The verdict on the WRC Rally Chile tyre solution

The World Rally Championship’s control tyres were again thrusted into the spotlight after a concerning amount of punctures and delaminations that plagued Rally Paraguay last month. 

The jeopardy of punctures and the art of managing tyres is considered part of the game in rallying. But the majority of the service park agreed that the amount of failures that ultimately dictated the narrative of proceedings in Paraguay had stepped over the line as to what is acceptable.

It led to plenty of criticism from the drivers, led by reigning world champion Sebastien Ogier, who claimed the tyres were "not the standard for a world championship”.

In its defence, Hankook, competing in its second year as WRC tyre supplier, explained that unusually warm weather combined with the abrasive nature of the stages caused unexpected extra tyre wear and this was the reason for the unusual amount of failures.

With less than two weeks separating the WRC’s two South American events, decisive action was taken by the FIA and Hankook to reduce the risk of a repeat at Rally Chile. Chile’s stages are known to be abrasive and punishing for tyres as previous supplier Pirelli can attest when it suffered a series of failures in 2023.

As a result, Rally1 crews received eight additional tyres for the event, increasing the allocation from 28 to 36. But the most intriguing development was the introduction of a tyre exchange zone during stage loops. Crews could swap two worn tyres for two fresh tyres to alleviate some of the stress on the rubber, a move welcomed by crews.

Was the plan a success? 

Rally Chile winner, Oliver Solberg

Photo by: Toyota Racing

In Chile the amount of tyre failures was significantly lower compared to Paraguay, although it is pertinent to add that Chile’s Friday loop was held largely in the wet and temperatures in general were much lower than what was faced last month.

M-Sport’s Josh McErlean was the only Rally1 driver to suffer a puncture on Saturday, while Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux and rally winner Oliver Solberg picked up deflations towards the end of stages on Sunday, losing minimal time. 

However, championship leader Elfyn Evans was frustrated by a failure in the middle of the penultimate stage that necessitated a wheel change costing him more than two minutes. It robbed Evans of a likely podium finish and valuable championship points that could prove crucial come the end of the year.

"It was a pity for Elfyn as he deserved to be second but that is rallying and it can happen. But to change the tyre rules was the best decision they have ever made to help everyone and everyone is happy about that" Juha Kankkunen

While it is difficult to ascertain how much the tyre regulation change impacted the event, the move by FIA and Hankook was deemed a success. 

"It was a pity for Elfyn as he deserved to be second but that is rallying and it can happen,” said Toyota’s deputy team principal Juha Kankkunen. “But to change the tyre rules was the best decision they have ever made to help everyone and everyone is happy about that. 

“In Paraguay we had tricky punctures and that is not the way results should be made. Driving and fighting man against man is the best way.”

Evans leads the championship by 17 points

Photo by: Toyota Racing

The regulation change also brought with it the by-product of drivers being able to push harder in the knowledge that they had the luxury of extra tyres, and the safety net of the exchange zone during the stage loops. The tyre exchange zones also provided an extra element of tactical intrigue for fans.

“I think it was a really good thing to do,” said Toyota’s Sami Pajari. “People are always talking about expenses but I think a few extra tyres is almost next to nothing in this game. So I think it was a nice thing for us to have as we could enjoy the driving a little bit more rather than just going slow and taking care of the tyres

“I know it is part of the game to manage and not to go flat out everywhere, but I think it is nice for the fans to see that we are really pushing.” M-Sport’s Josh McErlean added: “I think the speed of the stages in Paraguay were causing the delaminations, which maybe this rally didn’t have so much. I think it was a good choice.”

Although concerned by the failures suffered on Sunday, Hankook acknowledged that the tyre regulation change had the desired effect.  

“I think the teams and the drivers did a good job to manage the situation,” said Hankook’s Steven Cho. “We also increased the number of tyres available, and so I think those actions for sure helped the situation.

“Again, I think we need to have a little bit of time after the event to see what was the nature of each of our issues. Of course, the number was much lower than before, but each one is, of course, important. So we have to see what the reason for each one was before we can make an assessment.”

Punctures are inevitable in rallying and it mustn’t be forgotten that the WRC with its myriad of roads surfaces and conditions is the toughest motorsport discipline for tyre manufacturers to master.  

The ultimate solution is for Hankook to improve its product moving forward, but the move to increase the tyre allocation and introduce exchange zones seems to be the best and fairest way  to tackle the current situation the WRC faces. 

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Photo by: Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport