Driving cars to perfection over rough terrain, with plenty of drifting, highlights and adrenaline – the World Rally Championship is one of the most spectacular forms of motorsports.
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Format and rules of the WRC
The rally involves serial cars equipped with the teams aerodynamic and technical elements, allowing fast and reliable movement on the track. Each rally stage consists of about 25 special stages, the passage of which is scheduled for 2-3 days. Cars are driven by a pilot and a navigator. Before each stage, they are given time to get acquainted with the route, when the navigator makes a transcript of the pilot notes about the peculiarities of the route.
Victory in the stage goes to the crew that is the fastest to pass all the specials. Racers start every two minutes. Points are awarded to both drivers and production teams.
Counting points like in Formula 1 – first place – 25 points, second – 18, third – 15, etc. Separate points are awarded for the last special stage of the rally, the so-called Power Stage.
The championship in 2022 should consist of thirteen stages in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, North and South America and Oceania. Three teams represent car manufacturers:
- Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT;
- M-Sport Ford WRT;
- Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT.
A stage in Kenya, Rally Safari, is planned for July. A stage in Japan returns for the first time since 2010, and racing in New Zealand will take place for the first time since 2012. Fans will not see the Rally of Corsica, Catalonia and Australia this season. Also, the race in Chile was cancelled at the last minute, due to the unstable political situation.
Features of WRC betting
World Rally Championship betting has its own interesting features:
In the WRC, car repairs are regulated by time. Each day there is only a small number of minutes when the car can be repaired. Therefore, if a driver severely damages the car, it will seriously affect his further performance on the stage;
The rider, whose total time of passing all special stages is better, wins the stage. Therefore, it is possible to win a race without winning a single special stage;
Since the races are held on tracks with different surfaces – from snow to gravel, it is necessary to study the specificity of the pilots. Some are more confident on dirt tracks, others on asphalt and sand;
Although manufacturer teams may field three to five cars per season, some crews are more experienced and strong.
Types of bets on the WRC
Among the types of bets on the WRC, the most popular are:
- winner of the drivers’ championship;
- Winner of the Manufacturers Cup;
- stage winner;
- The winner of the special stage;
- the position of the pilot in relation to the other driver.