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MONTE CARLO - FROM 'WORLD' TO 'INTERCONTINENTAL'

2009-01-23

The 2009 rally season will start this week in confusion after the sensational "transfer" of the legendary Monte Carlo rally from the World Rally Championship series to the Intercontinental Rally ChallengeThe WRC title remains the sport's crown jewel.

(Image: In tribute to the historic Monte-Carlo Rally of 1973, Swiss watchmaker Girard-Perregaux unveils a classically styled chronograph, whose appealing retro style is supplemented by a desirable flyback function.)

The two-year-old rivalry between the two series has reached new heights with the decision by Monte Carlo to jump ship from WRC to IRC, under whose banner it will take place this week with 64 drivers taking part.

Organisers the Monaco Automobile Club, wearied by the rigid sporting and technical specifications imposed by the British owners of WRC, were seduced by the allure of French TV channel Eurosport and the IRC.

Created and financed by Eurosport, the IRC series is both less restrictive for the organisers and less costly for the manufacturers and the drivers.

By comparison there will be markedly fewer competitors in the first two races of the WRC 2009 calendar - 40 in Ireland (January 29-February 1) and 50 in Norway (February 12-15)The cars are less highly tuned, less powerful and thus more reliable.

Yet the WRC title remains the sport's crown jewel with five-times WRC winner Sebastien Loeb of France recognised as the World champion by the International Automobile Federation.

The main problem with the WRC is its costs.

A Ford Focus or Citroën C4 fresh from the factory costs about €750 000 (R10.5-million) but it's impossible to calculate the real cost of the countless test sessions and the hundreds of hours spent in the office by engineers.

But a Peugeot 207 or a new Fiat S2000 Abarth for IRC costs €250 000 (R3.5-million) to buy or €70 000 (R1-million) to rent for a weekend.

The cars are less highly tuned, less powerful and thus more reliable, which allows lesser-known drivers to participate without the risk of bankruptcy.

Another advantage is that media coverage is guaranteed by Eurosport while the spectacular images of WRC rallies from the four corners of the world have to be paid for by subscribers.

The difference in return on investment has attracted big-name constructors to IRC: Peugeot, Abarth (Fiat), Skoda, Honda, Mitsubishi and VW have all signed up for 2009.

And as tyres are not standardised, competition continues to rage between Michelin, Pirelli and Yokohama.

Two constructors - Ford and Citroën - will provide the bulk of the WRC field in 2009 following the withdrawals of Suzuki and Subaru.