FIA European Rally Championship

While the FIA European Rally Championship, which turned 70 in 2023, remains a target destination for drivers of varying ages and levels of experience, it’s firmly established as the ultimate training ground for young talents aiming for the top of the sport.

With a clear path of progression from national level to the world stage to mirror the FIA Rally Sporting Pyramid, career-focused competitors can climb the ranks by getting their first taste of international competition in either Rally5, Rally5-Kit or Rally4 machinery before progressing to Rally3 and then to the ERC’s headlining Rally2 category.

Although the WRC is very much the next step for aspiring world champions, who can switch to WRC3 or WRC2 depending on their level of knowledge and financial resources, the ERC serves as a platform for all-comers to compete in an international environment and benefit from extensive live broadcasting.

Several sub-categories exist, and the points allocation is specifically designed for more drivers to be rewarded more often.

Titles up for grabs

FIA European Championship for Drivers

FIA European Championship for Co-Drivers

FIA European Championship for Teams

FIA ERC3 Championship for Drivers

FIA ERC3 Championship for Co-Drivers

FIA ERC4 Championship for Drivers

FIA ERC4 Championship for Co-Drivers

FIA Junior ERC Championship for Drivers

FIA European Rally Championship for Tyre Suppliers

What’s new for 2024?

FIA European Rally Trophy events Rali Ceredigion (United Kingdom) and Rally Silesia (Poland) are elevated in status to form part of the ERC schedule for the first time.
Having hosted the 2023 ERC finale, Rally Hungary forms round one with a new surface (gravel) and new host city (Veszprém).
The FIA Junior ERC Championship calendar is virtually all new with only one event carried over from 2023 to give young talents the opportunity to further learn and progress.
To make the FIA European Rally Championship for Teams easier to follow and understand, and for clarification purposes, any ERC registered driver will be eligible to score Teams’ points regardless of the ERC category they contest.
The FIA European Rally Championship for Tyre Suppliers recognises and incentivises tyre company participation in the ERC with each nominated tyre supplier able to score points, with the two best placed ERC-registered Rally2 cars fitted with its tyres in the final classification of each rally.
ERC promoter WRC Promoter GmbH has introduced the Fiesta Rally3 Trophy through an alliance with car builder M-Sport Poland.
To assist the live streaming of the Qualifying Stage, the gap between each car is increased to two minutes on asphalt events, which is the same interval time as on gravel events.
Rather than selecting their road order for leg one, the eligible drivers start asphalt rounds according to the results of the Qualifying Stage. For gravel events, the starting order is a reverse of the Qualifying Stage classification. The Start Order Selection event no longer takes place.
All ERC1 crews start at two-minute intervals on leg one of an event with the top 15 starting two minutes apart on the subsequent leg with all other cars running at one- minute intervals.
The regroup time prior to the Power Stage has been increased from 40 to 50 minutes to allow for the possibility for the leading FIA Junior ERC crews to run first on the road as part of efforts to further increase the championship’s visibility and profile.
Events continue to run over four days from the start of reconnaissance to the finish of the Power Stage. However, event organisers can apply to the FIA for a waiver to schedule an additional day of stage reconnaissance.

More information:

Click HERE for the Sporting Regulations and click HERE for the official ERC website.