[WRC] News & Rumours 2019

[Sulland]

Could this be true?

New naming system of rally car classes

Formula 1 sets the direction. Who carries the number "1" in the name, is generally recognized as the highest level. In rally sport, however, this is exactly the other way round, where "Rally 1" (R1 for short) is considered an entry-level class. In customer sports, it goes up to R5 vehicles, the top ("World Rally Cars") carries no R designation.
This classification will change in the future, because the FIA ​​is working on a new structure in which all designations are literally turned on their heads.
In the future, the entry-level vehicles will be referred to as "Rallye 5". Here, the World Association of cheapest cars, which can be equipped with a simple manual transmission, to a standard sequential gearbox (eg Opel Adam Cup), but must be provided in any case with a homologated by the manufacturer safety package ,
One level above the previous R2 cars are classified as "Rally 4". Again, there will be a new technical regulations shortly. The previous R3 vehicles have apparently had their day, because under the name "Rallye 3", the FIA ​​plans cheap four-wheel-drive vehicles, which, as in the "Rallye 1" group, have standard parts and could resemble the original Group-N.
As a result of the changeover, the currently most successful customer sports vehicles will no longer have the suffix "R5" but will be listed as "Rally 2" (R2). It is quite possible that the new Volkswagen Polo, which is due to celebrate its premiere in the autumn, will soon be renamed "R5" to "R2".
In the rally sport, the top class will in the future carry the "1", here you will find the modern World Rally Cars again, the fastest rally cars in history.

Original news article: https://www.rallye-magazin.de/wrc/ar...rallye-system/