Global Information2022 World Rally Championship information
The 2022 FIA World Rally Championship was the 50th season of the World Rally Championship (WRC), an international rallying series organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Teams and crews competed for the World Rally Championships for Drivers, Co-drivers and Manufacturers; each won by Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen and Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT.
Crews were free to compete in cars complying with Groups Rally1 to Rally5 regulations; however, only manufacturers competing with Rally1 cars homologated under radically new regulations were eligible to score points in the manufacturers' championship. The championship began in January 2022 with the Rallye Monte-Carlo and concluded in November 2022 with Rally Japan. The series was supported by World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3 at every round of the championship with the junior category at selected events.
Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia were the reigning drivers' and co-drivers' champions, having secured their eighth championship titles at the 2021 Rally Monza. However, Ingrassia did not defend his title as he retired from competition at the end of 2021 season. Toyota were the defending manufacturers' champions.
Rovanperä and Halttunen won their first World Rally Championship titles after winning the 2022 Rally New Zealand. At the age of twenty-two, Rovanperä became the youngest ever World Rally Champion. At the conclusion of the championship, Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja finished second, trailing by fifty points. Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe were third, a further twelve points behind. In the manufacturers' championship, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT successfully defended their title at the 2022 Rally Catalunya, a seventy-point lead over Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT, with M-Sport Ford WRT in third.