The 1997 World Rally Championship is the 25th season of the FIA ​​World Rally Championship. This season saw many changes in the championship. Most strikingly, Group A was partially replaced by the World Rally Car with manufacturers given the option of which regulations to build. One of the inherent benefits to manufacturers by adopting WRC regulations is eliminating the need to produce massive street versions of cars that they compete with, under previous rules for homologation. This means that vehicles such as Escort RS Cosworth and Subaru Impreza Turbo no longer have to be mass-produced for general sales in order to compete at the World Championship level, and thus act as a means to attract increased competition and producer involvement. In the next few years, the Championship sees the additional presence of WRC cars from companies such as Hyundai, Seat, Citroen, and Peugeot, which will all compete under WRC regulations without having to produce an equivalent dedicated road car for public sale. Both Ford and Subaru switched to the WRC in 1997, except Mitsubishi who remained with Group A to maintain relationships with their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution cars. Subaru's transition is much more gradual for the same reason as the early Subaru Impreza WRC is still largely Group A in nature.
The event also became shorter and more compact, the event rotation system used in the previous three seasons was dropped and registered manufacturers were required to follow 14 extended calendar events for the first time. In time, World Rally Car rules will bring new manufacturing into the sport, but in early 1997 it was still Subaru versus Mitsubishi versus Ford as before, though, by mid-season, the European Toyota Team returned with the Corolla World Rally Car. The Racer Championship is very tight and in the end Tommi MÃÆ'¤kinen won his second world championship racer in Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV by one point ahead of Subaru Impreza WRC racer Colin McRae after the final round in the United Kingdom. Carlos Sainz is third in the leading Ford Escort WRC. Manufacturer Degree won by Subaru.
One of the major drawbacks in the new classroom system is exposed by the increased speed of the FIA ​​2-Liter front-wheel-drive Rally Cup front-wheel drive car. The tarmac specification cars built by Peugeot and Renault competing in the sophisticated French and Spanish championship pose a major threat to the WRC tarmac Rallye Catalunya and Tour de Corse with Gilles Panizzi beating all but two of the WRC four-wheel-drive turbos in Peugeot 306 Maxi, took third place in both events.
Video 1997 World Rally Championship
Calendar
Maps 1997 World Rally Championship
Team and driver
- Mitsubishi supplies Uwe Nittel Pirelli tyers
Results and standings
Driver Championship
Factory championship
Events
External links
- FIA World Rally Championship 1997 at rallybase.nl
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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