Here’s everything you need to know for the WRC 2019 season

The WRC has been won by a Sébastien for the last 15 years. Sébastien Ogier claimed the last 6 titles, while Sébastien Loeb won the 9 titles before that. Although impressive, this may not appeal to you as the most exciting Championship to watch. However, the WRC 2019 season has had a shake-up, and it now has all the ingredients to be one of the most thrilling WRC Championships yet. So, here’s what you need to know…

1. Ogier returns to Citroën

With Ford not fully funding the M-Sport team, it is no surprise that Ogier has left the Cumbrian outfit to return to his roots; Citroën, a team which helped him claim the junior world title back in 2008 as well as his first WRC win in Portugal in 2010.

‘There were various factors that influenced my decision,’ explains Ogier. ‘I really like the idea of working again with people with whom things went pretty well a few years back and I’m also excited by the chance to try and pull off the challenge of becoming world champion with a third different manufacturer.’ However, the Citroën C3 is renowned for being a challenging car to drive, with often spasmodic handling characteristics, so Ogier’s 2019 season might not be the easiest.

2. Loeb is back

While one Sébastien has been enjoying the limelight, the other; Sébastien Loeb, has returned this year with Hyundai. The 44 year old will be competing in 6 events which is the most since his retirement as a full time driver in 2012. Each one of his 79 WRC victories and 9 titles were achieved behind the wheel of a Citroën, so slotting into a completely new team is only one of the challenges the Frenchman faces this year. ‘Winning at Rally de España this season reignited my desire to continue competing at the very front of WRC,’ highlighted Loeb in 2018. ‘Joining Hyundai will give us a fresh challenge and one that I can’t wait to tackle.’

3. Chile added to calendar

With the 2019 season now featuring Rally Chile, this year’s calendar has been extended to 14 rounds, making it the largest calendar since 2008. Chile becomes the 32nd country to host the WRC since the championship was first launched back in 1973. The South American venue will be the 6th round of the Championship, forming the second leg of a double-header with Argentina. The route will start from Concepción, southwest of Santiago and will feature several wide and fast gravel stages.

‘The colour, passion and intensity of back-to-back rallies in Latin America, a region whose booming motorsport imprint provides great potential to further increase fan interest, will generate further impetus to the WRC,’ highlights WRC Promoter managing director OIliver Ciesla.

4. Meeke is back

After the controversies of last year, where Citroën sacked Kris Meeke after Rally Portugal for crashing too many times, it was fair to question whether Meeke would make this year’s line-up. However, the Brit returns with Toyota. ‘I am really excited to get going with what is a new start for me, with a new team, a new car, and even a new co-driver,’ highlights Meeke. ‘What the team was able to achieve last season, particularly in the second half of the year, gives me a lot of confidence in the car that I am going to have underneath me… My immediate priority is simply to enjoy driving again, and the Monte [Rallye Monte Carlo] is certainly an event I have enjoyed in the past.’

5. Upgrades

Although WRC enters another year of relatively stable sporting and technical regulations, that hasn’t stopped the teams from upgrading their machinery. Ford’s EcoBoost powered Fiesta will feature an engine upgrade, new dampers and electronics as well as modified lamp pods to incorporate adaptive lighting. There has also been some revisions to the rear bumper and the addition of several louvres to increase aerodynamic performance. ‘Because the louvre is a Variant Option [VO] you can have as many different varieties as you want, which is probably the worst thing on Earth, as we’ve been told by the aero guys, because they can play to their hearts content,’ explains Chris Williams, M-Sport chief rally engineer. ‘We can have a different one on every rally for every surface. Because they’re VO, you can change it; homologate 20 types and have one for Germany, one for Finland, one for somewhere else. It gives you flexibility.’

Meanwhile, Citroen’s C3 racer has benefitted from damper developments and Toyota’s Yaris will carry some 2018 developments through to the first round of the season at Rallye Monte-Carlo. Hyundai’s i20 on the other hand has had some of its tech foundations evolved, rather than redesigned. For 2019, manufacturer teams are allowed three chassis jokers and three engine jokers or modifications. Time will tell how many of these each team will utilise and what on.

There is plenty going on in the 2019 WRC season – so will you be watching? I know I will.

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