Wales Rally GB was the most recent iteration of the United Kingdom's premier international motor rally , which ran under various names since the first event held in 1932. It was consistently a round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar from the inaugural 1973 season until the rally's final running in 2019, and was also frequently included in the British Rally Championship .
69-457: The first rallies in the 1930s were simply known as Royal Automobile Club (RAC) Rallies and did not necessarily require leaving England. In 1951 the club organised the first annual RAC International Rally of Great Britain to tour the island, and until the 53rd event in 1997 this was still commonly known as the RAC Rally. In 1998, amidst a restructuring of the club and its commercial activities,
138-446: A 'cloverleaf' format was supposed to provide more value for the organisers, competitors, media production and spectators. Additionally, all WRC rallies followed a format of starting on a Thursday evening or Friday morning, to finishing on a Sunday afternoon. The 2000 Rally GB could no longer start on a Sunday with a day of 'spectator stages' at the traditional stately homes or venues. Instead, tickets were needed for all special stages for
207-755: A Nordic driver won Rally GB, was in 2012 ( Jari-Matti Latvala ). Until 1970 there had been no title sponsorship, but in that year the rally plates on all cars carried advertising of the event's newspaper sponsor after the name (RAC International Rally of Great Britain sponsored by the Daily Mirror ) . In 1971, the event's full title itself changed to become known as the Daily Mirror RAC International Rally of Great Britain . This deal lasted for two further events before finance company Lombard North Central , then known as Lombank, took over title rights in 1974. The event became known as
276-540: A business centre, a full-size marble swimming pool, squash courts, a billiards room and Victorian-style Turkish baths. The country clubhouse near Epsom also has accommodation, restaurants, and sports facilities including two 18-hole golf courses . The governing body of the club is its board of directors , which is presided over by the chairman. 51°30′22″N 0°08′06″W / 51.5062°N 0.1349°W / 51.5062; -0.1349 Li%C3%A8ge%E2%80%93Rome%E2%80%93Li%C3%A8ge The Marathon de la Route
345-464: A garage and parking, leaving the garage on foot then proceeding to return and reverse out of the garage, all against the clock. An official winner was declared for the first time, Ian Appleyard, driving a Jaguar XK120. In 1954 and the years that followed, the rally received criticism for being "no more than a navigational treasure hunt" in comparison to the rallies being held in Europe at the time such as
414-597: A major put-off for several top drivers. Double world champion Walter Röhrl perhaps being the most high profile competitor to state his dislike for the event. For many years the rally has traditionally been the last round of the World Championship, and therefore has staged many famous down-to-the-wire showdowns. In 1991 the world championship came down-to-the-wire in the British forests, with Lancia driver Juha Kankkunen edging out Toyota's Carlos Sainz after
483-463: A tree, and while he was unharmed his co-driver Michael Park sustained fatal injuries. It was the first death in the WRC in over a decade. The final two stages were cancelled and Sébastien Loeb , who would have won the event and the championship, voluntarily incurred a two-minute time penalty in order not to win under such circumstances, leaving Petter Solberg to be declared the victor. A memorial for Park
552-403: A wheel off. This seemingly handed the title to Toyota's Carlos Sainz. However, in a cruel twist of fate Sainz's engine let go just 300 meters from the finish line of the final stage, meaning that Mäkinen claimed the championship title, with Luis Moya famously throwing his helmet through the car's rear window in frustration. In 2003, a four-way title fight was narrowed down to just two when Burns
621-442: A wide range of members. It is best-known for establishing the roadside assistance service RAC Limited , though this is no longer owned by the club. It was founded on 10 August 1897, with the name Automobile Club of Great Britain (which was later changed to Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland). The headquarters was originally in a block of flats at 4 Whitehall Court , before moving to 119 Piccadilly in 1902. In 1902,
690-757: Is described in the Survey of London as "a polished essay in the late French Renaissance manner". At the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, the club arranged for 25 of their members, with their personal cars, to accompany the British Expeditionary Force to France and Belgium to act as chauffeurs and messengers for the British General Staff. Describing themselves as the " RAC Corps of Volunteer Motor Drivers ",
759-523: The Daily Mirror ). In 1971, the event's full title itself changed to become known as the Daily Mirror RAC International Rally of Great Britain . This deal lasted for two further events before finance company Lombard North Central , then known as Lombank, took over title rights in 1974. The event became known as the Lombard RAC Rally , and Lombard's name became synonymous with the event for almost two decades. In 1972 Unipart were sponsoring all
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#1732788035896828-490: The Lancia Delta S4 preventing a monopoly of the podium. There were 83 finishers out of 150 starters in 1986, compared to year of worst attrition in 1981 when only 54 of the 151 starters reached the end. This was in stark contrast to the early years: in 1938, there were only 6 retirements from 237 starters. During the 1990s, the length of the rally was gradually reduced, in line with other international rallies. 1989
897-537: The Lombard RAC Rally , and Lombard's name became synonymous with the event. Royal Automobile Club The Royal Automobile Club is a British private social and athletic club . It has two clubhouses: one in London at 89 Pall Mall , and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park , near Epsom in Surrey . Both provide accommodation and a range of dining and sporting facilities. The Royal Automobile Club has
966-549: The Recovery service. Similarly, until the early 1980s the roadside assistance service was limited to locations away from home, which only changed with the addition of an At Home level of service. In 1978 the Associate section was split off to form RAC Motoring Services Ltd and subsequently sold in 1999 to Lex Service (then renamed RAC plc). The Club's premises have 108 bedrooms, seven banqueting rooms, three restaurants,
1035-517: The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease , so competitors staged a mock rally at the Bagshot proving ground as consolation for the press and television (ATV had been persuaded to provide major coverage with in-car cameras for the first time). Until 1970 there had been no title sponsorship, but in that year the rally plates on all cars carried advertising of the event's newspaper sponsor after the name (RAC International Rally of Great Britain sponsored by
1104-478: The 100-yard slow driving test at an average speed of 0.66 mph (1.06 km/h), which was found to be less punishing under the scoring system than Donald Healey found by being fastest in the 100-yard (91 m) acceleration test, completing it in 7.6 seconds. The following year's RAC Rally followed a similar format, but with Hastings as the chosen finish. Over three hundred competitors entered, and this time Miss Kitty Brunell, driving an AC four-seater sports,
1173-509: The 1990s only a handful still operated on holiday routes in the West Country. The advent of mobile phones made the need for roadside telephones redundant and the last of the RAC telephones were removed from service. Roadside assistance is now provided by vans and recovery vehicles. Until the early 1970s the RAC did not have a formal "onward to destination" service for members. If the patrolman
1242-503: The 72 individual stages. In 1971, ticketed 'spectator stages' were introduced and by 1975 had become an important part of the event's profile and source of revenue. These stages were usually short stints at stately homes or other public venues, such as Chatsworth House and Sutton Park . They were popular with spectators as they were closer to large population centres than the forests in Wales or Scotland, and organisers saw them help control
1311-518: The Alpine or Liege-Rome-Liege . These demanded exceptional driving skill, endurance or had itineraries that required a higher speed over their entire route to avoid harsher penalties. No event was held in 1957 due to the Suez Crisis , but by 1958 no foreigner entered the rally at all. This didn't stop the award for best foreign driver being awarded, to Paddy Hopkirk of Northern Ireland. For 1959,
1380-541: The RAC created the motorsport governance and events organisation, the Motor Sports Association (now Motorsport UK ). In 1978 during a re-organisation the 'Associate Section' was established as a separate company RAC Motoring Services Ltd , which was owned by the organisation. In 1991 the RAC Foundation was split off as the research arm of 'RAC Motoring Services'. When RAC Motoring Services
1449-526: The RAC was one of the first organisations to provide an easily recognisable grading system. Their inspectors assessed each hotel and garage and awarded between one and five stars in the case of hotels and one to three spanners to garages. The RAC disbanded its hotel inspection team in 2004. Motorcycle patrols gave way to small vans during the 1960s and by 1970 the last motorcycle patrols had been phased out. RAC telephone boxes were withdrawn from service when they were eclipsed by wider telephone ownership and by
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#17327880358961518-556: The Scottish Borders. In 1998, 'RAC' disappeared from both the name of the rally and its organising body (RAC MSA). Earlier that year the Club had begun a lengthy process of restructuring and altering its constitution in order to sell its commercial motoring services operation to Cendant . This sale was ultimately blocked by the state on monopoly concerns, but a sale was made early in 1999 to Lex Group. It's possible that 'RAC'
1587-548: The Spaniard suffered engine issues and went off the road in Kielder Forest and damaged his car. One year later and Sainz and Kankkunen returned to the RAC along with Frenchman Didier Auriol to fight for the 1992 title. Auriol's challenge would end with engine failure, and Kankkunen's hopes were also dashed when he went off and damaged his steering on the final day of the rally in southern Scotland. Sainz eventually won
1656-630: The centre and cambered towards the edges. Road width varies throughout the country. Stages in North Wales and the Lake District are typically narrow, whilst those of South Wales and Kielder are much wider. Typically run in November, rainfall is almost guaranteed and wet and muddy road conditions have become the defining characteristic of the rally throughout its history. Temperatures at this time of year rarely exceed double digits. Therefore
1725-510: The change in venue, the race still kept its reputation as a challenge of driver endurance and mechanical reliability. The 1961 race required 90 hours of driving with a 4 hour rest at Sofia. Only 8 cars finished out of 85 total entrants. Lucien Bianchi and Georges Harris won this event, driving a Citroën DS 19 . From 1965 to 1971, the Nürburgring race was held due to the refusal of some countries to cross their territory. The duration of
1794-529: The command in 1907 "that the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland should henceforth be known as The Royal Automobile Club". In 1911, they moved to the current address, part of the site of the old War Office ; the club house was (and remains) one of the largest in London, with a frontage to Pall Mall of 228 feet and a depth, in the centre, of 140 feet. It cost over a quarter of a million pounds and
1863-576: The drivers included the Duke of Westminster , Lord Dalmeny and "Toby" Rawlinson ; many of them were given commissions and went on to give distinguished war service. In September 1914, a further group of RAC members put themselves and their cars at the disposal of the British Red Cross , to help transport war casualties. The RAC was responsible for organising the first British Grand Prix motor race at Brooklands , Surrey in 1926. In 1977,
1932-791: The event lost its RAC identity and became known as the Rally of Great Britain or Rally GB , with title sponsorship from the Government of Wales since 2003. The last planned Wales Rally GB was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Welsh Government withdrew sponsorship support. Attempts were made to replace it with a Rally UK or Rally Northern Ireland , held entirely in Northern Ireland, however no such event has run as of April 2024. The inaugural event
2001-468: The event to remove taboo surrounding the event being only for privateers. The 1953 event was included as the third round of the inaugural European Touring Championship and included nine tests and part of the route was a secret. The tests included acceleration and braking held at Silverstone, night driving at Castle Combe , a night climb of Prescott Hill , a speed test at Goodwood and a new 'garaging' test at Llandrindod Wells which involved driving into
2070-511: The first six runnings of the race from 1953, when an outright winner was first declared. However, in 1960 Erik Carlsson of Sweden drove his Saab 96 to a hat-trick of victories in 1960–1962. Of the nine drivers to have won three or more rallies, five have been Swedes , Finns or Norwegians . The record for most victories is currently five, won by Sébastien Ogier (2013–2016, 2018), who surpassed Finnish Hannu Mikkola (1978–79, 1981–82) and Norwegian Petter Solberg (2002–2005). Though, last time
2139-635: The first time, and all stages were run on gravel 'in the forests', with the exception of a short head-to-head super-special held at a purpose-built spectator arena in Cardiff Docks . The rally started and ended in Cardiff and at no point left South or Mid-Wales, the first time in the event's history it had not covered roads in England or Scotland. 2001 saw just one central service area employed at Felindre , near Swansea , then in 2002 every special stage
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2208-581: The growing numbers of spectators crowding the forests. The first day became devoted to these stages, in 1976 over 350 miles of road sections for just 14 miles of simple stages. They were often referred to as "Mickey Mouse stages" because of the lack of challenge they offered. Competing driver and columnist Chris Lord used the term and said he understood their purpose, but they were putting drivers off entering. Speaking of itineraries, Roger Clark said he'd rather have longer road sections than have "Mickey Mouse" stages to break them up. Nonetheless, they contributed to
2277-470: The ideal road position is viewed to be one of the earlier cars through the stage, as the road becomes more polished or cut-up by every passing car. Ice and snow are also not an uncommon occurrence for Britain at this time of year, and varying levels have affected the rally over the years. Editions such as 1971, 1988 and 1993 featured heavy snow conditions, particularly in the Northern-most sections of
2346-523: The mobile patrolmen by telephone, so they waited by public telephone boxes for the callout. From 1957 onwards they were equipped with radio sets for two way contact with their local headquarters. In 1912, following the lead of the competitor organisation The Automobile Association (AA), the RAC installed roadside telephones on laybys and junctions of the main trunk roads in the UK for members to summon help. Although they were never as numerous as AA boxes there
2415-504: The most part not as fast as those of Scandinavia. The crests are also not as sharp and there are little-to-no natural jumps or yumps. The stages throughout the country are known to alternate between more natural long, sweeping corners and others with manmade long straights and angular corners. The roads are commonly smooth and all feature a hard base and minimal loose surface material. That being said Kielder stages are known to be rougher and more abrasive, as well as being heavily built-up in
2484-496: The offence of driving recklessly. In the face of considerable opposition a speed limit of 20 mph was retained in addition to the creation of the offence of driving recklessly, dangerously or negligently. In 1905, the club organised the first Tourist Trophy (TT) motorcycle race, the oldest regularly run motor race. The club became the governing body for motor sport in Britain. King Edward VII 's interest in motoring led to
2553-655: The organisation, together with the recently formed Association of Motor Manufactures and Traders , campaigned vigorously for the relaxation of speed limits, claiming that the 14 mph speed limit imposed by the Locomotives on Highways Act 1896 was 'absurd' and was seldom observed. The organisations, with support from the Prime Minister Arthur Balfour , had considerable influence over the forthcoming Motor Car Act 1903 , which originally proposed to remove all speed limits for cars while introducing
2622-402: The patrolmen would come to attention and salute as a member drove past, or, if the patrolman was riding a motorcycle, merely salute. The RAC issued an annual 'Guide and Handbook' that contained road maps of the UK with the location of all RAC telephones marked on it, together with lists of local RAC approved garages and hotels. To give members an indication of the quality of each establishment
2691-449: The public roads rally to the type of event we know today". In the following year, 1961, rough gravel forestry roads all over the country were opened up to the drivers and the sealed surfaces such as Oulton Park made a tiny fraction of around 200 miles of special stages. With so many, the results of the rally were based more on what happened on these stages. This, with the introduction of special timing clocks and seeding of entries, secured
2760-537: The purposes of the rally competition and were based on an average speed of 40 mph. Swede Eric Carlsson won the rally and was the only driver not to accrue any penalty points at all. His co-driver Stuart Turner is quoted on the Monument Hill stage in the 1987 book RAC Rally by Maurice Hamilton, saying: "there is no doubt that was the point at which the RAC Rally shifted from a traditional "Find Your Way" on
2829-474: The rally and with it claimed his second world title. In 1995, it was estimated that around 2 million fans lined the forests to witness Scotsman Colin McRae win his second consecutive RAC Rally. In the process he beat teammate Carlos Sainz to take his first and only world title in front of thousands of fans at Chester Racecourse . McRae would have less fortune in future years; despite winning again in 1997, he
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2898-542: The rally still started from multiple points, the cars were convened at Silverstone racing circuit for a high speed test, and from there followed a common itinerary around Scotland, Wales and England, finishing in Bournemouth. Cars had to be standard production models and sold in quantities greater than 50. Many motor manufacturers wanted to enter teams and pressed the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to approve
2967-571: The rally was moved to November in the hope of making the rally more of a driving test in wintry weather, attempting to address concerns that the touring, regularity, road-rally wasn't necessary or worthy anymore. In 1960, organising secretary Jack Kemsley negotiated with the Forestry Commission to use a closed two-mile (3 km) gravel road named Monument Hill in Argyll , Scotland as a speed test. Times were still converted to points for
3036-493: The rally's future and appeal to international competitors, and the beginning of its reputation as one of the most gruelling and unpredictable fixtures on the calendar. By 1965 there was over 400 miles across 57 special stages held on a mix of War Department roads, racing circuits and other private venues but the majority were in the forests. In 1966, the Forestry Commission increased the compensation requested for
3105-528: The rally. As a result Rally GB was replaced by the Belgian Ypres Rally on the 2021 calendar. Despite further attempts by Motorsport UK to organise a rally, it did not appear on the 2022, 2023, 2024 or 2025 calendars. Despite the cancellation of Wales Rally GB in 2020, there are proposals to ressurect Rally GB to a new base in the country of Scotland for 2026. British forest stages are known to feature relatively high average speeds, although for
3174-542: The results. The seventies also saw change in the administration of organisation and authority of the sport. In 1975, the RAC's Competitions Committee was replaced by a Motor Sports Council, which was absorbed by the RAC Motor Sports Association in 1979. The legally independent association was created in December 1977 to organise motorsport events, one of which was the RAC Rally. The 1985 event
3243-481: The roads of Britain during 1901 with the patrolmen wearing a uniform not unlike the military police of the day, including tailored jodhpur trousers. The patrolmen had an army-like rank structure with corporals, sergeants and officers. Mounted on Matchless motorbikes with sidecars containing a tool kit, fanbelts, engine hoses, and metal cans of spare petrol they were usually located on standby at laybys and major road junctions. Until around 1930 control could only contact
3312-428: The route. The most recent edition to be affected by freezing conditions was 2008 , when several stages on the opening day had to be either shortened or cancelled due to substantial ice. The issue of freezing is further complicated by the outlaw of studded tyres in British forests by the Forestry Commission, in order to prevent damage to the roads. The unique weather conditions encountered on the rally have been viewed as
3381-452: The same place on Sunday around 4 pm. A Golden Cup was also sometimes awarded to three-year class winners such as Bill Bengry . The rally of August 1939 was the last major rally event before World War II. Belgium's Ginet Trasenster of Bugatti and France's Jean Trevoux in a Hotchkiss tied for first place, denying the German works teams shortly before their countries were overrun. This
3450-405: The series into a TV and spectator friendly series whilst cutting costs. One of the biggest changes implemented was to condense the rallies into a more compact area rather than touring the country, reducing 'dead air' road sections that provided little value to anybody. This was quickly followed by a reduction of services, ultimately to just one central service park; and the double-running of stages in
3519-442: The starting and finishing controls, and these are open for periods varying from seven to four hours. Competitors may report at these controls at any time during the hours of opening. ... At the final control they must check in as near their fixed finishing time as possible, and any considerable deviation from this time results in loss of marks. Completing the routes held no other competitive element other than following them within
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#17327880358963588-468: The time schedules, which were deliberately made easy by the RAC so that everybody made it to Torquay. However, competitors performed tests at the finish in Torquay, involving slow running, acceleration and braking. There was no official winner declared, although Colonel A. H. Loughborough in a Lanchester 15/18 was recorded as having the fewest penalty points in the decisive tests at the finish. He completed
3657-462: The use of its roads and the rally gained a sponsor in The Sun newspaper to help cover the costs, which were already being assisted by Lombank. From 1965, penalties accrued on the public road sections were being applied in units of time instead of points, with the total time measured on the special stages classifying the results of the rally. The 1967 event was cancelled on the eve of the event due to
3726-420: Was a measure of cooperation between the two motoring clubs—keys fitted both types of box and members' messages were passed on. The telephones were installed in locked boxes painted in royal blue with the RAC logo badge mounted on the top of the box. Members were provided with a key to the boxes when they joined the club. Members' cars were identified by a metal club badge usually affixed to the radiator grille and
3795-567: Was a series of road rallies held in Europe between 1931 and 1971, including Liège–Rome–Liège and Liège–Sofia–Liège rallies held on public roads and closed-circuit races held at the Nürburgring from 1965 until 1971. It was reserved for so-called touring cars . Many renowned drivers participated such as Olivier Gendebien , Willy Mairesse , Lucien Bianchi , and Jacky Ickx . The race took place on an open road, an average distance of 3,500 km non-stop (sometimes more than 5,000 km as in 1959): departing Wednesday at 11 pm from Spa , and returning to
3864-427: Was dropped by request of the existing title sponsor of the rally Network Q, who offered similar commercial services to both Cendant and Lex Group. It's more likely, though not explicitly proven, that use of RAC branding was sold as part of the motoring services deal. In 2000, the WRC's commercial rights holder International Sportsworld Communicators was sold to a consortium led by David Richards , who revolutionised
3933-476: Was forced to withdraw from the event for medical reasons, which would tragically claim his life two years later, and Carlos Sainz crashed out. In the end, Norwegian Petter Solberg would win the rally ahead of Sébastien Loeb , and consequently beat the Frenchman to claim his only world rally title by just one point. Nordic drivers have enjoyed rich pickings in the RAC Rally through the years. Home drivers won
4002-411: Was not able to complete the repair at the roadside, arrangements were made for an RAC approved garage to tow the vehicle and repair it at the owner's cost, with the owners being responsible for making their own arrangements for travel by public transport or hired vehicle. This changed in the 1970s with the first of the low-loading vehicle transporter fleet and the introduction of a higher membership tier of
4071-503: Was one of five Liège wins for Trasenster. The Liège continued as uncompromisingly an open road event run to an impossible time schedule, and remained Europe's toughest rally until it had moved to Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. From 1961 to 1964, the course was modified to Liège- Sofia -Liège. This reflected the desire of the organizer — the Royal Motor Union of Liège to diversify the route and to find traffic-free roads. Despite
4140-408: Was pipped to the title by Finn Tommi Mäkinen by just one point. The Scot would come up short again in 2001 when he crashed out of an early lead, gifting the championship to his English rival Richard Burns . One of the most dramatic showdowns was 1998, when championship leader Tommi Mäkinen crashed out on one of the first day's spectator stages after his Mitsubishi hit a patch of oil, slid and tore
4209-518: Was reached between the MSA and Natural Resources Wales to continue to use Welsh forest stages for three years. Rally GB was one of several World Championship rallies cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 , marking the first time in the history of the series that a round in Britain had not been held. A proposed move to Northern Ireland was scrapped for 2021 after the prospective organisers failed to reach an agreement with local government to host
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#17327880358964278-590: Was run more than once. After 10 years of sponsorship by Network Q, the Welsh Assembly became the title sponsor in 2003, helping to cement the rally's foothold in Wales. The 2005 rally included the first indoor super special stage at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff . The rally was overshadowed by a death on the final day. On stage fifteen, Peugeot driver Markko Märtin crashed heavily into
4347-510: Was sold in 1999 the foundation was granted a legacy and was subsequently established as a charity to research and promote issues of safety, mobility, economics and the environment related to motoring. In September 1999 members sold RAC Motoring Services to Lex Service plc, who renamed themselves RAC plc in 2002. RAC plc was then acquired by Aviva plc in March 2005 for around £1.1 billion. The RAC introduced uniformed mobile patrols around
4416-618: Was the 1932 Royal Automobile Club Rally, which was the first major rally of the modern era in Great Britain. Of the 367 crews entered, 341 competitors in unmodified cars started from nine different towns and cities (London, Bath, Norwich, Leamington, Buxton, Harrogate, Liverpool, Newcastle upon Tyne and Edinburgh.) The Official Programme explained: Different routes are followed from the nine starting points, each approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 km) long, but all finishing at Torquay. On every route there are four controls in addition to
4485-572: Was the driver with the fewest penalties. Over the next few years the rallies finished at various towns including Brighton and Blackpool. The rally was run annually until 1939, after which the outbreak of the Second World War forced its suspension. The first post-war RAC rally was the RAC International Rally of Great Britain 1951 and included an 1800 mile itinerary with tests of speed, hill-climbing and regularity. Although
4554-454: Was the last European event for Group B vehicles. These highly tuned turbocharged cars were to be banned as they were deemed too powerful and dangerous, in light of the various accidents in which they were involved. In the end, the Peugeot 205 T16 Evo. 2s of Timo Salonen , Juha Kankkunen and Mikael Sundström took three of the top four places, with only Markku Alén 's second position in
4623-471: Was the last event to take place over 5 days, with 1995 the last event to take place over 4 days. The 1990 event was the first to allow crews to use pacenotes , as previous editions did not allow crews to perform reconnaissance runs through the route beforehand. 1996 would be the last time to-date that forest stages would be run outside of Wales, with the opening leg taking place in Kielder Forest and
4692-401: Was the longest RAC Rally to date, with a total length of 3,465 kilometres (2,153 mi), with 79 hours of driving and 33 hours of rest over six days. Following the death of Henri Toivonen in 1986, limits on overall event length and stage length were put in place. Night stages were still permitted, however minimum break times prevented stages taking places through the night. The 1986 RAC Rally
4761-740: Was unveiled in Märtin's homeland of Estonia and the damaged tree on the Margam Park stage of the rally where he died bears a plaque in memorial of him. After being centred in South Wales since 2000, the 2011 edition of the rally started in Llandudno in North Wales and then heading south towards Cardiff during the rally. From 2013, the rally was centred in North Wales, with a service park located in Deeside , near Chester . In 2016 an agreement
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