WRC 2022 Preview: Things to Know

Last Saturday, at the Hangar 7 stadium in Salzburg, the WRC premiered the 2022 season, Season of the Hybrid Revolution. The new Rally1s have been revealed in final colors, those that will appear on Thursday when they open the season with the Monte Carlo Rally. In this article, we explain the major innovations, and how you can follow the entire year, which promises to be historic.

WRC Preview: What’s new for 2022?

WRC Plus gives way to Rally1, the first “vuerrecì” with a hybrid engine. A 100 kW electric motor runs in tandem with a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which is driven by an advanced electronic control unit. The system is activated by the driver through the pedals and not with a button as in F1. So drivers will have to adapt their driving style to better manage the extra power. This helps to forget about stealing the full electric mode, which is the passion of former FIA President Todd and which is actually a massive theft. In Montecarlo, cars will complete only 0.3% of the road with the battery alone, which is equivalent to about 3 km. If we consider that just to go up and finish the slopes, you have to travel 600 meters … and back to the environment, the four cylinders will only drink renewable fuel, Farewell to the pit.

Hybrids of the new WRC: instructions for use

New values ​​in the field?

At the World Championships the usual homes will be held: M-sport / Ford, Hyundai and world champions from Toyota. The latter collects a farewell to full-time Sebastien Ogier, who will only return for Monti and for several more races. But with the likes of Kalle Rovanpera and Elfyn Evans, as well as part-format Esapekka Lappi, the team headed up by Jari Matti Latvala has plenty of stock in its arc. Hyundai is responding by emphasizing all of its tops, from Ott Tanak to Thierry Neuville, where Danny Sordo serves as partial temp. To observe the young Oliver Solberg, who moves to the upper echelon once and for all. M-Sport “recycles” Sebastien Loeb’s safe second-hand vehicle, having returned from the best Dakar of his life. In Monte Seb he will find old enemy Ogier (the two have hated each other since the days of Citroen), another catalyst for victory. The owners of Malcolm Wilson’s squad are Craig Breen, Gus Greensmith and Adrian Formo.

How do you watch the World Cup on TV?

For 2022, the big news for the WRC is that it will be visible on Sky. Pay TV has acquired the broadcast rights and will broadcast the races on Sky Sport Action, channel 204. The world stages are also available on Now, the broadcaster’s broadcast platform. For those who don’t want to pay, there’s Red Bull TV, but it’s only available in English. As in WRC+ in English, the official platform for the tournament. With €99.99 you can see everything you see. The WRC 2022 show will feature a preview of the Monte Carlo Rally, which kicks off on January 20 from the principality. Monti is the first of thirteen experiences that will cross Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania. From February 24-27 we return to Sweden, and a month later it is the turn of the Asphalt of Croatia (March 21-24). It confirmed the gatherings in Portugal (May 19-22), Sardinia (June 2-5), Kenya (June 23-26) and Estonia (July 14-17). Finland returns to its regular event in late summer (August 4-7), followed by a yet-to-be-announced asphalt rally. New Zealand (September 29-October 2) and Japan (November 10-13) are back on the calendar, hoping the pandemic will save them. From September 8 to 11, Greece will organize the Acropolis Rally, where Catalonia will appear from October 20 to 23.

Featured image from Red Bull Content Pool, Courtesy of

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