The 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge was the fifth season of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. The season consisted of twelve rounds and started on 19 January with the Monte Carlo Rally. The season ended on November 6, at the Cyprus Rally.
Juho Hänninen became the drivers' champion after winning Rally Scotland, the third of his rally wins during the season. Hänninen also won in Argentina and Sardinia as he finished on the podium in ten of the eleven events that he contested during the season, of which three wins and four second places counted towards the championship's best seven scores rule. Škoda Motorsport team-mate Jan Kopecký finished in second place, some 18 points behind Hänninen. Although not as consistent as his team-mate, Kopecký won one event during the season, winning in the Canary Islands.
Third place was claimed by the top Peugeot driver and reigning champion Kris Meeke, after a third place in Scotland took him ahead of Freddy Loix. Meeke's season was blighted by errors of which retiring from five of the eleven events he contested but did take a win in Brazil. Despite taking part in four rallies, Loix's tarmac expertise shone through, winning the events in Ypres, Belgium, Madeira and the Czech Republic as well as a third place in Sanremo. Four other drivers took victories during the season; World Rally Championship front-runner Mikko Hirvonen won a one-off outing in Monte Carlo, Bruno Magalhães took his first IRC win in the Azores, Paolo Andreucci won in Sanremo and Nasser Al-Attiyah won in Cyprus when many of the leading contenders skipped the event. Škoda took the manufacturers' championship after the Barum Rally Zlín in the Czech Republic.
The calendar consisted of twelve events run on two continents. Changes for 2010 season included the replacement of Rally Russia, Rally Japan and the Safari Rally with Rally Argentina, Rally d'Italia Sardegna and FxPro Cyprus Rally.[1] In March it was announced that the Rally Islas Canarias would replace the Rally Principe de Asturias as the Spanish round on the schedule, moving from September to April.[2]
M-Sport (Ford) and Subaru became the latest registered manufacturers to join the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, alongside Abarth (Fiat), Honda, Ralliart (Mitsubishi), Peugeot, Proton and Škoda.
Entrant
|
Manufacturer[4]
|
Car
|
Driver
|
Co-driver
|
Tyres
|
Rounds
|
Peugeot UK[5]
|
Peugeot
|
Peugeot 207 S2000
|
Kris Meeke
|
Paul Nagle
|
BF
|
1–11
|
Peugeot France
|
Sébastien Ogier
|
Julien Ingrassia
|
BF
|
1
|
P
|
5
|
Stéphane Sarrazin
|
Jacques-Julien Renucci
|
BF
|
1, 6
|
Bryan Bouffier
|
Xavier Panseri
|
9–10
|
Peugeot Sport Portugal[5]
|
Bruno Magalhães
|
Carlos Magalhães
|
BF
|
1–8, 10
|
Interwetten Racing
|
Franz Wittmann
|
Klaus Wicha
|
BF
|
1, 4–5, 9
|
Josefine Beinke
|
12
|
Bryan Bouffier
|
Xavier Panseri
|
12
|
Kimera Motorsport
|
Luca Betti
|
Alessandro Mattioda
|
BF
|
1
|
Pierangelo Scalvini
|
5
|
Stohl Racing[6]
|
Daniel Oliveira
|
Carlos del Barrio
|
BF
|
1, 3–4, 6–10
|
Denis Giraudet
|
2
|
Armando Miranda
|
11–12
|
Peugeot Team Belux
|
Thierry Neuville
|
Nicolas Klinger
|
BF
|
4–6, 9–11
|
Pieter Tsjoen
|
Eddy Chevaillier
|
6
|
Yazeed Al Rajhi Team
|
Yazeed Al Rajhi
|
Matthieu Baumel
|
BF
|
5
|
F.P.F. Sport SRL
|
Paolo Andreucci
|
Anna Andreussi
|
P
|
5, 10
|
Peugeot Team Turkey
|
Burcu Çetinkaya
|
Çiçek Güney
|
Y
|
5–12
|
Bluthunder Racing Italy
|
Corrado Fontana
|
Nicola Arena
|
P
|
6, 8–9
|
Luigi Fontana
|
Renzo Casazza
|
8
|
Duindistel
|
Patrick Snijers
|
Cindy Cokelaere
|
BF
|
6
|
Dominique Bruyneel
|
Lara Vanneste
|
6, 8
|
Jean-Charles Descamps
|
9
|
Amarante Rally Team
|
Vítor Pascoal
|
Mário Castro
|
P
|
7–8
|
Power Car Team
|
Marco Tempestini
|
Dorin Pulpea
|
P
|
8
|
Team C.D. Nacional da Madeira
|
Miguel Nunes
|
Victor Calado
|
BF
|
8
|
Nicos Thomas Racing
|
Nicos Thomas
|
Angelos Loizides
|
BF
|
12
|
M-Sport Ltd.
|
M-Sport
|
Ford Fiesta S2000
|
Mikko Hirvonen
|
Jarmo Lehtinen
|
P
|
1
|
Julien Maurin
|
Gilles Thimonier
|
1
|
Andreas Mikkelsen
|
Ola Fløene
|
H
|
5–7, 9–12
|
Munchi's Ford World Rally Team
|
Federico Villagra
|
Jorge Pérez Companc
|
P
|
3
|
ESC. Ourense
|
Sergio Vallejo
|
Diego Vallejo
|
P
|
4
|
Cersanit Rally Team
|
Michał Sołowow
|
Maciek Baran
|
P
|
6
|
Team Ford Quinta do Lorde
|
Bernardo Sousa
|
Nuno Rodrigues da Silva
|
P
|
7–8
|
RMC Motorsport
|
Miguel Campos
|
Aloisio Monteiro
|
BF
|
8
|
Czech Ford Rally Team
|
Jaromír Tarabus
|
Daniel Trunkát
|
BF
|
9, 12
|
Martin Prokop
|
Jan Tománek
|
P
|
12
|
Car Racing
|
Umberto Scandola
|
Guido D'Amore
|
BF
|
10
|
Barwa Rally Team
|
Nasser Al-Attiyah
|
Giovanni Bernacchini
|
P
|
12
|
Škoda Motorsport
|
Škoda
|
Škoda Fabia S2000
|
Jan Kopecký
|
Petr Starý
|
BF
|
1–10
|
Juho Hänninen
|
Mikko Markkula
|
1–11
|
Nicolas Vouilloz
|
Benjamin Veillas
|
1
|
Freddy Loix
|
Frédéric Miclotte
|
6, 8–10
|
Škoda UK
|
Guy Wilks
|
Phil Pugh
|
BF
|
1–5, 9–11
|
Barwa Rally Team
|
Nasser Al-Attiyah
|
Giovanni Bernacchini
|
P
|
3
|
B9 Racing
|
Alberto Hevia
|
Alberto Iglesias
|
BF
|
4
|
René Georges Rally Sport
|
Bernd Casier
|
Francis Caesemaeker
|
BF
|
6
|
Škoda Delimax Czech National Team
|
Pavel Valoušek
|
Zdeněk Hrůza
|
BF
|
9
|
Mogul Racing Team
|
Roman Kresta
|
Petr Gross
|
BF
|
9
|
Motortune Racing
|
Roger Feghali
|
Joseph Matar
|
BF
|
12
|
Astra Racing
|
Abarth
|
Abarth Grande Punto S2000
|
Toni Gardemeister
|
Tomi Tuominen
|
BF
|
1
|
Procar
|
Luca Rossetti
|
Matteo Chiarcossi
|
BF
|
8
|
Abarth & C. Spa
|
10
|
Giandomenico Basso
|
Mitia Dotta
|
10
|
Tommi Mäkinen Racing
|
Subaru
|
Subaru Impreza WRX STI
|
Bryan Bouffier
|
Xavier Panseri
|
BF
|
1
|
Barattero
|
Gabriel Pozzo
|
Daniel Stillo
|
P
|
3
|
Claudio Menzi
|
Diego Cagnotti
|
3
|
Motoring Club
|
Teemu Arminen
|
Tuomo Nikkola
|
BF
|
5
|
WAR Racing
|
Luigi Ricci
|
Christine Pfister
|
Y
|
5
|
Subaru Team Arai
|
Toshihiro Arai
|
Daniel Barritt
|
P
|
6
|
Intercontinental Motul
|
Ralliart
|
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
|
Oswaldo Scheer
|
Gilvan Jablonski
|
Y
|
2
|
Sidinei Bröering
|
3
|
Eduardo Scheer
|
Geferson Pavinatto
|
2–3
|
Tango Rally Team
|
Federico Bassi
|
Jorge García Quiroga
|
BF
|
3
|
Agustín Elvíra
|
Oscar Tagle
|
3
|
Agustín Rossi
|
Leonardo Suaya
|
3
|
Gonzalo Monarca
|
Laureano Grigera
|
3
|
Team Além Mar
|
Ricardo Moura
|
Sancho Eiró
|
BF
|
7
|
António Costa
|
8
|
EuroOil Čepro Czech National Team
|
Václav Pech
|
Petr Uhel
|
BF
|
9
|
Advan-Piaa Rally Team
|
Fumio Nutahara
|
Hakaru Ichino
|
Y
|
9
|
DGM Sport
|
Jonathan Greer
|
Dai Roberts
|
P
|
11
|
David Bogie Rallying
|
David Bogie
|
Kevin Rae
|
P
|
11
|
Kresta Racing
|
Roman Kresta
|
Petr Gross
|
P/H
|
12
|
Tango Rally Team
|
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
|
Nicolas Madero
|
Guillermo Piazzano
|
BF
|
3
|
Marcos Ligato
|
Rubén García
|
3
|
Luciano Bernardi
|
Fabian Cretu
|
3
|
Alejandro Cancio
|
Santiego García
|
3
|
Juan Jose Gil de Marchi
|
Mauro Albornoz
|
3
|
Escudería GPR Sport
|
Rubén Gracia
|
Diego Sanjuan
|
BF
|
4
|
JRM Engineering
|
Per-Gunnar Andersson
|
Anders Fredriksson
|
P
|
5
|
Heuvel Motorsport
|
Jasper ven den Heuvel
|
Martine Kolman
|
P
|
6
|
Proton R3 Malaysia Rally Team
|
Proton
|
Proton Satria Neo S2000
|
Chris Atkinson
|
Stéphane Prévot
|
BF
|
6–7
|
Alister McRae
|
Bill Hayes
|
6–7, 11
|
Tom Cave
|
Craig Parry
|
6–7, 11
|
Niall McShea
|
Marshall Clarke
|
9–10
|
Keith Cronin
|
Barry McNulty
|
9, 11
|
Gilles Panizzi
|
Freddy Delorme
|
10
|
Catwees Honda Racing
|
Honda
|
Honda Civic Type-R R3
|
Siim Plangi
|
Marek Sarapuu
|
BF
|
9, 11
|
- Only the best seven scores from each driver counted towards the championship.
|
Key
|
Colour
|
Result
|
Gold
|
Winner
|
Silver
|
2nd place
|
Bronze
|
3rd place
|
Green
|
Points finish
|
Blue
|
Non-points finish
|
Non-classified finish (NC)
|
Purple
|
Did not finish (Ret)
|
Black
|
Excluded (EX)
|
Disqualified (DSQ)
|
White
|
Did not start (DNS)
|
Cancelled (C)
|
Blank
|
Withdrew entry from the event (WD)
|
|
- Only the best seven scores from each manufacturer counted towards the championship.