The FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) is the top level of stage rallying and has crowned world champions since 1973. Unlike circuit racing, crews do not go wheel-to-wheel: they start one at a time and race the clock over timed special stages, and the surface changes completely from round to round — gravel, tarmac, snow and ice. For the fundamentals of how stage rallying works, see how rally racing works.
What sets the WRC apart is its machinery and its global reach. The top cars are four-wheel-drive Rally1 machines — turbocharged and producing around 380bhp. Three manufacturers field factory teams: Toyota, Hyundai and M-Sport Ford. Rounds are held on closed public roads across several continents rather than on permanent tracks.
Separate titles are awarded to drivers, co-drivers and manufacturers, so every rally feeds three championships at once. Each event runs over several days, ends with a live Power Stage, and scores points in three different ways — see how a WRC rally weekend works and how WRC scoring works.