1986 World Rally Championship

The 1986 World Rally Championship was the 14th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) World Rally Championship (WRC). The season consisted of 13 rallies, including all twelve venues of the previous season as well as the addition of the Olympus Rally. This marked the return of the WRC to the United States and North America, as well as the first world rally to be held on the western side of the continent. The December rally would also be the only WRC event to feature Group B competition in the United States.

1986 World Rally Championship
World Drivers' Champion:
Juha Kankkunen
World Manufacturers' Champion:
Peugeot
Previous: 1985 Next: 1987
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The 1986 season was notable for being the last World Rally Championship season driven with the popular Group B rally cars, which were banned after the fatal crashes at the Rally Portugal, where three spectators were killed and more than 30 injured, and at the Tour de Corse, where Henri Toivonen and his co-driver Sergio Cresto died in a fireball accident. This was the year where Group B (first introduced in 1982) was at its peak, and the 1986 season saw some of the most powerful and sophisticated rally cars ever built, some of which were mid-engined, like the Lancia Delta S4 and the Ford RS200. The drivers' championship was won by Peugeot's Juha Kankkunen, followed by two other "Flying Finns", Lancia's Markku Alén and Kankkunen's teammate Timo Salonen. The manufacturers' title was taken by Peugeot, after a close battle with the Martini-sponsored Lancia team.[1]

Summary
Hannu Mikkola at the Monte Carlo Rally

The season began with the Monte Carlo Rally and Henri Toivonen took the win with his Lancia Delta S4, making himself the favourite for the title. At the International Swedish Rally in wintery snow and ice, Toivonen had to retire due to an engine failure and Juha Kankkunen won the event with his Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2, ahead of Toivonen's teammate Markku Alén. At the next rally in Portugal, Joaquim Santos lost control of his Ford RS200 and plunged into the crowd, killing three spectators and injuring more than 30.[2] All the factory team drivers decided to withdraw from the race, giving the win to home country's relatively unknown driver, Joaquim Moutinho.

After veteran Swede Björn Waldegård's triumph at the extremely arduous and difficult Safari Rally in Kenya driving a Group A Toyota Celica over Alén and his Group B Lancia 037 Evo (which was the S4's predecessor and used only by Lancia for the Safari Rally; the S4 was not used for the Safari Rally due to Lancia determining that it was too new and not developed enough for that rally), another fatal accident at the Tour de Corse on the French island of Corsica would change the course of rallying. Toivonen and his co-driver Sergio Cresto in their Lancia went off the side of the road, plunged down a ravine and landed on its roof. The aluminum fuel tank underneath the driver's seat was ruptured by the trees and exploded. Toivonen and Cresto had no time to get out and both men burned to death in their seats. The accident had no witnesses close enough to clearly see the accident.[3]

Peugeot 205 T16 E2, Audi Quattro S1 and Lancia Delta S4 in Monte Carlo

This caused Jean-Marie Balestre and the FISA to immediately freeze the development of the Group B cars and ban them from competing for the 1987 season. Audi and Ford decided to withdraw from competing, while other teams continued with their Group B models until the end of the season. Peugeot boss Jean Todt was outraged over the ban and pursued legal action against the federation.[4] After Lancia's remaining car retirement, the Tour de Corse was eventually won by Peugeot's Bruno Saby, which marked his career-first WRC victory. The Acropolis Rally in Greece and the New Zealand Rally were won consecutively by Kankkunen; and the third driver to take his debut win during the season was Lancia's Miki Biasion, who edged out teammate Alén to win the Rally Argentina.

Finnish drivers finished first, second and third in the Jyväskylä Rally (otherwise known as the Finnish Rally, the fastest race of the year), with Salonen and Kankkunen giving Peugeot a 1-2 result, with Alén coming in third for Lancia. This was not much of a surprise, as this rally had only ever been won by Finnish and Swedish drivers until 1990. The Ivory Coast Rally, which was considered to be the most demanding, gruelling and certainly the most attrition-filled rally of the year (a rally where drivers had an unbelievable one in ten chance of finishing) was skipped by all of the Group B teams, and was won by Waldegård in his Celica, completing his World Championship African rally sweep. The season included more controversy when the organizers of the Rallye Sanremo disqualified the entire Peugeot team from the event due to illegal side skirts. However, the cars were proven legal by the FIA, and the Italian organizers were blamed for not allowing French Peugeots to take the win ahead of the Italian Lancias. Eventually, the FISA annulled the results of the whole event. Peugeot then became the manufacturers' champions, but Kankkunen was not sure about his title over Alén until three weeks after the season ended, at the RAC Rally in the United Kingdom, specifically Wales and England. Salonen won this race, with Alen finishing second and Kankkunen third, this was enough for Kankkunen to take the Driver's Championship. The last WRC round of the year was the first Olympus Rally in the state of Washington in the northwest United States, which Alén won, with Kankkunen finishing second.[5]

1986 marked the only season in which the FIA issued the World Championship for Drivers of Group A Cars. Swede Kenneth Eriksson, driving a Volkswagen Golf GTI 16V took the title ahead of Austrian Rudi Stohl in his Audi Coupe Quattro, a lower powered version of the Group B Quattros. This championship became unnecessary in future years due to the elimination of Group B cars. From 1987 onwards, Group A cars would be the vehicles used by drivers competing for the main World Rally Championship for Drivers.

Teams and drivers
Team Constructor Car Tyre Drivers Rounds
Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 M Timo Salonen 1–3, 5–7, 9, 11–12
Juha Kankkunen 1–4, 6–9, 11–13
Bruno Saby 1, 5–6, 8, 11
Michèle Mouton 1, 5
Shekhar Mehta 4
Stig Blomqvist 9
Andrea Zanussi 11
Paolo Alessandrini 11
Mikael Sundström 12
Jon Woodner 13
Audi Sport Audi Quattro Sport S1 M Walter Röhrl 1, 3, 6
Hannu Mikkola 1, 6
Rudi Stohl 1, 3–4, 6–8, 10–11
Mikael Ericsson 2
Gunner Pettersson 2
Malcolm Stewart 7
Wilfred Wiedner 10
Adolphe Choteau 10
Harald Demuth 12
John Buffum 13
Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4
Rally 037 evo*		 P Markku Alén 1–9, 11–13
Henri Toivonen 1–3, 5
Miki Biasion 1, 3–8, 11
Vic Preston Jr 4
Greg Criticos 4
John Hellier 4
Mikael Ericsson 6–7, 9, 12
Jorge Recalde 8
Kalle Grundel 9
Dario Cerrato 11
Austin Rover World Championship Team MG Metro 6R4 M Tony Pond 1, 3, 5, 11–12
Malcolm Wilson 1–3, 5, 9, 11–12
Per Eklund 2, 9, 12
Marc Duez 3, 11–12
Didier Auriol 5
Harri Toivonen 9, 12
David Llewellin 12
Jimmy McRae 12
Citroën Compétitions Citroën BX 4TC M Jean-Claude Andruet 1–2, 6
Philippe Wambergue 1–2, 6
Maurice Chomat 6
Ford Motor Co Ltd Ford RS200 P Stig Blomqvist 2–3, 6, 12
Kalle Grundel 2–3, 6, 12
Joaquim Santos 3
Mark Lovell 12
Stig Andervang 12
Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica TCT P Björn Waldegård 4, 10, 13
Erwin Weber 4, 10
Lars-Erik Torph 4, 10, 13
Robin Ulyate 10
Steve Millen 13
Team Nissan Europe Nissan 240RS D Jayant Shah 4
George Moschous 6
Stratis Hatzipanayiotou 6
Reg Cook 7
Paddy Davidson 7
Alain Ambrosino 10
Louise Aitken-Walker 12
Opel Euro Team Opel Manta 400 M Basil Criticos 4, 8
Société Diac Renault R5 Maxi Turbo M François Chatriot 5
Rothmans Porsche Rally Team Porsche 911SC RS M Saeed Al-Hajri 6
Mazda Rally Team Europe Mazda Familia 4WD M Ingvar Carlsson 1–2, 9, 12
Achim Warmbold 1
Rod Millen 7, 13
Volkswagen Motorsport Volkswagen Golf GTi P Franz Wittmann 1, 3–6, 8
Kenneth Eriksson 1–9, 11–12
Fuji Heavy Industries Subaru RX Turbo P Mike Kirkland 4, 7
Possum Bourne 4, 7, 13
Frank Tundo 4, 7
Renault Elf Philips Renault 11 Turbo M Jean Ragnotti 5, 11
Škoda Motorsport Škoda Škoda 130 LR P Ladislav Krecek 6, 9
Svatopluk Kvaizar 6, 9
Major entries not registered as manufacturers
Jolly Club Fiat Uno Turbo P Giovanni del Zoppo 1, 3, 5–6, 11
Michele Rayneri 1, 5–6, 11
Alex Fiorio 1, 3, 5, 11
  • Lancia ran out of time to build the safari version of the Delta S4

Events

Map
Black = Tarmac Brown = Gravel Blue = Snow/ice Red = Mixed surface

Schedule and results
Round Rally name Stages Podium finishers
Rank Driver Co-driver Team Car Time
1 Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo
(18–24 January)		 36 stages
867 km
Tarmac/Snow		 1 Henri Toivonen Sergio Cresto Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4 10:11:24
2 Timo Salonen Seppo Harjanne Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 10:15:28
3 Hannu Mikkola Arne Hertz Audi Sport Audi Sport Quattro S1 10:18:46
2 Swedish Rally
(14–16 February)		 30 stages
558 km
Snow/Ice		 1 Juha Kankkunen Juha Piironen Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 5:09:19
2 Markku Alén Ilkka Kivimäki Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4 5:11:13
3 Kalle Grundel Terry Harryman Ford Motor Co Ltd Ford RS200 5:15:35
3 Rallye de Portugal
(5–8 March)		 42 stages
556 km
Gravel/Tarmac		 1 Joaquim Moutinho Edgar Fortes Renault Galp Renault 5 Turbo 7:50:44
2 Carlos Bica Cândido Júnior Duriforte Contruções Lancia Rally 037 8:04:11
3 Giovanni Del Zoppo Loris Roggia Jolly Club Fiat Uno Turbo 8:07:36
4 Safari Rally
(29 March–2 April)		 63 controls
4190 km
Gravel		 1 Björn Waldegård Fred Gallagher Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica TCT +5:06 pen
2 Lars-Erik Torph Bo Thorszelius Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica TCT +5:34 pen
3 Markku Alén Ilkka Kivimäki Martini Racing Lancia Rally 037 evo +6.12 pen
5 Tour de Corse
(1–3 May)		 24 stages
1017 km
Tarmac		 1 Bruno Saby Jean-François Fauchille Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 11:52:44
2 François Chatriot Michel Périn Société Diac Renault 5 Maxi Turbo 12:06:32
3 Yves Loubet Jean-Marc Andrié Alfa Romeo Rothmans Team Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6 12:45:59
6 Acropolis Rally
(2–4 June)		 38 stages
575 km
Gravel		 1 Juha Kankkunen Juha Piironen Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 7:20:01
2 Miki Biasion Tiziano Siviero Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4 7:21:38
3 Bruno Saby Jean-François Fauchille Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 7:29:55
7 Rally New Zealand
(5–8 July)		 34 stages
597 km
Gravel		 1 Juha Kankkunen Juha Piironen Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 5:43:45
2 Markku Alén Ilkka Kivimäki Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4 5:45:25
3 Miki Biasion Tiziano Siviero Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4 5:53:36
8 Rally Argentina
(6–9 August)		 26 stages
569 km
Gravel		 1 Miki Biasion Tiziano Siviero Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4 6:36:26
2 Markku Alén Ilkka Kivimäki Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4 6:36:50
3 Stig Blomqvist Bruno Berglund Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 6:40:42
9 1000 Lakes Rally
(5–7 September)		 47 stages
382 km
Gravel		 1 Timo Salonen Seppo Harjanne Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 3:32:45
2 Juha Kankkunen Juha Piironen Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 3:33:09
3 Markku Alén Ilkka Kivimäki Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4 3:34:30
10 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire[6]
(24–27 September)		 73 controls
3763 km
Gravel		 1 Björn Waldegård Fred Gallagher Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica TCT +1:29 pen
2 Lars-Erik Torph Bo Thorszelius Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica TCT +1:37 pen
3 Erwin Weber Günter Wanger Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica TCT +2:27 pen
11 Rallye Sanremo[1]
(13–17 October)		 39 stages
488 km
Gravel/Tarmac		 1 Markku Alén Ilkka Kivimäki Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4 5:31:35
2 Dario Cerrato Giuseppe Cerri Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4 5:32:53
3 Miki Biasion Tiziano Siviero Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4 5:33:17
12 RAC Rally
(16–19 November)		 45 stages
517 km
Gravel		 1 Timo Salonen Seppo Harjanne Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 5:21:11
2 Markku Alén Ilkka Kivimäki Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4 5:22:33
3 Juha Kankkunen Juha Piironen Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 5:27:16
13 Olympus Rally[6]
(4–7 December)		 39 stages
525 km
Gravel		 1 Markku Alén Ilkka Kivimäki Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4 5:26:10
2 Juha Kankkunen Juha Piironen Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 5:29:36
3 John Buffum Neil Wilson Audi Sport Audi Sport Quattro 5:50:24
1 FISA later annulled the results.

Standings

Drivers' championship
Rank Driver Event Total
points

MON
SWE
POR
KEN
FRA
GRC
NZL
ARG
FIN
CIV
ITA
GBR
USA
1 Juha Kankkunen 5 1 WD 5 1 1 Ret 2 * 3 2 118
2 Markku Alén Ret 2 WD 3 WD Ret 2 2 3 * 2 1 104
3 Timo Salonen 2 Ret WD Ret Ret 5 1 * 1 63
4 Björn Waldegård 1 1 * 5 48
5 Miki Biasion Ret WD Ret WD 2 3 1 * 47
6 Lars-Erik Torph 2 2 * 4 40
7 Bruno Saby 6 1 3 Ret * 38
8 Mikael Ericsson 4 Ret 4 5 * Ret 28
9 Kalle Grundel 3 WD Ret 6 * 5 26
10 Kenneth Eriksson 9 7 WD Ret 8 7 7 5 12 * 11 25
11 Stig Blomqvist Ret WD Ret 3 4 * Ret 22
Erwin Weber 4 3 * 22
13 Henri Toivonen 1 Ret WD Ret * 20
Joaquim Moutinho 1 * 20
15 Rudi Stohl 17 WD Ret 6 12 6 7 * 16
16 Carlos Bica 2 * 15
François Chatriot 2 * 15
18 Hannu Mikkola 3 * 12
Giovanni Del Zoppo Ret 3 Ret Ret * 12
Yves Loubet 3 * 12
John Buffum * 3 12
22 Walter Röhrl 4 WD * 10
Jorge Ortigão 4 * 10
Jean Ragnotti 4 * 10
Saeed Al-Hajri 4 * 10
Jorge Recalde 4 * 10
Robin Ulyate 4 * 10
Mikael Sundström Ret * 4 10
29 Gunnar Pettersson 5 Ret * 8
Auguste Turiani Ret 5 Ret * 8
Jean-Claude Torre 5 * 8
Stratis Hatzipanayiotou 5 * 8
Samir Assef 5 * 8
34 Per Eklund Ret 7 * 7 8
35 Franz Wittmann 10 WD 12 Ret 9 7 * 7
36 Jean-Claude Andruet Ret 6 Ret * 6
Jean-Sébastien Couloumiès 6 * 6
Mike Kirkland 6 Ret * 6
Paul Rouby 6 * 6
Neil Allport 6 * 6
Wilfried Wiedner 6 * 6
Tony Pond Ret WD Ret * 6 6
Paolo Alessandrini * 6 6
44 Rod Millen 10 * 7 5
45 Salvador Servià 7 * 4
Ramiro Fernandes 7 * 4
Frank Tundo 7 Ret * 4
Michel Neri 7 * 4
49 Alain Oreille 8 Ret * 3
Roger Ericsson 8 * 3
Giovanni Recordati 8 Ret 19 * 3
Shekhar Mehta 8 * 3
Iórgos Moschous 8 * 3
Paddy Davidson 8 * 3
José Celsi 8 * 3
Harri Toivonen 8 * Ret 3
Alain Ambrosino 8 * 3
Jimmy McRae * 8 3
Possum Bourne Ret Ret * 8 3
60 Björn Johansson 9 * 2
António Segurado 9 * 2
Greg Criticos 9 * 2
Gilbert Casanova 9 * 2
Reg Cook 9 * 2
Ernesto Soto 9 * 2
Lasse Lampi 9 * 2
Patrick Copetti 9 * 2
David Llewellin * 9 2
Clive Smith * 9 2
70 Sören Nilsson 10 * 1
António Coutinho 10 * 1
Johnny Hellier 10 * 1
Christian Gardavot 10 * 1
Michele Rayneri Ret Ret Ret 10 * 1
Basil Criticos 11 10 * 1
Malcolm Wilson Ret Ret WD Ret 10 * 17 1
Martial Yacé 10 * 1
Ingvar Carlsson Ret Ret Ret * 10 1
Paul Choiniere * 10 1
Ladislav Krecek 12 26 * 0
Svatopluk Kvaizar 14 37 * 0
Alex Fiorio Ret Ret WD Ret * 0
Philippe Wambergue Ret Ret Ret * 0
Michele Mouton Ret Ret * 0
Achim Warmbold Ret * 0
Joaquim Santos Ret * 0
Jayant Shah Ret * 0
Vic Preston Jr. Ret * 0
Didier Auriol Ret * 0
Maurice Chomat Ret * 0
Malcolm Stewart Ret * 0
Adolphe Choteau Ret * 0
Marc Duez WD * Ret 0
* - Note: FISA annulled the results for the Rallye Sanremo

Manufacturers' championship
Rank Manufacturers Event Total
points

MON
SWE
POR
KEN
FRA
GRC
NZL
ARG
FIN
ITA
GBR
1 Peugeot 1720-(10)202020(14)20*20 137
2 Lancia 2017-(14)-17172014*17 122
3 Volkswagen 910--9111214-*- 65
4 Audi 1415-------*- 29
5 Ford -14-------*10 24
6 Toyota ---20-----*- 20
7 Renault ----14----*- 14
8 Subaru ---13-----*- 13
9 Austin Rover --------4*8 12
10 Citroën -10-------*- 10
11 Mazda ---------*9 9
12 Opel -------5-*- 5
* - Note: FISA annulled the results for the San Remo Rally

Pointscoring systems

Drivers' championship
Points awarded by finish 1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th
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Manufacturers' championship
Points awarded by overall finish 1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th
121087654321
Points awarded by group finish 1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th
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References
  1. "FIA World Rally Championship 1986". RallyBase. Archived from the original on 6 January 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
  2. Noakes, Andrew. "Group Therapy". PistonHeads.com. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
  3. Maruszewska, Witolda. "Henri Toivonen biography". Post 14. Archived from the original on 31 December 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
  4. "Who is... Jean Todt?". Grandprix.com. Archived from the original on 18 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
  5. Biewer, Chris. "1986 World Rally Championship Summary". Rallye-Info.com. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
  6. Event not included in the Manufacturers' Championship
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