With the last few years of motorsport being decimated by the pandemic, fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the return of their favorite series in 2022. The World Rally Championship in 2020 and 2021 saw shortened seasons, many canceled events, and heavy restrictions placed on spectators. Now, with restrictions in most places easing, it's back in full swing for the new season. Things kicked off in a drama-filled event in Monte Carlo in January, with semi-retired rally legend Seb Loeb taking the win after a closely-fought battle with 2021 titleholder Seb Ogier.
The first event of the season demonstrated just how many drivers were in potentially rally-winning form, and the newly unveiled Rally1 cars added an extra layer of unpredictability to the event. That's just a small snapshot of what rally fans can expect this season, as its action-packed schedule is only just beginning and promises plenty more surprises yet. While still in its early days, it seems like the 2022 season of the WRC might be the most exciting one that fans have seen for decades.
8 A New Era Of Rally1 Cars
The biggest change for the 2022 season is the introduction of a new era of cars, the hybrid Rally1 class. Gone are the gasoline-powered World Rally Car machines of years past, instead replaced with this new generation of hybrid cars that promise a more sustainable future.
The cars are powered by a 100kW electric motor and a 1.6L turbocharged four-cylinder combustion engine, working in tandem. The combustion engine runs on biofuel and together the two systems give a combined power output of over 500 hp. That's the sort of numbers that haven't been seen since the WRC's Group B era, and it means that the new Rally1 cars are the fastest class to ever run in the WRC.
7 Expanded 13 Round Calendar
The previous two seasons saw their event calendars slashed due to Covid restrictions, but hopefully, 2022 should see the return of the full event lineup. To make up for lost time, this year the WRC have added an extra event onto their usual twelve-round schedule, making it up to thirteen rounds in total.
There are plenty of fan favorites including the return of Rally New Zealand, a classic event that first appeared in the WRC back in 1977. Rally Greece is also scheduled for later in the year after making its return in the reduced 2021 season. That's in addition to regular WRC fixtures like Sweden, Italy, Finland, and Spain.
6 Return Of Rally Kenya
One of the most legendary motorsport events of all had been missing off the WRC calendar for years but finally made a return in 2021, and it's back again for 2022. It is of course Safari Rally Kenya, an event that was so tough last year that a full 50% of drivers didn't even make it to the finish line.
It's one of the longest-running rally events on the planet, with 2022 being its sixty-ninth event. However, it had not been included in the World Rally Championship calendar since 2002, so it's great to see a return of this fan-favorite that always brings some of the most spectacular backdrops of any rally on the planet.
5 Unprecedented Battle For The Driver's Championship
Over the past eighteen years, the WRC driver's title has only gone to three men: nine times to Seb Loeb, eight to Seb Ogier, and a single 2019 title to Ott Tanak. This year, for the first time since 2003, neither of the two Sebs will be running a full season and so the driver's title is now up for grabs and could be taken by any one of several leading drivers. Ott Tanak will be of course looking to claim a second crown after his disappointing fifth-place finish in last year's championship, and Brit Elfyn Evans will be looking to take his first title after two years in a row of finishing second to Seb Ogier.
Theirry Neuville is also a championship contender, and young gun Kalle Rovanpera has proved he's one to watch after his fourth-place finish in the 2021 season. Irishman Craig Breen is also leading the charge at M-Sport this year, and he shouldn't be underestimated. His podium finish at the first event of the 2022 season shows he means business, and if he can keep that pace up throughout the season, he might be in with a shot at the driver's title too.
4 M-Sport's New Ford Puma
Toyota and Hyundai have kept the same base model for their new Rally1 cars, with the Yaris and i20 respectively. M-Sport Ford has taken a different route though, and instead of using a Fiesta like in previous seasons, they've switched to a Puma crossover. The car is completely new underneath, and at the first rally of the season, it's proved to be very competitive.
The Puma took first and third place in the hands of Seb Loeb and Craig Breen, a complete U-turn from last year when Ford's cars struggled to keep pace with the competition. It's a dramatic reversal of fortune for the British-based team, and it means M-Sport could be well and truly back in the manufacturer's title fight after a few years of lagging behind.
3 The First Rally In Asia Since 2010
2022 is already shaping up to be a season of firsts, but the long-awaited return of Rally Japan is yet another reason for rally fans to be excited. It was originally planned that Japan would return in the 2020 season, but coronavirus restrictions meant that the event was canceled.
It was then planned for 2021 but again ended up being canceled for the same reason. Hopefully, 2022 will be the year that the event finally makes its return. It's currently scheduled to run from the 10th to the 14th of November, making it the last event of the year.
2 Return Of The Sebs
Although neither of the Sebs will be competing full time this year, they've both shown that they're pretty keen to make appearances at select rounds of the Championship. Their appearance at the season opener Rally Monte Carlo gave fans a classic rematch of French driving skill, one of their closest matched bouts since the early days of their rivalry at the start of the 2010s.
There's been no confirmation yet of which events Ogier and Loeb will appear at later in the season, but it's safe to assume that this won't be their only Championship outing in 2022. Their ability to take podiums even when they're running a part season should worry this year's driver's title contenders, as the full-time drivers will need to battle even harder to wrestle valuable Championship points away from the two Frenchmen.
1 New Talent Is Starting To Shine
It's not just the old guard that has been displaying their capabilities over the past year or so, there's plenty of new talent that's rising up through the ranks too. We've already mentioned Kalle Rovanpera's fourth-place finish last season, but fellow newcomer Takamoto Katsuta also impressed last year with his second-place finish at Safari Rally Kenya, behind Seb Ogier.
Oliver Solberg has also shown impressive pace over the 2021 season, although so far he's lacked the consistency needed to move up the leaderboard. With a new car and new events though, 2022 might be a breakthrough season for him. That's not to mention other upcoming drivers like Gus Greensmith and Adrien Formaux, who have shown good pace at several rallies and make this season's driver lineup one of the most competitive in decades.