# 2008 World Rally Championship

The 2008 World Rally Championship was the 36th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of 15 rallies and began on 24 January, with the 2008 Monte Carlo Rally. Frenchman Sébastien Loeb successfully retained the Drivers' World Championship, his and co-driver Daniel Elena's record-breaking fifth consecutive title, all of them attained driving Citroëns. In addition, Citroën secured their fourth Manufacturers' title, and their first since 2005, from 2006 and 2007 victors, Ford.

## Rule changes

The running order for the first day is governed by championship position, with the championship leader running first on the road. For every other day of a rally, the order is decided by the previous end of day classification (with the leader on classification running first). The term 'leg' has been replaced by 'day' in order to sound more understandable. Extra 10-minute service prior to the finish podium has been added, intended to allow the service park to remain an attraction until the end of the event.
With the switch to Pirelli tyres, tyre mousse (along with all anti-deflation devices) has been banned, and fewer compounds are available. Also the teams aren't allowed to modify tyres by themselves (e.g. by making additional cuts) anymore. At the first event of the season, the available tires were the soft slick DS tire (Pirelli PZero), the WX snow tire without studs, and the WX snow tire with studs (both variants of Pirelli Sottozero). The same snow tyres were used in Sweden as well. Later on loose surface tyres were introduced: Pirelli Scorpion, available in two variants – hard compound for abrasive surfaces, such as roads in Mexico or Greece, and soft one, for more muddy stages as seen on Welsh event. Tire walls have been strengthened in order to endure long, rough gravel stages often full of sharp rocks. The tread on Scorpions is asymmetric and directional, as it has proven more efficient during the tests.

## Calendar

The 2008 championship was contested over fifteen rounds in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Americas and Oceania.
| Rd. | Start date | Finish date | Rally | Rally headquarters | Surface | Stages | Distance | Support class |
| 1 | 24 January | 27 January | 76th Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo | Valence, Drôme, France | Mixed | 19 | 365.09 km | None |
| 2 | 8 February | 10 February | 57th Uddeholm Swedish Rally | Karlstad, Värmland County | Snow | 20 | 340.24 km | PWRC |
| 3 | 28 February | 2 March | 5th Corona Rally Mexico | León, Guanajuato | Gravel | 20 | 353.75 km | JWRC |
| 4 | 27 March | 30 March | 28th Rally Argentina | Carlos Paz, Córdoba | Gravel | 21 | 347.91 km | PWRC |
| 5 | 24 April | 27 April | 1st Jordan Rally | Amman | Gravel | 22 | 359.26 km | JWRC |
| 6 | 16 May | 18 May | 5th Rally d'Italia Sardinia | Olbia, Sardinia | Gravel | 17 | 344.73 km | JWRC |
| 7 | 29 May | 1 June | 55th BP Ultimate Acropolis Rally of Greece | Tatoi, Northern Attica | Gravel | 20 | 331.52 km | PWRC |
| 8 | 13 June | 15 June | 9th Rally of Turkey | Kemer, Antalya Province | Gravel | 19 | 360.12 km | PWRC |
| 9 | 31 July | 3 August | 58th Neste Oil Rally Finland | Jyväskylä, Central Finland | Gravel | 24 | 340.42 km | PWRC/JWRC |
| 10 | 15 August | 17 August | 27th ADAC Rallye Deutschland | Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate | Tarmac | 19 | 352.63 km | JWRC |
| 11 | 28 August | 31 August | 39th Repco Rally New Zealand | Hamilton, Waikato | Gravel | 18 | 353.04 km | PWRC |
| 12 | 2 October | 5 October | 44th RallyRACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada | Salou, Catalonia | Tarmac | 18 | 353.62 km | JWRC |
| 13 | 10 October | 12 October | 52nd Tour de Corse - Rallye de France | Ajaccio, Corsica | Tarmac | 16 | 359.02 km | JWRC |
| 14 | 31 October | 2 November | 8th Pioneer Carrozzeria Rally Japan | Sapporo, Hokkaido | Gravel | 29 | 343.69 km | PWRC |
| 15 | 5 December | 7 December | 64th Wales Rally GB | Cardiff, Wales | Gravel | 19 | 282.35 km | PWRC |
| Sources: |||||||||

### Calendar changes

The 2008 season included 15 rallies, which was one less than the 2007 season. Rally Norway, Rally Portugal and Rally Ireland were dropped from the calendar for 2008. Rally of Turkey returned to the schedule, and Jordan Rally was part of the calendar for the first time. Rally Australia was planned to make a return after being absent in 2007, but the organizers submitted a request to the FIA to delay the event's return to the schedule until 2009.
The events also part of the Production World Rally Championship were Sweden, Argentina, Greece, Turkey, Finland, New Zealand, Japan and GB. The seven rallies also on the Junior World Rally Championship schedule were Mexico, Jordan, Italy, Finland, Germany, Spain and France.

## Teams and drivers

In 2008 two categories are valid to compete for the Manufacturer's championship:
Manufacturer (M)
* must take part in all the rallies of the Championship with two cars of the same make
* must enter only cars corresponding to the latest homologated version of a World Rally Car in conformity with the 2008 Appendix J
* must inform the FIA of the name of the first driver entered for the season at the time of registration for the Championship. No change of the first driver is authorised, except in a case of force majeure. The driver of the second car may be changed for each of the rallies in the Championship
Manufacturer Team (MT)
* must take part in a minimum of 10 Championship rallies with two cars of the same make; those rallies must be nominated on registering for the Championship
* cannot enter World Rally Cars homologated during the year 2008 and cannot use parts homologated after 2 January 2008
* can only score points in the events it nominated on registering.
The teams and drivers for the 2008 season are as follows:
Manufacturers :
| Team | Manufacturer | Car | No | Drivers | Co-driver | Rounds |
| Citroën Total World Rally Team | Citroën | C4 WRC | 1 | Sébastien Loeb | Daniel Elena | All |
| Citroën Total World Rally Team | Citroën | C4 WRC | 2 | Daniel Sordo | Marc Marti | All |
| BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 Focus RS WRC 08 | 3 | Mikko Hirvonen | Jarmo Lehtinen | All |
| BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 Focus RS WRC 08 | 4 | Jari-Matti Latvala | Miikka Anttila | 1–11, 14–15 |
| BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 Focus RS WRC 08 | 4 | François Duval | Patrick Pivato | 12–13 |
| Subaru World Rally Team | Subaru | Impreza WRC 2007 Impreza WRC 2008 | 5 | Petter Solberg | Phil Mills | All |
| Subaru World Rally Team | Subaru | Impreza WRC 2007 Impreza WRC 2008 | 6 | Chris Atkinson | Stéphane Prévot | All |
| Suzuki World Rally Team | Suzuki | SX4 WRC | 11 | Toni Gardemeister | Tomi Tuominen | All |
| Suzuki World Rally Team | Suzuki | SX4 WRC | 12 | Per-Gunnar Andersson | Jonas Andersson | All |
| Manufacturer Teams ||||||||
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 7 | Gianluigi Galli | Giovanni Bernacchini | 1–10 |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 7 | François Duval | Patrick Pivato | 11, 14 |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 7 | François Duval | Denis Giraudet | 15 |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 7 | Matthew Wilson | Scott Martin | 12–13 |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 8 | François Duval | Eddy Chevaillier | 1 |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 8 | François Duval | Patrick Pivato | 10 |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 8 | Henning Solberg | Cato Menkerud | 2, 4–5, 7–9 |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 8 | Matthew Wilson | Scott Martin | 3, 6, 11, 14–15 |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 8 | Jari-Matti Latvala | Miikka Anttila | 12–13 |
| Munchi's Ford World Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 9 | Federico Villagra | Jorge Pérez Companc | 3–9, 11–12, 14 |
| Munchi's Ford World Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 10 | Henning Solberg | Cato Menkerud | 3, 6, 11–12, 14 |
| Munchi's Ford World Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 10 | Luís Pérez Companc | Jose Maria Volta | 4, 9 |
| Munchi's Ford World Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 10 | Barry Clark | José Díaz | 5 |
| Munchi's Ford World Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 10 | Barry Clark | Paul Nagle | 8 |
| Munchi's Ford World Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 10 | Armodios Vovos | Loris Meletopoulos | 7 |
| Major entries not registered as Manufacturers ||||||||
| Subaru World Rally Team | Subaru | Impreza WRC 2008 | 14 | Brice Tirabassi | Fabrice Gordon | 12–13 |
| BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 19 | Khalid Al Qassimi | Michael Orr | 1–2, 5–7, 9–10, 12–13, 15 |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 14 | Henning Solberg | Cato Menkerud | 1, 10, 13, 15 |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 16 | Matthew Wilson | Scott Martin | 1, 4–5, 7–10 |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 20 | Barry Clark | Paul Nagle | 13, 15 |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 07 | 46 | Valentino Rossi | Carlo Cassina | 15 |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 04 | 23 | Steve Perez | Paul Spooner | 15 |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford | Focus RS WRC 05 | 24 | Dave Weston, Jr | Aled Davies | 15 |
| PH Sport | Citroën | C4 WRC | 15 | Urmo Aava | Kuldar Sikk | 2, 5–13, 15 |
| PH Sport | Citroën | C4 WRC | 17 | Sébastien Ogier | Julien Ingrassia | 15 |
| PH Sport | Citroën | C4 WRC | 18 | Conrad Rautenbach | David Senior | 3–15 |
| PH Sport | Citroën | Xsara WRC | 21 | Conrad Rautenbach | David Senior | 1–2 |
| Triviño Racing | Peugeot | 206 WRC | 15 | Ricardo Triviño | Sergio Salom | 3 |
| Team Rallye Cuoq | Peugeot | 307 WRC | 18 | Jean-Marie Cuoq | Philippe Janvier | 1 |
| Adapta World Rally Team | Subaru | Impreza WRC 2007 | 18 | Mads Østberg | Ole Kristian Unnerud | 2, 6–7, 9–10, 12–13, 15 |
| Ramsport | Ford | Focus RS WRC 06 | 20 | Matti Rantanen | Jan Lönegren | 9 |
| Ramsport | Ford | Focus RS WRC 06 | 23 | Andreas Mikkelsen | Ola Fløene | 2, 8–10, 12–13 |
| Ramsport | Ford | Focus RS WRC 06 | 23 | Andreas Mikkelsen | Maria Andersson | 6 |
| Van Merksteijn Motorsport | Ford | Focus RS WRC 06/07 | 22 | Peter van Merksteijn Jr. | Eddy Chevaillier | 10, 12 |
| Van Merksteijn Motorsport | Ford | Focus RS WRC 06/07 | 24 | Peter van Merksteijn Sr. | Hilco van Beek | 2, 6, 10 |
| Van Merksteijn Motorsport | Ford | Focus RS WRC 06/07 | 24 | Peter van Merksteijn Sr. | Erwin Berkhof | 12 |
| Ipatec Racing | Ford | Focus RS WRC 06 | 61 | René Kuipers | Erwin Mombaerts | 10 |
| Ipatec Racing | Ford | Focus RS WRC 06 | 64 | Dennis Kuipers | Kees Hagman | 10 |
* – indicates a car running with varying numbers during the season

### J-WRC entries

| No | Drivers | Co-driver | Car | Rounds |
| 31 | Martin Prokop | Jan Tománek | Citroën C2 S1600 | 3, 6, 9–10, 12–13 |
| 32 | Jaan Mölder | Frédéric Miclotte | Suzuki Swift S1600 | 3, 5–6, 9, 12–13 |
| 33 | Aaron Burkart | Michael Kölbach | Citroën C2 S1600 | 3, 6, 9–10, 12–13 |
| 34 | Andrea Cortinovis | Giancarla Guzzi | Renault Clio S1600 | 5–6, 9–10, 12–13 |
| 35 | Michał Kościuszko | Maciek Szczepaniak | Suzuki Swift S1600 | 3, 5–6, 9, 12–13 |
| 36 | Vilius Rožukas | Andrius Šošas | Citroën C2 S1600 | 5–6 |
| 37 | Simone Bertolotti | Daniele Vernuccio | Renault Clio R3 | 5–6, 9–10, 12–13 |
| 38 | Francesco Fanari | Massimiliano Bosi | Citroën C2 R2 | 3, 5–6, 10 |
| 38 | Francesco Fanari | Dario Andrian | Citroën C2 R2 | 9 |
| 38 | Francesco Fanari | Daniele Benedetti | Citroën C2 R2 | 12 |
| 39 | Stefano Albertini | Piercarlo Capolongo | Renault Clio R3 | 5–6, 9–10, 12–13 |
| 40 | Miloš Komljenović | Aleksandar Jeremić | Renault Clio R3 | 3, 5–6, 9 |
| 40 | Kris Meeke | Chris Patterson | Renault Clio R3 | 12 |
| 40 | Arnaud Augoyard | Nicolas Baudin | Renault Clio R3 | 13 |
| 41 | Patrik Sandell | Emil Axelsson | Renault Clio S1600 | 3, 5–6, 9, 12–13 |
| 42 | Sébastien Ogier | Julien Ingrassia | Citroën C2 S1600 | 3, 5–6, 10, 12–13 |
| 43 | Florian Niegel | Andre Kachel | Suzuki Swift S1600 | 5–6, 10, 12–13 |
| 43 | Florian Niegel | Andre Kachel | Suzuki Swift Sport | 9 |
| 44 | Hans Weijs, Jr. | Hans van Goor | Citroën C2 R2 | 5–6, 9–10, 12–13 |
| 45 | Kevin Abbring | Erwin Mombaerts | Renault Clio R3 | 5, 9, 13 |
| 45 | Kevin Abbring | Bjorn Degandt | Renault Clio R3 | 6, 10, 12 |
| 46 | Shaun Gallagher | Michael Morrissey | Citroën C2 S1600 | 3, 5–6, 10 |
| 46 | Shaun Gallagher | Paul Kiely | Citroën C2 S1600 | 9, 12 |
| 47 | Gilles Schammel | Renaud Jamoul | Renault Clio R3 | 5–6, 9–10, 12–13 |
| 48 | Alessandro Bettega | Simone Scattolin | Renault Clio R3 | 5–6, 9–10, 12–13 |
| Additional guest entries |||||
| 59 | Kalle Pinomäki | Matti Kaskinen | Suzuki Swift S1600 | 9 |
| 59 | Sergio Perez | Oriol Julià | Citroën C2 S1600 | 12 |
| 59 | Pierre Campana | Samuel Teissier | Renault Clio R3 | 13 |
| 60 | Pierre Marché | Julien Giroux | Suzuki Swift S1600 | 13 |

### P-WRC entries

| No | Drivers | Co-driver | Car | Rounds |
| 31 | Toshihiro Arai | Glenn MacNeall | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 2, 4, 7–8, 11, 14 |
| 32 | Mirco Baldacci | Giovanni Agnese | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 4, 7–8, 11, 14–15 |
| 33 | Martin Prokop | Jan Tománek | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 2, 4, 7–8, 11, 15 |
| 34 | Gianluca Linari | Roberto Mometti | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 2 |
| 34 | Gianluca Linari | Gianni Melani | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 4 |
| 34 | Gianluca Linari | Paolo Gregoriani | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 7 |
| 34 | Gianluca Linari | Barbara Perugini | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 8 |
| 34 | Gianluca Linari | Franco Giusti | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 11 |
| 34 | Gianluca Linari | Matteo Braga | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 14 |
| 35 | Evgeny Novikov | Dmitry Chumak | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 4 |
| 35 | Evgeny Novikov | Dmitry Chumak | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 7 |
| 35 | Evgeny Novikov | Evgeny Kalachev | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 8 |
| 35 | Evgeny Novikov | Dale Moscatt | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 11, 14–15 |
| 36 | Eyvind Brynildsen | Denis Giraudet | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 2, 9, 14 |
| 36 | Eyvind Brynildsen | Maria Andersson | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 7–8 |
| 36 | Eyvind Brynildsen | Glenn MacNeall | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 15 |
| 37 | Spyros Pavlides | Denis Giraudet | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 4, 7, 11 |
| 37 | Spyros Pavlides | Steve Lancaster | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 15 |
| 37 | Oscar Svedlund | Björn Nilsson | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 9 |
| 37 | Yasunori Hagiwara | Koichi Kato | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 14 |
| 38 | Amjad Farrah | Nicola Arena | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 4, 7–8 |
| 38 | Patrik Flodin | Göran Bergsten | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 9 |
| 38 | Stewart Taylor | Warwick Searle | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 11 |
| 38 | Darren Gass | Neil Shanks | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 15 |
| 39 | Nasser Al-Attiyah | Chris Patterson | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 2, 4, 7–8, 11, 15 |
| 40 | Stefano Marrini | Matteo Braga | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 2, 4 |
| 40 | Stefano Marrini | Tiziana Sandroni | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 14 |
| 40 | Loris Baldacci | Rudy Pollet | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 7, 15 |
| 40 | Riccardo Errani | Stefano Casadio | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 8 |
| 41 | Andreas Aigner | Klaus Wicha | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 2, 4, 7–8, 11, 15 |
| 42 | Bernardo Sousa | Carlos Magalhães | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 2, 4 |
| 42 | Bernardo Sousa | Jorge Carvalho | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 7–8, 11, 15 |
| 43 | Evgeny Vertunov | Georgiy Troshkin | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 2, 7–9, 11, 14 |
| 44 | Gábor Mayer | Robert Tagai | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 4, 7–8 |
| 44 | Liu Chao Dong | Anthony McLoughlin | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 11 |
| 44 | Patrik Flodin | Göran Bergsten | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 15 |
| 44 | Tapio Suominen | Pasi Hedman | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 9 |
| 45 | Jussi Tiippana | Marko Salminen | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 2 |
| 45 | Andrej Jereb | Miran Kacin | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 4, 7 |
| 45 | Francesco Trevisin | Alessandro Biordi | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 8 |
| 45 | Teemu Arminen | Tuomo Nikkola | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 9, 15 |
| 46 | Jari Ketomaa | Miika Teiskonen | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 15 |
| 47 | Fabio Frisiero | Simone Scattolin | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 2, 9 |
| 47 | Giorgio Bacco | Silvio Stefanelli | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 4, 8 |
| 47 | Giorgio Bacco | Fabio Pizzol | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 11 |
| 47 | Jaromír Tarabus | Daniel Trunkát | Fiat Abarth Grande Punto S2000 | 15 |
| 48 | Evgeny Aksakov | Aleksander Kornilov | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 2, 4, 7–9, 15 |
| 49 | Simone Campedelli | Danilo Fappani | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 2, 4, 7–9, 15 |
| 50 | Armindo Araújo | Miguel Ramalho | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 2, 7–8, 11, 14–15 |
| 51 | Subhan Aksa | Hendrik Mboi | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII | 2, 4 |
| 51 | Subhan Aksa | Hendrik Mboi | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 7, 9, 11, 14 |
| 52 | Juho Hänninen | Mikko Markkula | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 2, 7, 9, 11, 14–15 |
| 53 | Uwe Nittel | Detlef Ruf | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 2, 4 |
| 53 | Uwe Nittel | Michael Wenzel | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 7–8 |
| 53 | Giovanni Manfrinato | Carlo Pisano | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 9, 15 |
| 54 | Travis Pastrana | Derek Ringer | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 4, 7 |
| 54 | Jussi Tiippana | Marko Salminen | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 9 |
| 54 | Ken Block | Alex Gelsomino | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 11 |
| 54 | Hiroshi Yanagisawa | Osamu Yoda | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 14 |
| 54 | Mark Higgins | Rory Kennedy | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 15 |
| 55 | Patrik Sandell | Emil Axelsson | Peugeot 207 S2000 | 2, 4, 7–8, 15 |
| 55 | Patrik Sandell | Emil Axelsson | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 11 |
| 56 | Fumio Nutahara | Daniel Barritt | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 4, 7, 9, 11, 15 |
| 56 | Fumio Nutahara | Daniel Barritt | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X | 14 |
| 57 | Martin Rauam | Silver Kütt | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 4, 7–8, 11, 14 |
| 57 | Egon Kaur | Simo Koskinen | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 15 |
| 58 | Naren Kumar | Nicky Beech | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 7–9, 11, 14 |
| 58 | Gaurav Gill | Nicky Beech | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 15 |
| Additional guest entries |||||
| 59 | Patrik Flodin | Göran Bergsten | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 2 |
| 60 | Oscar Svedlund | Björn Nilsson | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 2 |
| 59 | Marcos Ligato | Rubén García | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 4 |
| 60 | Sebastián Beltran | Ricardo Rojas | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 4 |
| 59 | Panayiotis Hatzitsopanis | Andreas Andrikopoulos | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 7 |
| 60 | Lambros Athanassoulas | Nikolaos Zakheos | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 7 |
| 159 | Juha Salo | Mika Stenberg | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 9 |
| 160 | Jussi Välimäki | Teppo Leino | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 9 |
| 59 | Hayden Paddon | John Kennard | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 11 |
| 60 | Chris West | Garry Cowan | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 11 |
| 59 | Katsuhiko Taguchi | Mark Stacey | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X | 14 |
| 60 | Takuma Kamada | Naoki Kase | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 14 |
| 59 | David Higgins | Ieuan Thomas | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 15 |
| 60 | Guy Wilks | Phil Pugh | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 15 |
All entries utilized Pirelli tyres.

## Events

The Rally Finland is notable this year for having dropped its famous Ouninpohja stage. This has been done for safety reasons, however this is likely to be a huge disappointment for race fans.
| Colour | Rally Surface |
| Gold | Gravel |
| Silver | Tarmac |
| Blue | Snow/Ice |
| Bronze | Mixed Surface |
| Round | Rally name | Podium finishers | Podium finishers | Podium finishers | Podium finishers | Statistics | Statistics | Statistics | Statistics |
| Round | Rally name | Rank | Driver | Car | Time | Stages | Length | Starters | Finishers |
| 1 | / Monte Carlo Rally (24–27 January) — Results and report | 1 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën C4 WRC | 3:39:17.0 | 19 | 365.09 km | 47 | 34 |
| 1 | / Monte Carlo Rally (24–27 January) — Results and report | 2 | Mikko Hirvonen | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 3:41:51.4 | 19 | 365.09 km | 47 | 34 |
| 1 | / Monte Carlo Rally (24–27 January) — Results and report | 3 | Chris Atkinson | Subaru Impreza WRC2007 | 3:42:15.6 | 19 | 365.09 km | 47 | 34 |
| 2 | Swedish Rally (8–10 February) — Results and report | 1 | Jari-Matti Latvala | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 2:46:41.2 | 20 | 340.24 km | 61 | 49 |
| 2 | Swedish Rally (8–10 February) — Results and report | 2 | Mikko Hirvonen | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 2:47:39.5 | 20 | 340.24 km | 61 | 49 |
| 2 | Swedish Rally (8–10 February) — Results and report | 3 | Gianluigi Galli | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 2:49:04.4 | 20 | 340.24 km | 61 | 49 |
| 3 | Rally Mexico (28 February– 2 March) — Results and report | 1 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën C4 WRC | 3:33:29.9 | 20 | 353.75 km | 40 | 28 |
| 3 | Rally Mexico (28 February– 2 March) — Results and report | 2 | Chris Atkinson | Subaru Impreza WRC2007 | 3:34:36.0 | 20 | 353.75 km | 40 | 28 |
| 3 | Rally Mexico (28 February– 2 March) — Results and report | 3 | Jari-Matti Latvala | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 3:35:09.6 | 20 | 353.75 km | 40 | 28 |
| 4 | Rally Argentina (27–30 March) — Results and report | 1 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën C4 WRC | 4:05:48.6 | 21 | 347.91 km | 56 | 31 |
| 4 | Rally Argentina (27–30 March) — Results and report | 2 | Chris Atkinson | Subaru Impreza WRC2007 | 4:08:21.8 | 21 | 347.91 km | 56 | 31 |
| 4 | Rally Argentina (27–30 March) — Results and report | 3 | Daniel Sordo | Citroën C4 WRC | 4:09:53.3 | 21 | 347.91 km | 56 | 31 |
| 5 | Jordan Rally (24–27 April) — Results and report | 1 | Mikko Hirvonen | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 4:02:47.9 | 22 | 359.26 km | 54 | 33 |
| 5 | Jordan Rally (24–27 April) — Results and report | 2 | Daniel Sordo | Citroën C4 WRC | 4:04:03.6 | 22 | 359.26 km | 54 | 33 |
| 5 | Jordan Rally (24–27 April) — Results and report | 3 | Chris Atkinson | Subaru Impreza WRC2007 | 4:07:47.4 | 22 | 359.26 km | 54 | 33 |
| 6 | Rally d'Italia Sardegna (16–18 May) — Results and report | 1 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën C4 WRC | 3:57:17.2 | 17 | 344.73 km | 57 | 38 |
| 6 | Rally d'Italia Sardegna (16–18 May) — Results and report | 2 | Mikko Hirvonen | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 3:57:27.8 | 17 | 344.73 km | 57 | 38 |
| 6 | Rally d'Italia Sardegna (16–18 May) — Results and report | 3 | Jari-Matti Latvala | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 3:57:32.5 | 17 | 344.73 km | 57 | 38 |
| 7 | Acropolis Rally (28 May– 1 June) — Results and report | 1 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën C4 WRC | 3:54:54.7 | 20 | 331.52 km | 60 | 42 |
| 7 | Acropolis Rally (28 May– 1 June) — Results and report | 2 | Petter Solberg | Subaru Impreza WRC2008 | 3:56:04.2 | 20 | 331.52 km | 60 | 42 |
| 7 | Acropolis Rally (28 May– 1 June) — Results and report | 3 | Mikko Hirvonen | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 3:56:50.8 | 20 | 331.52 km | 60 | 42 |
| 8 | Rally of Turkey (13–15 June) — Results and report | 1 | Mikko Hirvonen | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 4:42:07.1 | 19 | 360.12 km | 60 | 37 |
| 8 | Rally of Turkey (13–15 June) — Results and report | 2 | Jari-Matti Latvala | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 4:42:15.0 | 19 | 360.12 km | 60 | 37 |
| 8 | Rally of Turkey (13–15 June) — Results and report | 3 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën C4 WRC | 4:42:32.8 | 19 | 360.12 km | 60 | 37 |
| 9 | Rally Finland (31 July– 3 August) — Results and report | 1 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën C4 WRC | 2:54:05.5 | 24 | 340.42 km | 99 | 68 |
| 9 | Rally Finland (31 July– 3 August) — Results and report | 2 | Mikko Hirvonen | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 2:54:14.5 | 24 | 340.42 km | 99 | 68 |
| 9 | Rally Finland (31 July– 3 August) — Results and report | 3 | Chris Atkinson | Subaru Impreza WRC2008 | 2:57:22.5 | 24 | 340.42 km | 99 | 68 |
| 10 | Rallye Deutschland (15–17 August) — Results and report | 1 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën C4 WRC | 3:26:19.7 | 19 | 352.89 km | 81 | 57 |
| 10 | Rallye Deutschland (15–17 August) — Results and report | 2 | Daniel Sordo | Citroën C4 WRC | 3:27:07.4 | 19 | 352.89 km | 81 | 57 |
| 10 | Rallye Deutschland (15–17 August) — Results and report | 3 | François Duval | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 3:27:39.7 | 19 | 352.89 km | 81 | 57 |
| 11 | Rally New Zealand (28–31 August) — Results and report | 1 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën C4 WRC | 3:59:18.9 | 18 | 353.04 km | 57 | 35 |
| 11 | Rally New Zealand (28–31 August) — Results and report | 2 | Dani Sordo | Citroën C4 WRC | 3:59:36.4 | 18 | 353.04 km | 57 | 35 |
| 11 | Rally New Zealand (28–31 August) — Results and report | 3 | Mikko Hirvonen | Ford Focus RS WRC 08 | 4:00:00.4 | 18 | 353.04 km | 57 | 35 |
| 12 | Rally Catalunya (2–5 October) — Results and report | 1 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën C4 WRC | 3:21:17.4 | 18 | 353.62 km | 69 | 48 |
| 12 | Rally Catalunya (2–5 October) — Results and report | 2 | Daniel Sordo | Citroën C4 WRC | 3:21:42.3 | 18 | 353.62 km | 69 | 48 |
| 12 | Rally Catalunya (2–5 October) — Results and report | 3 | Mikko Hirvonen | Ford Focus RS WRC 08 | 3:22:19.9 | 18 | 353.62 km | 69 | 48 |
| 13 | Tour de Corse (10–12 October) — Results and report | 1 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën C4 WRC | 3:42:58.0 | 16 | 359.02 km | 71 | 54 |
| 13 | Tour de Corse (10–12 October) — Results and report | 2 | Mikko Hirvonen | Ford Focus RS WRC 08 | 3:46:22.7 | 16 | 359.02 km | 71 | 54 |
| 13 | Tour de Corse (10–12 October) — Results and report | 3 | François Duval | Ford Focus RS WRC 08 | 3:46:29.6 | 16 | 359.02 km | 71 | 54 |
| 14 | Rally Japan (31 October– 2 November) — Results and report | 1 | Mikko Hirvonen | Ford Focus RS WRC 08 | 3:25:03.0 | 29 | 343.69 km | 86 | 57 |
| 14 | Rally Japan (31 October– 2 November) — Results and report | 2 | Jari-Matti Latvala | Ford Focus RS WRC 08 | 3:25:34.1 | 29 | 343.69 km | 86 | 57 |
| 14 | Rally Japan (31 October– 2 November) — Results and report | 3 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën C4 WRC | 3:27:33.6 | 29 | 343.69 km | 86 | 57 |
| 15 | Wales Rally GB (5–7 December) — Results and report | 1 | Sébastien Loeb | Citroën C4 WRC | 2:43:09.6 | 19 | 282.35 km | 78 | 47 |
| 15 | Wales Rally GB (5–7 December) — Results and report | 2 | Jari-Matti Latvala | Ford Focus RS WRC 08 | 2:43:22.3 | 19 | 282.35 km | 78 | 47 |
| 15 | Wales Rally GB (5–7 December) — Results and report | 3 | Daniel Sordo | Citroën C4 WRC | 2:45:30.2 | 19 | 282.35 km | 78 | 47 |

## Standings
### Drivers' championship

| Pos. | Driver | MON | SWE | MEX | ARG | JOR | ITA | GRC | TUR | FIN | GER | NZL | ESP | FRA | JPN | GBR | Pts |
| 1 | Sébastien Loeb | 1 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 122 |
| 2 | Mikko Hirvonen | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 103 |
| 3 | Daniel Sordo | 11 | 6 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Ret | DSQ | 3 | 65 |
| 4 | Jari-Matti Latvala | 12 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 39 | 9 | Ret | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 58 |
| 5 | Chris Atkinson | 3 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | Ret | 13 | 3 | 6 | Ret | 7 | 6 | 4 | Ret | 50 |
| 6 | Petter Solberg | 5 | 4 | 12 | Ret | Ret | 10 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 46 |
| 7 | François Duval | 4 | | | | | | | | | 3 | Ret | 4 | 3 | Ret | 6 | 25 |
| 8 | Henning Solberg | 9 | 13 | 5 | Ret | 4 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 15 | Ret | Ret | 22 |
| 9 | Gianluigi Galli | 6 | 3 | Ret | 7 | 8 | 4 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | | | | | | 17 |
| 10 | Matthew Wilson | 10 | Ret | 6 | Ret | 5 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 15 |
| 11 | Urmo Aava | | 18 | | | Ret | 8 | 4 | Ret | 16 | 8 | 5 | 35 | 7 | | DNS | 13 |
| 12 | Per-Gunnar Andersson | 8 | Ret | Ret | 24 | Ret | 9 | 11 | Ret | Ret | 15 | 6 | 32 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 12 |
| 13 | Toni Gardemeister | Ret | 7 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 9 | Ret | 8 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| 14 | Federico Villagra | | | 7 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 13 | 9 | Ret | | 8 | 12 | | 9 | | 9 |
| 15 | Conrad Rautenbach | Ret | 16 | 16 | 4 | 26 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 13 | Ret | Ret | 14 | Ret | 15 | 6 |
| 16 | Andreas Mikkelsen | | 5 | | | | Ret | | 19 | 12 | 11 | | 8 | 11 | | | 5 |
| 17 | Jean-Marie Cuoq | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 |
| 18 | Matti Rantanen | | | | | | | | | 7 | | | | | | | 2 |
| 19 | Juho Hänninen | | 8 | | | | | 21 | | 13 | | 14 | 29 | 24 | 10 | Ret | 1 |
| 20 | Andreas Aigner | | 31 | | 8 | | | 14 | 11 | Ret | | Ret | | | | 13 | 1 |
| 21 | Sébastien Ogier | | | 8 | | 11 | 22 | | | 36 | 19 | | Ret | 20 | | 26 | 1 |
| Pos. | Driver | MON | SWE | MEX | ARG | JOR | ITA | GRC | TUR | FIN | GER | NZL | ESP | FRA | JPN | GBR | Pts |
Key :
| Colour | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | 2nd place |
| Bronze | 3rd place |
| Green | Points finish |
| Blue | Non-points finish |
| Blue | Non-classified finish (NC) |
| Purple | Did not finish (Ret) |
| Black | Excluded (EX) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| White | Cancelled (C) |
| Blank | Withdrew entry from the event (WD) |
* Sébastien Loeb secured the drivers' championship title in Japan.

### Manufacturers' championship

| Pos. | Manufacturer | No. | MON | SWE | MEX | ARG | JOR | ITA | GRE | TUR | FIN | GER | NZL | ESP | FRA | JPN | GBR | Points |
| 1 | Citroën Total World Rally Team | 1 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 191 |
| 1 | Citroën Total World Rally Team | 2 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Ret | Ret | 3 | 191 |
| 2 | BP Ford World Rally Team | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 173 |
| 2 | BP Ford World Rally Team | 4 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 7 | Ret | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 173 |
| 3 | Subaru World Rally Team | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | Ret | Ret | 9 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 98 |
| 3 | Subaru World Rally Team | 6 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | Ret | 9 | 3 | 6 | Ret | 7 | 6 | 4 | Ret | 98 |
| 4 | Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team | 7 | 6 | 3 | Ret | 6 | 7 | 4 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 8 | 7 | Ret | 6 | 67 |
| 4 | Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team | 8 | 4 | 7 | 6 | Ret | 4 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 67 |
| 5 | Suzuki World Rally Team | 11 | Ret | 6 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 7 | Ret | 7 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 34 |
| 5 | Suzuki World Rally Team | 12 | 7 | Ret | Ret | 8 | Ret | 8 | 8 | Ret | Ret | 9 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 34 |
| 6 | Munchi's Ford World Rally Team | 9 | | | 7 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 7 | Ret | | 7 | 10 | | 9 | | 22 |
| 6 | Munchi's Ford World Rally Team | 10 | | | 5 | Ret | 9 | 7 | Ret | 8 | Ret | | 8 | 9 | | Ret | | 22 |
| Pos. | Manufacturer | No. | MON | SWE | MEX | ARG | JOR | ITA | GRE | TUR | FIN | GER | NZL | ESP | FRA | JPN | GBR | Points |
Key :
| Colour | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | 2nd place |
| Bronze | 3rd place |
| Green | Points finish |
| Blue | Non-points finish |
| Blue | Non-classified finish (NC) |
| Purple | Did not finish (Ret) |
| Black | Excluded (EX) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| White | Cancelled (C) |
| Blank | Withdrew entry from the event (WD) |
* Citroën secured the manufacturers' championship in Wales.

### Junior championship

| Pos. | Driver | MEX | JOR | ITA | FIN | GER | ESP | FRA | Pts |
| 1 | Sébastien Ogier | 1 | 1 | 5 | | 1 | Ret | 2 | 42 |
| 2 | Aaron Burkart | 4 | | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 34 |
| 3 | Martin Prokop | 7 | | 10 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 32 |
| 4 | Shaun Gallagher | 6 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | | 30 |
| 5 | Michał Kościuszko | 3 | Ret | 1 | 3 | | 9 | Ret | 22 |
| 6 | Alessandro Bettega | | Ret | 2 | Ret | 3 | 2 | Ret | 22 |
| 7 | Patrik Sandell | 5 | Ret | 7 | 2 | | 5 | 6 | 22 |
| 8 | Jaan Mölder | 2 | Ret | 9 | Ret | | 6 | 11 | 11 |
| 9 | Stefano Albertini | | 5 | 6 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 9 |
| 10 | Gilles Schammel | | 3 | 12 | 7 | Ret | Ret | 10 | 8 |
| 11 | Florian Niegel | | 4 | Ret | 9 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 8 |
| 12 | Simone Bertolotti | | 6 | Ret | 10 | 5 | 8 | Ret | 8 |
| 13 | Kevin Abbring | | Ret | Ret | 6 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 7 |
| 14 | Pierre Campana | | | | | | | 3 | 6 |
| 15 | Pierre Marché | | | | | | | 4 | 5 |
| 16 | Andrea Cortinovis | | 7 | 11 | DNS | 7 | DNS | DNS | 4 |
| 17 | Hans Weijs, Jr. | | Ret | 8 | 8 | Ret | Ret | 12 | 2 |
| 18 | Francesco Fanari | 8 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 9 | Ret | | 1 |
| 19 | Miloš Komljenović | Ret | 8 | Ret | 11 | | | | 1 |
| Pos. | Driver | MEX | JOR | ITA | FIN | GER | ESP | FRA | Pts |

### Production championship

Points table:
| Pos. | Driver | SWE | ARG | GRC | TUR | FIN | NZL | JPN | GBR | Pts |
| 1 | Andreas Aigner | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | Ret | | 2 | 38 |
| 2 | Juho Hänninen | 1 | | 7 | | 1 | 5 | 1 | Ret | 36 |
| 3 | Jari Ketomaa | 2 | 3 | Ret | | 3 | 6 | | 4 | 28 |
| 4 | Patrik Sandell | 3 | Ret | Ret | 2 | | 2 | | | 22 |
| 5 | Martin Prokop | 4 | 7 | 14 | DSQ | | 1 | | Ret | 17 |
| 6 | Martin Rauam | | 5 | DSQ | 4 | | 3 | Ret | | 15 |
| 7 | Fumio Nutahara | | 4 | 4 | | 5 | Ret | 8 | Ret | 15 |
| 8 | Armindo Araújo | 7 | | 3 | 5 | | 12 | 9 | 7 | 14 |
| 9 | Bernardo Sousa | 8 | 8 | 2 | 11 | | 7 | | 9 | 12 |
| 10 | Patrik Flodin | 16 | | | | DSQ | | | 1 | 10 |
| 11 | Mirco Baldacci | | Ret | Ret | 3 | | Ret | 6 | Ret | 9 |
| 12 | Toshihiro Arai | 6 | Ret | Ret | Ret | | Ret | 3 | | 9 |
| 13 | Evgeny Novikov | | Ret | 15 | Ret | | Ret | 2 | Ret | 8 |
| 14 | Sebastián Beltrán | | 2 | | | | | | | 8 |
| 15 | Jussi Välimäki | | | | | 2 | | | | 8 |
| 16 | Guy Wilks | | | | | | | | 3 | 6 |
| 17 | Evgeny Aksakov | 13 | 12 | 5 | Ret | 7 | | | Ret | 6 |
| 18 | Evgeny Vertunov | Ret | | 6 | 6 | Ret | Ret | Ret | | 6 |
| 19 | Eyvind Brynildsen | 15 | | Ret | Ret | 10 | | 4 | | 5 |
| 20 | Oscar Svedlund | Ret | | | | 4 | | | | 5 |
| 21 | Hayden Paddon | | | | | | 4 | | | 5 |
| 22 | Uwe Nittel | 5 | Ret | Ret | Ret | | | | | 4 |
| 23 | Takuma Kamada | | | | | | | 5 | | 4 |
| 24 | Jaromír Tarabus | | | | | | | | 5 | 4 |
| 25 | Amjad Farrah | | 6 | 9 | Ret | | | | | 3 |
| 26 | Spyros Pavlides | | 11 | Ret | | | 10 | | 6 | 3 |
| 27 | Jussi Tiippana | 11 | | | | 6 | | | | 3 |
| 28 | Simone Campedelli | 9 | 9 | Ret | 7 | 8 | | | 10 | 3 |
| 29 | Katsuhiko Taguchi | | | | | | | 7 | | 2 |
| 30 | Giorgio Bacco | | 13 | | 8 | | Ret | | | 1 |
| 31 | David Higgins | | | | | | | | 8 | 1 |
| 32 | Loris Baldacci | | | 8 | | | | | Ret | 1 |
| 33 | Stewart Taylor | | | | | | 8 | | | 1 |
| Pos. | Driver | SWE | ARG | GRC | TUR | FIN | NZL | JPN | GBR | Pts |