Rovanpera and Halttunen defend their crown, Toyota takes a third straight manufacturers' title, and the season carries the death of Craig Breen.
The 2023 FIA World Rally Championship was the 51st season of the series, run over thirteen rounds from Monte Carlo in January to Japan in November. Rovanpera and Halttunen retained their titles, and Toyota secured a third manufacturers' championship in a row.
The 2023 season was the 51st of the World Rally Championship, and it was overshadowed by the death of Craig Breen in a test before the Croatia Rally. Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen defended their drivers' and co-drivers' titles, while Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT made it three manufacturers' championships in a row. The calendar also changed, with Rally Mexico and Rally Chile both returning.
What was the 2023 World Rally Championship?
It was the 51st season of the championship, with thirteen rounds that began in Monte Carlo and closed in Japan. Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen won their second world titles at the Central European Rally, and Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT secured a third manufacturers' title at Rally Chile.
Rovanpera and Halttunen had become champions for the first time at the 2022 Rally New Zealand. Only manufacturers running Rally1 cars could score manufacturer points, and crews could compete in cars across the Rally1 to Rally5 groups.
A third straight manufacturers' title for Toyota, a second drivers' crown for Rovanpera, and a season that carried the loss of Craig Breen.
What calendar changes came in 2023?
The championship had been expected to grow to fourteen rounds, but the calendar released in late November had thirteen. A planned Saudi Arabian rally at Jeddah was absent, and the Argentine, Australian and Northern Irish bids all failed.
Rally Mexico returned after missing the 2021 and 2022 championships, following a national event in 2022 as a lead-in. Rally Chile rejoined the calendar after being ruled out in 2020 and 2021, first because of protests and then because of the pandemic.
The Central European Rally was introduced as a tri-nation event across Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, replacing the Catalonian Rally. It was based in Passau in Bavaria and ran on tarmac. Ypres Rally, part of the championship for the two previous seasons, dropped off the calendar, and Rally New Zealand was left out while organisers sought a return in 2024.
Rally Italia Sardegna moved its headquarters back from Alghero to Olbia, and the Safari Rally was based at the lakeside town of Naivasha rather than Nairobi.
Which crews changed for 2023?
M-Sport signed Tanak and Jarveoja on a full-year deal after they ended a multi-year contract with Hyundai. Pierre-Louis Loubet was entered at every round as a points-scoring manufacturer entry, with Nicolas Gilsoul as his co-driver before Benjamin Veillas replaced him. Gus Greensmith left M-Sport after eight years to race for Toksport in WRC2.
Hyundai signed Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm as full-time crews alongside Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe. Craig Breen, who had driven for Hyundai from 2019 to 2021, rejoined the team and shared the third car with Dani Sordo. Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson were dropped and moved to Toksport. Cyril Abiteboul, formerly of the Renault Formula One team, became Hyundai's team boss.
At Toyota, Rovanpera and Halttunen kept car number 69, even though the number 1 was available to them as defending champions. Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston moved into the works third car with Ogier and Vincent Landais, and the fourth car was made available to privately funded crews. Jari-Matti Latvala made a one-off private return at Rally Finland.
Rally1 regulations were also adjusted. An optional Tyre Warming Zone could be placed between a time control and a special stage, the evening flexi-service for Rally1 cars was limited to two hours per rally weekend, and morning service on gravel rallies was removed. Pre-event test days for manufacturers fell from twenty-eight to twenty-one.
What was the loss that marked the 2023 season?
Craig Breen died in an accident during a test before the Croatia Rally, when the front left of his i20 hit a pole. His co-driver, James Fulton, was unharmed. The FIA retired Breen's car number 42 for the rest of the season.
Croatia was then won by Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin, their first win since the 2021 Rally Finland. Neuville and Wydaeghe had led early but crashed out on the Saturday morning, and Evans and Martin dedicated the victory to Breen.
Round-by-round results
| Rally | Winner | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Rallye Monte Carlo | Sebastien Ogier | Ninth Monte Carlo win, a record |
| Rally Sweden | Ott Tanak | Won after fighting back on Saturday |
| Croatia Rally | Elfyn Evans | Dedicated to Craig Breen |
| Rally Mexico | Sebastien Ogier | Late road position decided the rally |
| Rally de Portugal | Kalle Rovanpera | Power Stage added thirty points to the defence |
| Safari Rally Kenya | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota 1-2-3-4 finish |
| Rally Estonia | Elfyn Evans | Won with the Power Stage |
| Acropolis Rally Greece | Kalle Rovanpera | Maximum points for the third time in 2023 |
| Rally Chile | Ott Tanak | Toyota secured its third manufacturers' title |
| Central European Rally | Thierry Neuville | Rovanpera and Halttunen second, securing the title |
| Rally Japan | Elfyn Evans | Part of a Toyota 1-2-3 finish |
How did the early rounds unfold?
Ogier won Monte Carlo for a record ninth time, while Tanak and Jarveoja won Sweden. Ogier and Landais then took Mexico, and they led the championship afterwards despite missing Sweden.
Ogier's Monte Carlo win took him past Sebastien Loeb as the driver with the most victories at the rally. His navigator, Landais, recorded his first overall victory in a World Rally Championship round.
In Sweden, Tanak and Jarveoja took an early lead before being overtaken by Breen and Fulton on the Friday evening. They fought back on the Saturday and won the rally. In Mexico, Ogier and Landais capitalised on a late road position and won, taking the championship lead.
What happened in the gravel rounds?
Rovanpera and Halttunen won Portugal, their first victory of the season, and took the Power Stage. Sardinia brought a rainy weekend, with Ogier and Landais going off on the Saturday evening and leaving the Hyundai crews in front for a 1-2 finish.
Toyota took a 1-2-3-4 finish at the Safari Rally, and Ogier and Landais claimed their third win of the season. Neuville and Wydaeghe were disqualified from eighth place for a reconnaissance breach, after retiring from two stages on the Friday afternoon with suspension damage.
At Estonia Rovanpera and Halttunen rolled their Yaris while leading on the first day and retired from their home rally. Evans and Martin won the rally and the Power Stage, cutting the championship deficit to twenty-five points.
Rovanpera and Halttunen then won Greece with the Power Stage, which was their third round of maximum points that year. In Chile, Toyota outscored Hyundai by more than thirteen points after Suninen and Markkula retired from second, and Toyota secured its third consecutive manufacturers' title. Tanak and Jarveoja won the Chilean rally, their second win of the season.
How did the closing rounds decide the title?
Neuville and Wydaeghe won the Central European Rally, while Rovanpera and Halttunen finished second after Evans and Martin crashed out on Saturday. That result secured the defence of their world titles.
At Japan, Neuville and Wydaeghe crashed out, and Evans and Martin became the crew in front in the battle for the runner-up spot. They finished the season with a victory as part of a Toyota 1-2-3 finish.
What were the final standings?
Rovanpera and Halttunen retained the drivers' and co-drivers' titles. Evans and Martin finished second, thirty-four points behind, and Neuville and Wydaeghe were third, a further twenty-seven points back.
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT successfully defended its manufacturers' title, with a lead of more than one hundred points over Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT. M-Sport Ford WRT finished third.
