The 2013 FIA WRC2 Championship was the first season of WRC2, a rallying championship organised and governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile in support of the World Rally Championship. It was created when the Group R class of rally car was introduced in 2013.
Unlike its predecessor, the Super 2000 World Rally Championship, WRC2 does not have a calendar of mandatory events. Instead, teams and drivers competing in the series are free to contest any of thirteen rallies that form the 2013 World Rally Championship. They must nominate up to seven events to score points in, and their best six results from these seven events will count towards their final championship points score. The championship was open to cars complying with R4, R5, Super 2000 and Group N regulations.
At the penultimate round of the season in Spain, Robert Kubica won the championship title by 25 points from Seashore Qatar Rally Team's Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari. Yuriy Protasov finished third in the championship. In the teams' championship, Seashore Qatar Rally Team won the championship with a lead of 47 points over Yazeed Racing. Peruvian Nicolás Fuchs has amassed enough points to win the Production Car Cup, having finished as best privateer at six of the seven events he has completed.
Teams and drivers The following teams and drivers competed in the 2013 WRC2 season:
Team Car Driver Co-driver Class Rounds Škoda Motorsport Škoda Fabia S2000 31 Esapekka Lappi Janne Ferm 1, 4 Škoda Auto Deutschland Škoda Fabia S2000 32 Sepp Wiegand Frank Christian 1–2, 4, 7, 9, 12–13 Stohl Racing Subaru Impreza WRX STi 33 Armin Kremer Klaus Wicha 1, 3, 5, 7 Ford Fiesta RRC 9 Symtech Racing Ford Fiesta R5 34 Mark Higgins Carl Williamson 13 Peugeot 207 S2000 Luca Betti Francesco Pezzoli 1 Subaru Impreza STi R4 Yuriy Protasov Kuldar Sikk 2–3, 5 39 1 Yazeed Racing Ford Fiesta RRC 35 Yazeed Al Rajhi Michael Orr 2, 8, 10, 12–13 Skydive Dubai Rally Team Škoda Fabia S2000 36 Rashid Al Ketbi Karina Hepperle 1–2, 4, 6 Subaru Impreza WRX STi 7 Ford Fiesta R5 9, 11–12 Fuckmatiè World Rally Team Subaru Impreza WRX STi 37 Lorenzo Bertelli Lorenzo Granai 1, 3, 5 Ford Fiesta RRC Mitia Dotta 6–7 Ford Fiesta R5 12–13 Moto Club Igualda Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 38 Ricardo Triviño Alex Haro 1–3 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 5–6 Subaru Impreza WRX STi 9, 11 Tommi Mäkinen Racing Subaru Impreza WRX STi 40 Arman Smailov Andrei Rusov 2, 4, 6–8, 10 RMC Motorsport Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 41 Nicolàs Fuchs Fernando Mussano 3, 5 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 2, 4, 6–7, 12 72 Juan Carlos Alonso Juan Pablo Manasterolo 4–8, 12 Anders Grøndal Rally Team Subaru Impreza WRX STi 42 Anders Grøndal Trond Svendsen 2 Semerád Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 43 Martin Hudec Jakub Kotál 2, 8, 11 Ford Fiesta R5 Tom Cave Ieuan Thomas 13 Calm CompeticióMitsubishi Lancer Evo X 45 Alexander Villanueva Óscar Sánchez 2, 4, 6 8, 13 Vomero Racing Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 46 Marco Vallario Antonio Pascale 2, 6–7, 9, 11–12 Manuela Di Lorenzo 4 DMACK-Autotek Ford Fiesta RRC 47 Eyvind Brynildsen Anders Fredriksson 2 Ford Fiesta R5 Maria Andersson 8–9 Denis Giraudet 13 88 Jari Ketomaa Marko Sallinen 8 Tapio Suominen 13 Seashore Qatar Rally Team Ford Fiesta RRC 48 Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari Killian Duffy 3–7, 10, 13 Mentos Ascania Racing Mini John Cooper Works S2000 49 Oleksiy Kikireshko Sergei Larens 4, 6–7 Andrii Nikolaiev 8, 11, 13 50 Valeriy Gorban Volodymir Korsia 4, 6–8, 11, 13 Motortune Racing Ford Fiesta RRC 71 Ala'a Rasheed Joseph Matar 4 6–7 Ford Fiesta R5 11–12 Škoda Swiss Motorsport Škoda Fabia S2000 73 Nikita Kondrakhin Danilo Fappani 4 PH Sport Citroën DS3 RRC 74 Robert Kubica Maciek Baran 4, 6–9, 11–12 Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team Ford Fiesta RRC 75 Elfyn Evans Daniel Barritt 4 Ford Fiesta R5 8–9, 11–13 Bosowa Rally Team Ford Fiesta RRC 76 Subhan Aksa Nicola Arena 4, 6 Ford Fiesta R5 9–10, 12–13 Top Run SRL Subaru Impreza WRX STi 77 Marcos Ligato Rubén García 4–5 E2 Tre Colli World Rally Team Ford Fiesta RRC 78 Edoardo Bresolin Rudy Pollet 4, 8, 13 CA1 Sport Ltd Ford Fiesta S2000 79 Robert Barrable Stuart Loudon 4Ford Fiesta R5 8–9 11–13 MM Motorsport Ford Fiesta RRC 82 Yuriy Protasov Kuldar Sikk 6–7 Ford Fiesta R5 10 Karl Kruuda Martin Järveoja 8–9 AT Rally Team Ford Fiesta RRC 83 Oleksiy Tamrazov Pavlo Cherepin 6 BRR Team Škoda Fabia S2000 84 Hayden Paddon John Kennard 8–10 90 Esapekka Lappi Janne Ferm 8 Hannu's Rally Team Subaru Impreza STi R4 85 Juha Salo Marko Salminen 8 89 Mikko Lehessaari Lassi Hartikainen 8 Ralliart Italy Motorsport ItaliaMitsubishi Lancer Evo X 86 Carlos Garcia Fessman Marcelo Der Ohannesian 8 Hugo Magalhães 9–13 87 Jose Alexander Gelvez Gabriel Marín Jr 8 Borja Rozada 11 Mini John Cooper Works S2000 10 Luis Adolfo Espinosa 13 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 91 Alejandro Lombardo Alex Haro 10, 13 Luis Adolfo Espinosa 11–12
Icon Class Classificationwithin Group R Super 2000 Group N
Driver changes Rashid al Ketbi will move from the Intercontinental Rally Challenge to the WRC-2 championship, competing with a Škoda Fabia S2000. Elfyn Evans will join the WRC-2 championship as part of his prize for winning the 2012 WRC Academy championship, driving a Ford Fiesta RRC prepared by M-Sport at selected events in 2013. Esapekka Lappi, who contested selected events of the Super 2000 World Rally Championship in 2011 and 2012 will contest the WRC-2 championship with Škoda Motorsport, driving a Škoda Fabia S2000. Valeriy Gorban and Oleksiy Kikireshko will switch from competing with the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX to racing a Super 2000 version of the Mini John Cooper Works WRC under the Mentos Ascania Racing banner. Former Formula One driver Robert Kubica will contest seven rounds of the championship, driving a Citroën DS3 RRC alongside a European Rally Championship campaign. Sepp Wiegand will move into the WRC-2 full-time, after competing in the 2011 and 2012 Rallye Deutschland with a Škoda Fabia S2000 prepared by Volkswagen Motorsport. Former WRC driver Matthew Wilson will return to competition in the WRC-2 after spending most of the 2012 season recovering from an injury.
Rally summaries Round Rally name Podium finishers Statistics Driver Team Time Stages Length Starters Finishers 1 Monte Carlo Rally(15–20 January) — Results and report 1 32 Sepp Wiegand Frank Christian Škoda Auto Deutschland (Škoda Fabia S2000) 5:48:31.7 (18)†16 (478.42 km)†436.02 km 8 5 2 33 Armin Kremer Klaus Wicha Stohl Racing (Subaru Impreza WRX STi) 5:56:57.5 3 39 Yuriy Protasov Kuldar Sikk Symtech Racing (Subaru Impreza STi R4) 5:59:53.0 2 Rally Sweden(8–10 February) — Results and report 1 35 Yazeed Al Rajhi Michael Orr Yazeed Racing (Ford Fiesta RRC) 3:28:08.9 22 297.78 km 12 11 2 42 Anders Grøndal Trond Svendsen Anders Grøndal Rally Team (Subaru Impreza WRX STi) 3:28:52.4 3 32 Sepp Wiegand Frank Christian Škoda Auto Deutschland (Škoda Fabia S2000) 3:32:14.0 3 Rally Mexico(8–10 March) — Results and report 1 48 Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari Killian Duffy Seashore Qatar Rally Team (Ford Fiesta RRC) 5:01:10.3 23 396.82 km 6 5 2 41 Nicolàs Fuchs Fernando Mussano RMC Motorsport (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 5:10:24.9 3 38 Ricardo Triviño Alex Haro Moto Club Igualda (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) 5:18:44.5 4 Rally de Portugal(12–14 April) — Results and report 1 31 Esapekka Lappi Janne Ferm Škoda Motorsport (Škoda Fabia S2000) 4:23:59.7 15 386.73 km 19 14 2 79 Robert Barrable Stuart Loudon CA1 Sport Ltd (Ford Fiesta S2000) 4:35:36.2 3 32 Sepp Wiegand Frank Christian Škoda Auto Deutschland (Škoda Fabia S2000) 4:39:02.8 5 Rally Argentina(3–5 May) — Results and report 1 48 Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari Killian Duffy Seashore Qatar Rally Team (Ford Fiesta RRC) 5:08:27.1 14 407.64 km 8 6 2 41 Nicolàs Fuchs Fernando Mussano RMC Motorsport (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 5:21:34.0 3 77 Marcos Ligato Rubén García Top Run SRL (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) 5:31:39.0 6 Acropolis Rally(31 May–2 June) — Results and report 1 74 Robert Kubica Maciek Baran PH Sport (Citroën DS3 RRC) 3:46:20.3 14 306.53 km 17 13 2 82 Yuriy Protasov Kuldar Sikk MM Motorsport (Ford Fiesta RRC) 3:47:50.1 3 48 Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari Killian Duffy Seashore Qatar Rally Team (Ford Fiesta RRC) 3:48:33.6 7 Rally Italia Sardegna(21–23 June) — Results and report 1 74 Robert Kubica Maciek Baran PH Sport (Citroën DS3 RRC) 3:39:45.5 16 304.50 km 13 8 2 48 Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari Killian Duffy Seashore Qatar Rally Team (Ford Fiesta RRC) 3:44:02.5 3 37 Lorenzo Bertelli Mitia Dotta Fuckmatiè World Rally Team (Ford Fiesta RRC) 3:46:04.0 8 Rally Finland(1–3 August) — Results and report 1 88 Jari Ketomaa Marko Sallinen DMACK-Autotek (Ford Fiesta R5) 2:54:29.6 23 324.21 km 20 14 2 74 Robert Kubica Maciek Baran PH Sport (Citroën DS3 RRC) 2:55:58.5 3 84 Hayden Paddon John Kennard BRR Team (Škoda Fabia S2000) 2:57:23.5 9 Rallye Deutschland(23–25 August) — Results and report 1 74 Robert Kubica Maciek Baran PH Sport (Citroën DS3 RRC) 3:24:20.7 (16)†15 (371.86 km)†330.78 km 13 9 275 Elfyn Evans Daniel Barritt Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team (Ford Fiesta R5) 3:24:33.6 384 Hayden Paddon John Kennard BRR Team (Škoda Fabia S2000) 3:28:20.6 10 Rally Australia(13–15 September) — Results and report 1 48 Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari Killian Duffy Seashore Qatar Rally Team (Ford Fiesta RRC) 3:37:22.7 22 352.36 km 8 7 2 82 Yuriy Protasov Kuldar Sikk MM Motorsport (Ford Fiesta R5) 3:38:36.1 3 35 Yazeed Al Rajhi Michael Orr Yazeed Racing (Ford Fiesta RRC) 3:44:23.7 11 Rallye de France Alsace(4–7 October) — Results and report 1 74 Robert Kubica Maciek Baran PH Sport (Citroën DS3 RRC) 3:02:39.0 20 312.14 km 11 8 275 Elfyn Evans Daniel Barritt Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team (Ford Fiesta R5) 3:06:42.9 3 36 Rashid al Ketbi Karina Hepperle Skydive Dubai Rally Team (Ford Fiesta R5) 3:21:49.6 12 Rally Catalunya(25–27 October) — Results and report 1 74 Robert Kubica Maciek Baran PH Sport (Citroën DS3 RRC) 3:44:35.3 15 355.92 km 12 8 2 35 Yazeed Al Rajhi Michael Orr Yazeed Racing (Ford Fiesta RRC) 3:49:51.1 3 79 Robert Barrable Stuart Loudon CA1 Sport Ltd (Ford Fiesta R5) 4:00:06.4 13 Wales Rally GB(15–17 November) — Results and report 175 Elfyn Evans Daniel Barritt Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team (Ford Fiesta R5) 3:15:09.8 22 311.15 km 12 11 2 88 Jari Ketomaa Tapio Suominen DMACK-Autotek (Ford Fiesta R5) 3:15:52.9 3 34 Mark Higgins Carl Williamson Symtech Racing (Ford Fiesta R5) 3:16:57.7
Championship standings
Drivers' championship Points are awarded to the top 10 classified finishers.
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th Points 25 18 15 12 10 8 6 4 2 1
Driver MON SWE MEX POR ARG GRE ITA FIN GER AUS FRA ESP GBR Drops Points 1 Robert Kubica 6 1 1 2 1 1 1 8 143 2 Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari 1 5 1 3 2 1 WD 118 3 Yuriy Protasov 3 4 5 5 2 Ret 2 0 83 4 Nicolás Fuchs 5 2 4 2 6 4 5 8 80 5 Yazeed Al-Rajhi 1 WD 4 3 2 8 74 6 Sepp Wiegand 1 3 3 Ret 4 Ret WD 67 7 Elfyn Evans 8 Ret 2 2 Ret 1 65 8 Ricardo Triviño 5 7 3 6 14 7 5 0 55 9 Robert Barrable 2 6 Ret 4 3 9 53 10 Rashid al Ketbi 4 8 Ret 5 6 3 Ret 0 49 11 Jari Ketomaa 1 2 43 12 Armin Kremer 2 4 Ret 5 Ret 40 13 Hayden Paddon 3 3 5 40 14 Juan Carlos Alonso 9 4 10 6 Ret 6 31 15 Arman Smailov 6 10 7 Ret Ret 4 27 16 Esapekka Lappi Ret 1 11 25 17 Edoardo Bresolin 7 5 6 24 18 Anders Grøndal 2 18 19 Alejandro Lombardo 6 6 WD WD 16 20 Ala'a Rasheed 14 11 7 7 8 16 21 Lorenzo Bertelli Ret Ret Ret Ret 3 Ret 11 0 15 22 Marcos Ligato 12 3 WD 15 23 Mark Higgins 3 15 24 Marco Vallario 11 13 12 8 8 Ret 7 0 14 25 Subhan Aksa 11 Ret Ret Ret 4 10 13 26 Eyvind Brynildsen Ret 10 Ret 4 13 27 Oleksiy Tamrazov 4 WD WD 12 28 Valeriy Gorban Ret 8 Ret 9 Ret 7 12 29 Karl Kruuda Ret 5 1030 Tom Cave 5 1031 Juha Salo 6 832 Carlos Garcia Fessman Ret 9 7 WD WD WD 8 33 Oleksiy Kikireshko Ret 9 Ret 8 Ret Ret 6 34 Martin Hudec 10 WD 12 8 5 35 Alexander Villanueva 9 Ret Ret WD 13 WD 2 Driver MON SWE MEX POR ARG GRE ITA FIN GER AUS FRA ESP GBR Drops Points
Co-Drivers' Championship