FIA set to publish calendar and tweak running order regulation

This week’s World Motor Sport Council meeting will ratify a repeat of this year’s WRC calendar and revised running order regulations.

FIA rally director Jarmo Mahonen has admitted he called the rules wrong this season and has rectified the situation by confirming a return to the regulation last used in 2014, stipulating championship order on day one with the lead positions reversed for days two and three.

Mahonen said: “I talked to the drivers and they are in favour of this change. It wasn’t a tough decision. I was the architect of this rule change and I think this year went too far. Six winners in six rallies this year was a great spectacle, but from the sporting perspective this rule was not so good.”

On the calendar front, Mahonen confirmed the absence of Turkey and China, saying: “China wants to come back in 2018, but for Turkey, we evaluated the situation and we don’t want to bet on something – nobody knows what the situation will be in one year.”

The 13 2017 rounds will be an exact mirror of those included this season.