Qualifying has been tipped for a return to the World Rally Championship for next season.
The pre-event shakedown stage was given a competitive element for two years through the 2012 and 2013 seasons. For the last decade, however, shakedown has had no impact on the rally itself. In an effort to offset a running order debate which has backdropped this year, the FIA will consider a rule change ahead of next year.
The plan would be for the top three drivers in the championship to take a third run at shakedown which would count as a qualifying run – fastest time would give them the first choice of whether to run first, second or third on the road. The drivers fourth and below in the standings would start the opening day of a WRC round in that championship position – as is the case this season.
M-Sport team principal Richard Millener told DirtFish: “There is this consistent problem with the first person on the road being vocal about how awful it is [to be first on the road], which doesn’t look good for the championship and doesn’t look good in the end of stage interviews.
“There was some discussion of a return to full qualifying, which I wasn’t in favor of because I believe the best drivers will always come to the top and it will be the same few drivers winning qualifying and choosing the best position on the road.
“Is there a compromise? I wondered if we could just do the top three in the championship? The driver who’s in fourth place would have started fourth on the road anyway, so it doesn’t impact on them. This is a good compromise.”
While the drivers were largely in favor of the opportunity to return qualifying, containing the plan to the top three drivers wasn’t hugely popular. Championship leader Thierry Neuville is the man who has suffered the worst of the road cleaning at the head of the field this year.
As championship leader since the first round, Neuville would've benefited most from qualifying this season
He told DirtFish: “It’s only really the driver in first who would benefit and get the advantage. Clearly, such a system would have worked for me this year – but I’m always trying to think about the interests of the sport. To have storytelling on shakedown would be interesting and not something which is boring for everybody.
“And as well, I think one of the targets of qualifying is to take away the advantage the part-time drivers have when they are coming to the rallies and taking the best place on the road [on gravel rallies] because they are fifth or sixth or something in the standings. Even if we did the top five [drivers] for qualifying, the part-time drivers would be still have an advantage.”
Elfyn Evans echoed those sentiments saying: “I don’t know how to feel about it, to be honest. I see in a way it’s an opportunity, but if you’re third you can only lose in that situation and if you’re first you can only win. For me, it would be better if the whole field did it, it would be more fair.”
Next month’s FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting will have the final say on any proposed changes to the shakedown structure.
