s Tanak feels a victory won’t carry as much weight as in previous years.
Source: Autosport