WRC2 title contenders Oliver Solberg and Yohan Rossel have voiced their dissatisfaction with the current championship rules, which allow drivers to choose the events they score points on. Under the existing regulations, competitors in the WRC2 category can enter all 13 rallies of the season but are only allowed to nominate seven of those events to score points. Their final championship tally is based on their best six results from the selected seven events.
This system has created a scenario where drivers can strategically avoid direct competition by selecting events with fewer rivals, leading to a championship that can be won without regular head-to-head battles between title contenders. The controversial nature of these rules was highlighted in 2022 when Kajetan Kajetanowicz targeted less competitive events in his campaign, only to lose out to Emil Lindholm after crashing in Japan.
This season, Nikolay Gryazin has adopted a similar approach by only nominating three events so far, waiting to see how his competitors fare before choosing his remaining four events later in the year. Meanwhile, Solberg, Rossel, and Sami Pajari are the best-placed drivers in the championship standings, but they have only competed against each other once, in Portugal.
Solberg, currently leading the championship, expressed his frustration with the system. “I don’t like that,” Solberg stated. “I think everyone should just do the same rallies. My goal is WRC, and I have to be fast everywhere.” Solberg emphasized his desire to compete against the best drivers in every event and has openly declared his participation in upcoming rallies, starting with Chile.
Rossel, who is also in contention for the title, echoed Solberg’s sentiments. “It’s never easy to know where you are [in the standings],” Rossel said. “For me, it’s not natural.” He compared the situation to the Olympics, where all competitors face each other in the same events, and suggested that WRC2 could benefit from a similar approach.
The current regulations have been a topic of discussion before. In 2022, former WRC2 champion Andreas Mikkelsen requested the FIA to consider a system where all contenders compete in the same rallies. However, the FIA argued that the existing system ensured strong competition across all rounds of the championship, rather than concentrating it on a few selected events.
Despite the FIA’s stance, both Solberg and Rossel believe a change could enhance the competition. Rossel is scheduled to score points in Acropolis and Central Europe, while Pajari will also compete in Acropolis, with his final event yet to be confirmed. With the championship still undecided, the debate over the current points system and its impact on the title race continues to gain momentum.
Photo from Oliver Solberg Instagram
