2003 World Rally Championship

2003 WRC season

World Champion
Driver:	Petter Solberg
Manufacturer:	Subaru
Season dates
Number of rallies:	14th
<2002 season	2004 season>

The FIA - World Rally Championship in 2003 was in January 24, Monte Carlo started and ended on November 9 in the UK . A total of 14 world championship races were held on three continents. Petter Solberg became world champion with a Subaru Impreza . The Citroën Total World Rally Team won its first title in the Manufacturers' World Championship . Sébastien Loeb drove the first complete world rally championship and missed the drivers’s world title by just one point.

vehicles

• 

  Citroën Xsara WRC

• 

  Subaru Impreza WRC

• 

  Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6

Teams and drivers

team	Manufacturer	automobile	driver	Rallies
Peugeot Total	Peugeot	Peugeot 206 WRC	Marcus Grönholm	All
			Richard Burns	1-13
			Freddy Loix	14th
			Gilles Panizzi	1, 8, 11-13
			Harri Rovanperä	2-7, 9-10, 14th
Ford World Rally Team	ford	Ford Focus RS WRC	Markko Märtin	All
			François Duval	All
			Mikko Hirvonen	All
			Jari-Matti Latvala	6, 8-9, 14th
Subaru World Rally Team	Subaru	Subaru Impreza WRC	Petter Solberg	All
			Tommi Mäkinen	All
Hyundai World Rally Team	Hyundai	Hyundai Accent	Armin Schwarz	1-10
			Freddy Loix	1-10
			Jussi Välimäki	2, 4, 6, 9
			Justin Dale	7th
			Manfred Stohl	8th
			Manfred Stohl	10
			Justin Dale	8, 10
Škoda Motorsport	Škoda	Škoda Octavia WRC Škoda Fabia WRC	Didier Auriol	All
			Toni Gardemeister	All
			Gabriel Pozzo	5
Citroën Total World Rally Team	Citroën	Citroën Xsara WRC	Colin McRae	All
			Sébastien Loeb	All
			Carlos Sainz	All
			Philippe Bugalski	8, 11-13
Mitsubishi Motors	Mitsubishi	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC	Alister McRae	4th
			Jani Paasonen	8th
			Kristian Sohlberg	2, 4, 8
Teams without notification of manufacturer points
Bozian Racing	Peugeot	Peugeot 206 WRC	Roman Kresta	1-2, 6, 8, 11, 13-14
			Gilles Panizzi	3, 6-7, 14
			Juuso Pykälistö	2-3, 6-7, 9, 14
			Ari Vatanen	9
Equipe de France FFSA			Cédric Robert	1, 8, 11-13
Peugeot Sport Finland			Sebastian Lindholm	9
Team BSA			Alexandre Bengue	12
Stohl Racing			Manfred Stohl	4, 12, 14
	Hyundai	Hyundai Accent WRC3		6th
AW rally team	ford	Ford Focus RS WRC	Antony Warmbold	1-2, 4-10, 12-14
Alistair Ginley			Alistair Ginley	3, 6-9, 12-14
LPM Racing			Janne Tuohino	2, 9
Tomasz Kuchar			Tomasz Kuchar	2, 4, 6
Citroën Sport	Citroën	Citroën Xsara WRC	Daniel Solà	6, 14
Škoda Matador team	Škoda	Škoda Octavia WRC Evo3	Jan Kopecký	8, 14

Competitions

The kilometers entered correspond to the distance of the special stages. The distance between the connecting routes between the individual WPs is not included.

colour Underground gold gravel silver asphalt blue Ice / snow bronze Mixed

rally	rank	driver	vehicle	total time	Number of WP	length	Started	in the target
Rally Monte Carlo 23-26 January 2003	1.	Sébastien Loeb	Citroën Xsara WRC	4: 29: 11.4	14 1 canceled	415.02 km	50	30th
	2.	Colin McRae	Citroën Xsara WRC	+ 0: 38.1
	3.	Carlos Sainz	Citroën Xsara WRC	+ 0: 52.2
Rally Sweden 7th – 9th February 2003	1.	Marcus Grönholm	Peugeot 206 WRC	3: 03: 28.1	17 1 canceled	386.91 km	75	54
	2.	Tommi Mäkinen	Subaru Impreza WRC	+ 0: 50.8
	3.	Richard Burns	Peugeot 206 WRC	+1: 17.9
Rally Turkey February 27th – 2nd March 2003	1.	Carlos Sainz	Citroën Xsara WRC	4: 32: 14.1	18th	337.88 km	58	27
	2.	Richard Burns	Peugeot 206 WRC	+ 0: 47.9
	3.	François Duval	Ford Focus RS WRC	+1: 46.5
Rally New Zealand 11-13 April 2003	1.	Marcus Grönholm	Peugeot 206 WRC	3: 45: 21.2	22nd	403.34 km	80	46
	2.	Richard Burns	Peugeot 206 WRC	+1: 08.7
	3.	Petter Solberg	Subaru Impreza WRC	+ 2: 09.8
Rally Argentina 8-11 May 2003	1.	Marcus Grönholm	Peugeot 206 WRC	4: 14: 45.0	25 1 canceled	392.46 km	78	33
	2.	Carlos Sainz	Citroën Xsara WRC	+ 0: 26.6
	3.	Richard Burns	Peugeot 206 WRC	+1: 12.8
Acropolis Rally 6th-8th June 2003	1.	Markko Märtin	Ford Focus WRC	4: 53: 40.5	22 1 canceled	399.49 km	82	37
	2.	Carlos Sainz	Citroën Xsara WRC	+ 0: 46.0
	3.	Petter Solberg	Subaru Impreza WRC	+ 0: 52.7
Rally Cyprus 20-22 June 2003	1.	Petter Solberg	Subaru Impreza WRC	5: 09: 12.6	18th	341.05 km	51	17th
	2.	Harri Rovanperä	Peugeot 206 WRC	+ 4: 14.0
	3.	Sébastien Loeb	Citroën Xsara WRC	+ 4: 16.8
Rally Germany 25-27 July 2003	1.	Sébastien Loeb	Citroën Xsara WRC	3: 46: 50.4	22nd	388.23 km	79	44
	2.	Marcus Grönholm	Peugeot 206 WRC	+ 0: 03.6
	3.	Richard Burns	Peugeot 206 WRC	+ 0: 19.7
Rally Finland 7-10 August 2003	1.	Markko Märtin	Ford Focus WRC	3: 21: 51.7	23	409.18 km	71	35
	2.	Petter Solberg	Subaru Impreza WRC	+ 0: 58.9
	3.	Richard Burns	Peugeot 206 WRC	+1: 00.1
Rally Australia 4th-7th September 2003	1.	Petter Solberg	Subaru Impreza WRC	3: 32: 07.1	24	386.31 km	49	32
	2.	Sébastien Loeb	Citroën Xsara WRC	+ 0: 26.6
	3.	Richard Burns	Peugeot 206 WRC	+1: 53.0
Rally San Remo 3rd – 5th October 2003	1.	Sébastien Loeb	Citroën Xsara WRC	4: 16: 33.7	14th	387.36 km	54	36
	2.	Gilles Panizzi	Peugeot 206 WRC	+ 0: 28.3
	3.	Markko Märtin	Ford Focus WRC	+ 0: 54.6
Rally Corsica 16. – 19. October 2003	1.	Petter Solberg	Subaru Impreza WRC	4: 20: 15.3	16	397.4 km	62	34
	2.	Carlos Sainz	Citroën Xsara WRC	+ 0: 36.6
	3.	François Duval	Ford Focus WRC	+ 0: 41.7
Rally Catalonia 24-26 October 2003	1.	Gilles Panizzi	Peugeot 206 WRC	3: 55: 09.4	22nd	381.18 km	47	33
	2.	Sébastien Loeb	Citroën Xsara WRC	+ 0: 13.0
	3.	Markko Märtin	Ford Focus WRC	+ 0: 13.6
Rally Great Britain 6-9 November 2003	1.	Petter Solberg	Subaru Impreza WRC	3: 28: 58.1	18th	376.81 km	75	39
	2.	Sébastien Loeb	Citroën Xsara WRC	+ 0: 43.6
	3.	Tommi Mäkinen	Subaru Impreza WRC	+ 2: 58.8

Overall rating

WRC drivers' championship

Distribution of points
rank	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th
Points	10	8th	6th	5	4th	3	2	1

rank	driver	MON	SWE	DOOR	NZL	ARG	GRC	CYP	GER	FIN	OUT	ITA	FRA	ESP	GBR	Points
1	Petter Solberg	DNF	6th	DNF	3	5	3	1	8th	2	1	DNF	1	5	1	72
2	Sébastien Loeb	1	7th	DNF	4th	DNF	DNF	3	1	5	2	1	13	2	2	71
3	Carlos Sainz	3	9	1	12	2	2	5	6th	4th	5	4th	2	7th	DNF	63
4th	Richard Burns	5	3	2	2	3	4th	DNF	3	3	3	7th	8th	DNF		58
5	Markko Märtin	4th	4th	6th	DNF	DNF	1	DNF	5	1	DNF	3	DNF	3	DNF	49
6th	Marcus Grönholm	13	1	9	1	1	DNF	DNF	2	DNF	DNF	DNF	4th	6th	DNF	46
7th	Colin McRae	2	5	4th	DNF	DNF	8th	4th	4th	DNF	4th	6th	5	9	4th	45
8th	Tommi Mäkinen	DNF	2	8th	7th	DNF	5	DNF	DNF	6th	6th	10	7th	8th	3	30th
9	François Duval	7th	DNF	3	9	8th	DNF	DNF	7th	DNF	10	5	3	4th	5	30th
10	Gilles Panizzi	DNF		5			7th	DNF	10			2	6th	1	DNF	27
11	Harri Rovanperä		DNF	DNF	DNF	4th	6th	2		DNF	7th				DNF	18th
12	Toni Gardemeister	DNF	8th	7th	5	7th	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	11	DNF	11	12	DNF	9
13	Didier Auriol	9	18th	DNF	8th	6th	9	DNF	DNF	DNF	12	12	DNF	DNF	11	4th
14th	Freddy Loix	DNF	10	10	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	11	10	8th	DNS	DNS	DNS	6th	4th
15th	Cédric Robert	6th							9			9	12	11		3
16	Alister McRae				6th											3
17th	Mikko Hirvonen	DNF	11	DNF	10	16	DNF	6th	13	DNF	9	DNF	10	14th	DNF	3
18th	Armin Schwarz	8th	13	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	7th	12	12	13	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	3
19th	Janne Tuohino		17th							7th						2
20th	Manfred Stohl				DNF		11		18th		DNS		DNF		7th	2
21st	Alistair Ginley			12			15th	8th	DNF	23			DNF	23	DNF	1
22nd	Sebastian Lindholm									8th						1
23	Philippe Bugalski								DNF			8th	9	10		1
24	Roman Kresta	10	14th				DNF		DNF			11		13	8th	1
rank	driver	MON	SWE	DOOR	NZL	ARG	GRC	CYP	GER	FIN	OUT	ITA	FRA	ESP	GBR	Points

Manufacturers' championship WRC

The manufacturing teams had to use at least two cars. However, three or four vehicles could also be entered, but only the two best results for the world championship count. The results in brackets therefore mean that two other vehicles from the same manufacturer were placed further ahead.

rank	team	No.	MON	SWE	DOOR	NZL	ARG	GRC	CYP	GER	FIN	OUT	ITA	FRA	ESP	GBR	Points
1	Citroën Total World Rally Team	17th	2	5	4th	DNF	DNF	7th	4th	4th	DNF	4th	(6)	5	(9)	4th	160
		18th	1	7th	DNF	4th	DNF	DNF	3	1	5	2	1	(12)	2	2
		19th	(3)	(9)	1	(10)	2	2	(5)	(6)	4th	(5)	4th	2	7th	DNF
		20th								DNF			(8th)	(9)	(10)
2	Peugeot Total	1	8th	1	8th	1	1	DNF	DNF	2	DNF	DNF	DNF	4th	6th	Ret	145
		2	4th	3	2	2	3	4th	DNF	3	3	3	6th	(8th)	DNF	6th
		3	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	(4)	6th	2	(9)	DNF	6th	2	6th	1	DNF
3	Subaru World Rally Team	7th	DNF	6th	DNF	3	4th	3	1	7th	2	1	DNF	1	5	1	109
		8th	DNF	2	7th	6th	DNF	5	DNF	DNF	6th	5	7th	7th	8th	3
4th	Ford World Rally Team	4th	3	4th	5	DNF	DNF	1	DNF	5	1	DNF	3	DNF	3	DNF	93
		5	5	DNF	3	8th	7th	DNF	DNF	6th	DNF	9	5	3	4th	5
		6th	DNF	10	DNF	9	8th	DNF	5	(12)	DNF	8th	DNF	8th	(12)	DNF
5	Škoda Motorsport	14th	7th	12	DNF	7th	5	8th	DNF	DNF	DNF	11	8th	DNF	DNF	7th	23
		15th	DNF	8th	6th	5	6th	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	10	DNF	9	9	DNF
6th	Hyundai World Rally Team	10	6th	11	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	6th	9	8th	12					12
		11	DNF	9	9	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	8th	7th	7th
		12		DNF		DNF		DNF	DNF	(13)	DNF
rank	team	No.	MON	SWE	DOOR	NZL	ARG	GRC	CYP	GER	FIN	OUT	ITA	FRA	ESP	GBR	Points

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ewrc-results.com: Season 2003 , February 8, 2015

Web links

http://www.wrc.com