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42-603: WRC2 began in 2013, replacing the Super 2000 World Rally Championship (SWRC) as the series performance car based championship in a rearrangement of the WRC support categories that also saw the existing Production car World Rally Championship (PWRC) and WRC Academy make way for WRC3 and Junior WRC. In early 2012, the FIA annulled the contract in place with WRC's promotor North One Sports following its owners collapse into administration. After

84-474: A Challenger (thus eligible for the Challenger championships) if they have not previously won WRC2 or WRC3 in a Rally2 car or scored WRC Manufacturer points. Power Stage points are awarded to the fastest three drivers, on a 3, 2 then 1 point basis. Teams, drivers and co-drivers need to indicate on the entry form for each rally if they intend to nominate it as one of their scoring rounds. For this reason (and

126-848: A DS3 WRC. A C3 World Rally Car was offered by the company from 2018, but there is no evidence that anybody used it in competition. Although supported by Citroën, Robert Kubica drove a car supplied by PH Sport in the WRC and WRC2 championships in 2013, the season he won the WRC2. He drove a modified DS3 RRC with a paddle-gearshift for use by his left hand due to injuries sustained to his right hand in an accident. The company also supplied cars and services to enable Mads Østberg to become WRC2 champion in 2020. Between 2013 and 2016, Sébastien Chardonnet , Stéphane Lefebvre and Quentin Gilbert all drove PH Sport supplied cars for assaults on WRC3 and Citroën's in-house championship, Citroën Top Driver. Lefebvre won

168-767: A history of entering national and international rallies and championships such as the World Rally Championship , often in close cooperation with automobile manufacturers Citroën and Peugeot , and the Equipe de France team of the French Federation of Automobile Sport (FFSA). The company also enters off-road rallies such as the Dakar Rally and others of the World Rally-Raid Championship using Peugeot vehicles in

210-399: A minimum of eight rallies, including one outside Europe. Only the eight best results would contribute to the championship. The WRC 2 Pro series was abandoned after only one year following criticism that the structure was too difficult to understand. Also, no new manufacturers had been attracted as desired. Of the three 2019 entrants, M-Sport Ford and Citroën had free entry courtesy of being in

252-514: A new rally pyramid that emphasised tiers of corresponding numbers of classes, cars and competitions. The eligibility rules of WRC 2 were changed so that only R5 cars could enter in 2019. Further, Super-2000, Group N and R4 could no longer enter the WRC at all. Simultaneously, the R5 class was renamed Rally2 , which appeared in official regulations from 2020. Meanwhile, the existing WRC 3 championship for two-wheel drive cars ceased after 2018, and WRC 2

294-683: A similar way to the World Rally Championship. Section sources: The following Super 2000 rally cars were eligible to compete in SWRC 2010–2012: From 2011, the following R4 cars were also eligible: As derivatives of the Super 2000 car, the following Regional Rally Cars (RRC) were eligible to compete in 2012: PH-Sport PH Sport is a motorsport services company based in Langres , France, established in 1990. The company has

336-597: A tender process, the FIA World Motor Sport Council approved a new promotor in September of that year, a collaboration between Sportsman Media and Red Bull, with responsibility for all commercial matters of the championship, with power to assist in forming the calendar and proposing new rallies, and suggesting altering of rules and regulations and structure of the championships. It was also announced that another WRC tenderer, Eurosport Events , then

378-448: Is not clear if Škoda's withdrawal was the cause of, effect of, or related to any changes in the championships. From 2020 to 2021, WRC2 was for manufacturer and independent teams approved by the FIA. Privateer drivers could only enter a new version of WRC3 for Rally2 cars in 2020 and 2021, which included budget restraints and restrictions on who could enter based on previous successes. The rally results service eWRC-Results advocates for

420-535: The 2017 season onwards. Although, they continued to support the team unofficially, asking PH Sport to run the Abu Dhabi Total WRT on most events with drivers Kris Meeke , Craig Breen and Khalid Al-Qassimi , with occasional drives from Stephane Lefebvre, Marcos Ligato, Quentin Gilbert and José Alberto Nicolas. Meeke's win in Rally Finland at 126.6 km/h (78.7 mph) set the record for

462-620: The Equipe de France in the final round. In 2009, the Citroën Junior Team was created which collated the privateer customers with Citroën-sponsored drivers into a second Citroën team scoring points in the Manufacturers championship. The team was presented as an opportunity to develop young drivers, a tactic to support the senior team, and to also add value to the championship following the withdrawal of Subaru and Suzuki at

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504-590: The WRC Manufacturer's championship. Somewhat against the intentions of the two championships, M-Sport Ford nominated customer owner-drivers whilst Citroën nominated an independent team, PH Sport , to run their entry with a customer driver. Conversely, M-Sport Ford and Škoda were supporting Eric Camilli and Fabian Kreim respectively as privateer entries in the privateer oriented WRC 2. Škoda, the only paying entrant and victor, withdrew from entering WRC from 2020, instead supporting Toksport entries. However, it

546-424: The WRC calendar, was renamed Junior World Rally Championship the following year. The Equipe de France team entered into the 2008 Junior World Rally Championship with Citroën Sport backed Sébastien Ogier driving their C2 Super 1600. PH Sport ran the car on events, leading to Ogier winning the drivers championship thanks to three event wins. This performance convinced the Equipe and Citroën to enter Ogier into

588-551: The WRC2 Championship for Teams on any rally teams must enter and start with two cars. Teams may enter a maximum of 6 rallies in Europe with the best 5 results contributing to the championship points. Teams are also permitted to enter a seventh rally outside Europe for bonus points. Drivers and/or Co-Drivers must enter a maximum 7 rallies and the best 6 results contribute to championship points. Drivers will be considered as

630-694: The WRC3 championship in 2014. Yohan Rossel also won the championship in 2021 in a Group Rally2 car. In 2001, PH Sport ran the Citroën Saxo VTS S1600 that Sébastien Loeb won the Super-1600 Championship for Drivers with. This was followed in 2002 with a Junior World Rally Championship title win for Spaniard Dani Sola. PH also ran cars for Italian Andrea Dallavilla and Finn Janne Tuohino. In 2006 they entered Julien Pressac, and in 2007, Conrad Rautenbach and Yoann Bonato contested

672-455: The car classes, and the Zephyr in the lightweight Group T3 class, designed and built by themselves. PH Sport was founded on 17 July 1990 by Bernard Piallat, a mechanic , and David Henry, a bodywork specialist. Prior to starting the company, the founders had entered rallies as a crew pair, with Henry driving and Piallat co-driving. In September 1998, Henry retired and sold his stake in

714-433: The championship. In 2011, the SWRC calendar consisted of eight WRC rallies, with entrants having to nominate seven to contest. There was no explicit rule requiring leaving Europe, but as two rounds were outside Europe, one or both would need to have been entered. In 2012, the criteria was similar but there was only one round outside of Europe, Rally New Zealand . Points and championship classifications were accumulated in

756-514: The championships from 2022. Following the launch of Group Rally3 cars in 2021, the 2022 WRC3 Championship became exclusively for those cars. WRC2 expanded to allow privateer drivers of Rally2 cars. Specific WRC2 championship titles for Juniors and cup titles for Masters were also created, although the WRC2 Masters category would be replaced by a WRC Masters Cup in 2023. In the 2023 season teams and individuals may enter WRC2. To score in

798-513: The company. In January 2010, Sébastien Loeb and his business partner and early backer Dominique Heintz acquired a stake in the company through their venture, Sébastien Loeb Racing . Differences of opinion with Piallat on the future of the company appeared after a few months, with Heintz and Loeb both keen to expand operations to circuit competitions. Both men sold their stake in October 2011. Piallet first heard of Sébastien Loeb in 1997. Over

840-562: The competitors", with WRC2 and WRC3 replacing SWRC and PWRC. Unlike the old, the new support championships were not world championships in their own right, beholden to FIA International Sporting Code rules applicable to championships including the word world in their titles. These rules influenced the make up of the calendar and commitment from the entrants. For this reason it is asserted that WRC2 cannot be an acronym for World Rally Championship 2 and its champions are not world champions. Indeed, in 2013 and 2014, World Rally Championship 2

882-487: The end of 2008. Australian Chris Atkinson , claimed as one of two Citroën proteges, only entered the first round although Ogier had more starts. They were joined by otherwise privateers Evgeny Novikov and Rautenbach who were occasionally nominated for manufacturer points. For the final round only, Petter Solberg and Aaron Burkart joined the team. The Citroën Junior Team was entered again in 2010, with former Formula One world champion Kimi Räikkönen joining Ogier as

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924-499: The end of 2018: The following RRC (Regional Race Car) were eligible to compete in WRC2 up to the end of 2018: The following cars were eligible to compete under the R4 or N4 rules up to the end of 2018: Super 2000 World Rally Championship The FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship (also SWRC ) was a support championship of the World Rally Championship (WRC) that ran for three seasons from 2010 to 2012. It

966-455: The fastest average speed in the history of the World Rally Championship. This record remains as of February 2023. In 2006, the company supplied a Xsara WRC for Janne Tuohino to compete in two rounds of the WRC, Rally Sweden and Rally Finland. The following year, Gigi Galli entered three rounds of the WRC in a PH Sport supplied Xsara WRC although he chose an Italian team to run rally operations. The team facilitated Bryan Bouffier in 2013 with

1008-478: The final classification. Despite this, his team finished fourth in the manufacturers championship, behind only works Ford and Citroën teams and ahead of 6 others. Dutchman Peter van Merksteijn also entered the manufacturers championship under the name Van Merksteijn Motorsport , again operated by the company. In 2012, the Junior Team was revived for Thierry Neuville who completed all but two rounds with

1050-481: The first season, it was noted by the FIA that the support championships were more popular than ever. Thirteen drivers scored championship points in 2012's SWRC , compared to 36 in 2013's WRC2 . With the introduction of the R5 in Group R in 2013, the eligibility of the SWRC was extended to allow R5 and four wheel drive Group N cars into WRC2, alongside Super-2000, Regional Rally Cars (RRC) and R4. This essentially merged

1092-775: The following three years, with backing from the FFSA and Citroën Sport, PH Sport prepared Citroën Saxo Kit Cars in which he competed in France's Citroën Trophy and the French national rally championships. Loeb was victorious in the Trophy in 1999, and in 2000, won the 2wd French gravel championship. In 2001, the company ran the Citroën Saxo Super 1600 in which Loeb became FIA Super 1600 Champion by winning all five events they started. The series, consisting of international rallies on

1134-453: The following years as this was incorporated into the World Rally Championship. In 2010, 10 of the rallies of the World Rally Championship calendar made up the calendar of the SWRC. Entrants needed to register and nominate at that point which seven rallies they would be contesting, which must have included two of the three rallies on the calendar outside Europe. Failure to contest any of the nominated rallies would have resulted in exclusion from

1176-447: The four-wheel drive and performance cars of PWRC and SWRC back into one competition whilst WRC3 championship was for two wheel drive cars. Between 2013 and 2015 two additional cup titles were also contested by those driving Group N cars, WRC 2 Production Car Cup for Drivers and Co-Drivers . Changes to the structure of the WRC support championships were made by the FIA ahead of the 2019 season, coinciding with approval and implementation of

1218-486: The promotor and owner of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), would become the promotor of a revamped FIA European Rally Championship from 2013. The IRC was a challenger series to the WRC in global rallying and ceased at the end of 2012. At the same September WMSC meeting, the FIA announced changes to the WRC's support championships in order " to reflect the interests and demands of

1260-405: The purpose of stats and comparison, that WRC3 in these years is a continuation of the 2019 WRC2 series, with the 2019 WRC 2 Pro being the origin of a new championship which became WRC2 in these years. However this method of thinking would place the winner of four WRC 2 Teams Championships from 2015 to 2018, the manufacturer Škoda, in the privateer continuation. It also doesn't account for the merge of

1302-455: The regular starters, although Dani Sordo of the senior team traded places with Ogier for three rallies. In 2011 the WRC rules were relaxed, allowing non-manufacturer teams to compete in the manufacturers championship with the latest cars and with a minimum obligation of only 7 rounds. The new rules also provided for privateers to enter under their own or sponsor's name without need for the manufacturer's name, and could do so with only one car in

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1344-480: The requirement for teams to enter two cars), it is not unusual for teams, drivers and co-drivers to enter multiple rounds yet nominate and score points in different rounds to each other. Prior to the introduction of nominated events, the first 7 results counted which may have encouraged non-participation on certain events. The following Rally2 or R5 cars are currently eligible for entry into WRC2: The following Super 2000 rally cars were eligible to compete in WRC2 up to

1386-481: The season finale at Rally GB in a C4 WRC car which PH Sport ran. For the following two years, the company worked with Ogier whilst operating the Citroën Junior Team in the top class of the WRC. Ogier won twice, Rally de Portugal and Rally Japan in 2009, and scored several podiums. PH Sport ran operations for customers of Citroën Racing Technologies (also CRT, formerly Citroën Sport Technologies),

1428-512: The sub-division of Citroën Racing established to facilitate customer racing at the top level of the World Rally Championship. New or recent World Rally Cars were supplied by CRT, and Benoit Nogier effectively became team principal to several customer teams. In 2008, these customers were Estonian Urmo Aava , running in World Rally Team Estonia, and Zimbabwean privateer Conrad Rautenbach , as well as for Ogier on behalf of

1470-458: The team. Räikkönen entered as the only driver under the team name Ice One Racing , although the team were excluded from the manufacturers championship when he did not start Rally Australia , one of his two nominated rounds outside Europe. Petter Solberg also entered as the only driver in his team, Petter Solberg World Rally Team , ran by PH Sport. His car was found to be underweight by the stewards during Rally France resulting in exclusion from

1512-622: The team. For the other two rallies, he competed for the Qatar World Rally Team which was also established in 2012, principally for Nasser Al-Attiyah . Chris Atkinson was also invited to compete in Rally Finland whilst Al-Attiyah competed at the London summer Olympics. Dutchman Hans Weijs contested the final round in Spain for the team. Citroën did not enter privateer teams into the WRC from 2013 and there appears to be no use of

1554-595: The term Citroën Racing Technologies since. However, the Customer Racing department was established from 2013 to handle business surrounding the DS3 R5, R3 and R1 cars which, including the World Rally Cars, were sold to third parties like PH Sport for entry into competition. Citroën withdrew its World Rally Team from the WRC in 2016 in order to focus resources on developing a new regulation car for use in

1596-486: The two. The creation of SWRC returned PWRC to a production car only series. SWRC also provided an FIA alternative to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge , which had gained in popularity and may have been a commercial threat to the WRC. SWRC was replaced by the then new WRC2 Championship in 2013, after the Super 2000 cars were replaced by the FIA with Group R cars, specifically the R5 . For one season only in 2010, there

1638-533: Was also a WRC Cup for Teams which was only for Super 2000 cars. However, this cup was not part of the Super 2000 championship even though many of the crews driving for the teams were. This may be attributed to the way the cup and championship were approved by and proposed to the World Motor Sport Council separately. With the new World Rally Car being based on Super 2000 rules, there was no strictly Super 2000 based cup or championship for teams in

1680-525: Was introduced to provide a series for the Super 2000 (S2000) specification of rally car, which in performance terms sat above the Group N level production cars and its Production World Rally Championship (PWRC), and the World Rally Car that dominated overall WRC results. Between 2007 and 2009, Super 2000 cars were permitted in the PWRC alongside Group N, with a noticeable gap in performance between

1722-406: Was officially used only once in the sporting regulations, and since 2015 has not been used by either the FIA or its promotor. In the new WRC2 of 2013, entrants could nominate round-by-round for the first time which rallies they would be competing in and could choose any rally included in the WRC calendar with no minimum commitment or any requirement to compete in rallies outside Europe. By the end of

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1764-581: Was split into a championship for manufacturer teams called WRC 2 Pro; and a championship for privateer driver entries, which retained the name WRC 2. WRC 2 Pro was introduced in 2019 as a means of encouraging manufacturer entries to join the category and in response to complaints that privateers could not compete with the resources of the factory teams. Entirely separate manufacturer, driver and co-driver championships were created. Competing in cars built to R5 specifications, manufacturer teams were permitted to enter up to two crews per event. Entries had to contest

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