TheFIAJunior WRC Championship,is an internationalrallyingseries restricted to drivers under 29 years old, running within the framework of theWorld Rally Championship.The series is governed by theFédération Internationale de l'Automobile(FIA) and promoted byM-Sport Ltd.
| Category | Group Rally3 |
|---|---|
| Country | International |
| Inaugural season | 2001 |
| Drivers' champion |  Romet Jürgenson |
| Co-Drivers' champion | Siim Oja |
| Official website | www |
 Current season | |
Run annually since 2013, the championship is the latest in the FIA's junior driver category which began in 2001 with theSuper 1600 Championship,theJunior World Rally Championshipin 2002, and theWRC Academyin 2011. This category has been a stepping stone in the careers ofWRC championsSebastien LoebandSébastien Ogier;plus leading driversDani Sordo,Elfyn Evans,Craig BreenandThierry Neuville.[1][2][3][4]
Junior WRC differs from the WRC support championships,WRC2andWRC3,as the competition is managed and promoted by M-Sport under contract to the FIA. All cars are identical, provided and serviced by M-Sport on the entrants' behalf.[5][6]The car used since 2022 is the company's Ford Fiesta Rally3.[7]The championship currently consists of five select rallies of the FIAWorld Rally Championship(WRC) calendar. FIA Championship titles are awarded to the winning Driver and Co-Driver.
The FIA did not award Junior WRC champion titles in the 2022 season. Instead, the titles of FIA WRC3 Junior were awarded to the winners of the Junior WRC competition run by M-Sport.[7][8][9]
History
editThe championship's origins began in2001as the FIA Super 1600 Drivers' Championship, and included six events in Europe.Sébastien Loebwas the series' champion, driving aSuper 1600Citroën Saxo.[10]The series became the Junior World Rally Championship the following year, with an upper age limit of 29 introduced in 2003.[11]
In 2007, the championship did not include events outside Europe. Following introduction of an FIA rule in 2006 surrounding use of the word 'world' in championship names, the championship was known as the FIA Junior Rally Championship (JRC) for one season only. The 2010 season was the last Junior World Rally Championship.[12]
In 2011, the FIA replaced the championship with the WRC Academy Cup. This was the first year the championship was managed under contract. M-Sport provided identicalFord Fiesta R2cars for entrants to use.[13][14]In 2013 the series was renamed to FIA Junior WRC.[15]
In 2014, Citroën were awarded the contract to run Junior WRC providingCitroën DS3 R3Tcars.[16]M-Sportrepurposed the old Ford Fiesta R2 units for theDrive DMACK Fiesta Trophy.[17]
In 2017, M-Sport regained the running rights continuing to use the Ford Fiesta R2. Following the introduction of theRally Pyramidin 2019, the latest evolution Ford Fiesta Rally4 was introduced for the second round of the2020season.
At the2018 seasonthe number of rallies were reduced to 5, while the last rally gives double points.
In March 2021 the FIA announced there will not be any two-wheel drive championships in WRC from 2022.[18]It was later announcedRally3cars would be used for Junior WRC from then on.[8][9]The FIA title for 2022 was called WRC3 Junior, however from 2023, FIA Junior WRC was restored.
Rules
editThe Junior WRC is open to drivers under the age of 29 who have not competed as a Priority 1 (P1) driver in an FIAWorld Rally Championshipevent. Competitors drive identical Ford Fiesta Rally4 cars usingPirellityres.There is no obligation to enter a minimum number of rounds and all rounds contribute to the championship points tally.[19]
The point-scoring system based on classification is the same as in the WRC, WRC2 and WRC3 championships, with points allocated to the top ten classified finishers as follows:
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
The last rally in the season awards double classification points to competitors who have started at least 3 previous rounds. Power Stage points are not awarded in Junior WRC as in the other WRC championships, however JWRC competitors can score one championship bonus point for each stage win during the season.[19]
The Nations Trophy sums points of the best performing driver from each nation each round, not including stage points.[19]
Results
editDrivers' Championship
editThis section lists events whosechronological order is ambiguous, backward, or otherwise incorrect.(September 2024) |
Statistics
editUpdated after the 2024 season.
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Gallery
edit-
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Sébastien Loebdriving hisCitroën SaxoVTS S1600 in 2001. -
Fiat PuntoS1600 at the 2001 Rally Finland. -
Renault ClioS1600 at the2004 Rally Finland. -
2004Suzuki IgnisS1600 at an auto show in 2003. -
Opel CorsaS1600 driven in 2005. -
Suzuki SwiftS1600 at the2007 Rally Finland. -
Ford FiestaST at the2007 Wales Rally GB. -
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Exciting Junior WRC Calendar revealed for 2023".Irish Motor Sports News.2022-12-01.Retrieved2023-01-01.
- ^"Armstrong's 'underdog' road to Junior WRC fight".BBC Sport.Retrieved2023-01-01.
- ^Barry, Luke (2021-03-29)."The Junior WRC stars worth watching in 2021".DirtFish.Retrieved2023-01-01.
- ^"Exciting 2023 calendar revealed for FIA Junior WRC Championship - automobilsport".automobilsport.Archived from the original on January 1, 2023.Retrieved2023-01-01.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^"M-SPORT REVEALS NEW JUNIOR WRC R2 CAR".
- ^"JUNIOR WRC".M-Sport.Retrieved2023-01-01.
- ^ab"Junior WRC".WRC - World Rally Championship.Retrieved2021-03-03.
- ^ab"APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR JUNIOR WRC DRIVE DAY".
- ^ab"NEW-LOOK CALENDAR TEMPTS JUNIOR WRC HOTSHOTS".
- ^Shacki."Season 2001 rally - eWRC-results".eWRC-results.Retrieved2023-01-01.
- ^"Preview: WRC 2003".Crash.2003-01-04.Retrieved2022-12-17.
- ^Stenos, Jan (16 November 2022)."What is a Championship anyway?".janswrc.substack.Retrieved2023-01-01.
- ^"Introducing The FIA WRC Academy Crews Of 2012".motorsport.Retrieved2023-01-01.
- ^"WRC academy completes induction".Crash.2011-03-15.Retrieved2023-01-01.
- ^"Exciting changes for 2013 WRC".WRC.WRC Official Website. 21 September 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 1 October 2012.Retrieved16 October2012.
- ^"FIA Junior WRC has Citroën in the spotlight | CARS GLOBALMAG".2015-05-04.Retrieved2023-01-01.
- ^Shacki."Season 2014 rally - eWRC-results".eWRC-results.Retrieved2023-01-01.
- ^"FIA Announces World Motor Sport Council Decisions".Federation Internationale de l'Automobile.2021-03-05.Retrieved2021-03-05.
- ^abc"2021 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP – SPORTING REGULATIONS"(PDF).
- ^"Top stats - JWRC wins".eWRC-results.(subscription required)
General Statistics
editNotes
edit- ^According to the official WRC Sporting Regulations document for each year