The 2009 World Rally Championship was the 37th season of the
FIAWorld Rally Championship. The season consisted of twelve rallies and began on 30 January, with
Rally Ireland and ended with
Rally GB on 25 October.
Sébastien Loeb won the World Drivers' championship at Rally GB by one point from
Mikko Hirvonen, taking his sixth consecutive crown.[1]Citroën secured their fifth Manufacturers' title,
Martin Prokop won the JWRC Drivers' championship and
Armindo Araujo won the PWRC Drivers' championship.
Regulation changes
The number of mechanics available per car has been dropped from 12 to 8.[2]
Calendar
The 2009 championship was contested over twelve rounds in Europe, South America and Oceania.
The 2009 season included twelve rallies, which was three fewer than the
2008 season, because the
FIA imposed a "Round Rotation" System in order to attract candidate rallies to have a chance to be a WRC event. Monte Carlo, Sweden, Mexico, Jordan, Turkey, Germany, New Zealand, France and Japan were dropped from the calendar for 2009, but will return at the
2010 WRC Season. Ireland, Norway, Cyprus, Portugal, Poland and Australia returned to the 2009 season.[3]
The eight events also part of the
Production World Rally Championship were Norway, Cyprus, Portugal, Argentina, Italy, Greece, Australia and Rally GB. The eight rallies also on the
Junior World Rally Championship schedule were Ireland, Cyprus, Portugal, Argentina, Italy, Poland, Finland and Spain.
In 2009 two categories are eligible to compete for the Manufacturer's championship:
Manufacturer (M)
must take part in all the rallies of the Championship with two cars of the same make
must enter only cars corresponding to the latest homologated version of a World Rally Car in conformity with the 2009 Appendix J
must inform the FIA of the name of the first driver entered for the season at the time of registration for the Championship. No change of the first driver is authorised, except in a case of force majeure. The driver of the second car may be changed for each of the rallies in the Championship
Manufacturer Team (MT)
must take part in a minimum of 8 Championship rallies with one or two cars; those rallies must be nominated on registering for the Championship
cannot enter World Rally Cars homologated during the year 2009 and cannot use parts homologated after 2 January 2009
can only score points in the events it nominated on registering.
Suzuki and
Subaru pulled out of the WRC at the end of the
2008 championship, both citing the economic downturn then affecting the automotive industry for their withdrawal.
The 2009 World Rally Championship was the 37th season of the
FIAWorld Rally Championship. The season consisted of twelve rallies and began on 30 January, with
Rally Ireland and ended with
Rally GB on 25 October.
Sébastien Loeb won the World Drivers' championship at Rally GB by one point from
Mikko Hirvonen, taking his sixth consecutive crown.[1]Citroën secured their fifth Manufacturers' title,
Martin Prokop won the JWRC Drivers' championship and
Armindo Araujo won the PWRC Drivers' championship.
Regulation changes
The number of mechanics available per car has been dropped from 12 to 8.[2]
Calendar
The 2009 championship was contested over twelve rounds in Europe, South America and Oceania.
The 2009 season included twelve rallies, which was three fewer than the
2008 season, because the
FIA imposed a "Round Rotation" System in order to attract candidate rallies to have a chance to be a WRC event. Monte Carlo, Sweden, Mexico, Jordan, Turkey, Germany, New Zealand, France and Japan were dropped from the calendar for 2009, but will return at the
2010 WRC Season. Ireland, Norway, Cyprus, Portugal, Poland and Australia returned to the 2009 season.[3]
The eight events also part of the
Production World Rally Championship were Norway, Cyprus, Portugal, Argentina, Italy, Greece, Australia and Rally GB. The eight rallies also on the
Junior World Rally Championship schedule were Ireland, Cyprus, Portugal, Argentina, Italy, Poland, Finland and Spain.
In 2009 two categories are eligible to compete for the Manufacturer's championship:
Manufacturer (M)
must take part in all the rallies of the Championship with two cars of the same make
must enter only cars corresponding to the latest homologated version of a World Rally Car in conformity with the 2009 Appendix J
must inform the FIA of the name of the first driver entered for the season at the time of registration for the Championship. No change of the first driver is authorised, except in a case of force majeure. The driver of the second car may be changed for each of the rallies in the Championship
Manufacturer Team (MT)
must take part in a minimum of 8 Championship rallies with one or two cars; those rallies must be nominated on registering for the Championship
cannot enter World Rally Cars homologated during the year 2009 and cannot use parts homologated after 2 January 2009
can only score points in the events it nominated on registering.
Suzuki and
Subaru pulled out of the WRC at the end of the
2008 championship, both citing the economic downturn then affecting the automotive industry for their withdrawal.