# 1988 World Rally Championship

The 1988 World Rally Championship was the 16th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) World Rally Championship (WRC). The season consisted of 13 rallies, following the same schedule as the previous season.
Martini Lancia followed their successful previous season with an even more dominant performance in 1988, winning ten of the eleven rallies in which manufacturer points were awarded. The Lancia Delta HF 4WD proved fast and reliable in the hands of returning drivers Finn Markku Alén and Italian Miki Biasion. During the season, the car was replaced by the Delta HF Integrale, which was an immediate success. Biasion would take the drivers' title, with his Finnish teammate placing second behind him. Third driver Frenchman Bruno Saby also contributed to the effort with a rally win, though was not a major contender for the title. Jolly Club driver, Italian Alex Fiorio, would take third place in the driver championship at the wheel of a Lancia Delta as well.
Ford Motor Company struggled to compete, though it was the only other manufacturer besides Lancia to win a rally, with primary driver Didier Auriol winning the Tour de Corse in his Sierra RS Cosworth. Auriol would only reach 6th in the drivers' competition, while Spanish teammate Carlos Sainz would struggle to reach 11th in the standings. Stig Blomqvist, racing for Rallysport Sweden in a Sierra, would finish best amongst Ford drivers, taking 4th in the championship standings.
1988 marked the withdrawal of Audi Sport from the WRC, although a number of small teams and privateers were successful enough using Audi Quattro versions for the manufacturer to place 3rd amongst manufacturers despite the lack of a works effort. Mazda Rally Team Europe made a significant effort to compete with Finn Timo Salonen as their primary driver for the Mazda 323 4WD. Timo would garner 5th place in the driver standings while the manufacturer gained 4th place.
In addition to the primary driver and manufacturer championships, WRC also awarded the FIA Cup for Drivers of Production Cars for a second season. Belgian Pascal Gaban won the hotly contested contest in a Mazda 323 against Argentine Jorge Recalde in his Lancia Delta while Italian Giovanni Del Zoppo, another Delta pilot, finished well behind in third place.

## Teams and drivers

| Team | Manufacturer | Car | Tyre | Drivers | Rounds |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | M | Miki Biasion | 1, 3–4, 6–7, 9, 12 |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | M | Bruno Saby | 1, 5 |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | M | Yves Loubet | 1, 5 |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | M | Mikael Ericsson | 2–3, 6, 10, 13 |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | M | Markku Alén | 2–3, 6, 10, 12–13 |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | M | Vic Preston Jr | 4 |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | M | Jorge Recalde | 9 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Timo Salonen | 1–2, 6, 10, 13 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Hannu Mikkola | 1–3, 6, 10, 13 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Ingvar Carlsson | 1–3 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Thorbjörn Edling | 2, 10 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Pascal Gaban | 2–3, 6, 10–13 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Rod Millen | 7 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Grégoire de Mévius | 10, 13 |
| Jolly Club | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | P | Alex Fiorio | 1–3, 6–7, 10, 12 |
| Jolly Club | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | P | Yves Loubet | 3, 6, 12 |
| Jolly Club | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | P | Dario Cerrato | 12 |
| Jolly Club | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | P | Chantal Galli | 12 |
| Philips Renault Elf | Renault | 11 Turbo | M | Alain Oreille | 1 |
| Philips Renault Elf | Renault | 11 Turbo | M | Inverno Amaral | 3 |
| Philips Renault Elf | Renault | 11 Turbo | M | Bento Amaral | 3 |
| Citroën Compétitions | Citroën | AX Sport | M | Maurice Chomat | 1–2, 5 |
| Citroën Compétitions | Citroën | AX Sport | M | Dany Montagne | 1, 3, 5, 12–13 |
| Citroën Compétitions | Citroën | AX Sport | M | Denise Jacques | 1, 3, 5, 12–13 |
| Citroën Compétitions | Citroën | AX Sport | M | Rufino Fontes | 3 |
| Citroën Compétitions | Citroën | AX Sport | M | Carole Vergnaud | 3, 12–13 |
| Citroën Compétitions | Citroën | AX Sport | M | Laurent Poggi | 5 |
| Citroën Compétitions | Citroën | AX Sport | M | Massimo Ercolani | 12 |
| Citroën Compétitions | Citroën | AX Sport | M | Terry Kaby | 13 |
| Top Run SRL | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | M P | Giovanni del Zoppo | 1, 3, 5–7, 10, 12 |
| Top Run SRL | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | M P | Jorge Recalde | 3, 5–7, 10, 12–13 |
| Top Run SRL | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | M P | Massimo Ercolani | 6, 10, 13 |
| Top Run SRL | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD Delta HF Integrale | M P | Fredrik Skoghag | 13 |
| Peugeot France | Peugeot | 205 GTI | M | Jean-Pierre Ballet | 1 |
| Simon Racing | Renault | 5 GT Turbo | M | Richard Frau | 1, 5 |
| Simon Racing | Renault | 5 GT Turbo | M | Christophe Lapierre | 1 |
| Simon Racing | Renault | 5 GT Turbo | M | Alain Oreille | 5 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | Coupé Quattro 200 Quattro 90 Quattro | M | Christophe Spiliotis | 1 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | Coupé Quattro 200 Quattro 90 Quattro | M | Sebastian Lindholm | 2–3, 6, 13 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | Coupé Quattro 200 Quattro 90 Quattro | M | David Llewellin | 3 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | Coupé Quattro 200 Quattro 90 Quattro | M | Georg Fischer | 3, 7, 9 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | Coupé Quattro 200 Quattro 90 Quattro | M | Rudi Stohl | 4, 6, 9, 11 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | Coupé Quattro 200 Quattro 90 Quattro | M | John Buffum | 7 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | Coupé Quattro 200 Quattro 90 Quattro | M | Malcolm Stewart | 8 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | Coupé Quattro 200 Quattro 90 Quattro | M | Paola de Martini | 12 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | Coupé Quattro 200 Quattro 90 Quattro | M | Armin Schwarz | 13 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra RS Cosworth | M P | Stig Blomqvist | 2–3, 10, 12–13 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra RS Cosworth | M P | Didier Auriol | 3, 5, 10, 12 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra RS Cosworth | M P | Carlos Sainz | 3, 5, 10, 12–13 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra RS Cosworth | M P | Joaquim Santos | 3 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra RS Cosworth | M P | John Hellier | 4 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra RS Cosworth | M P | Pierre-César Baroni | 5 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra RS Cosworth | M P | Gianfranco Cunico | 12 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra RS Cosworth | M P | David Llewellin | 13 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra RS Cosworth | M P | Mark Lovell | 13 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Mats Jonsson | 2, 10, 13 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Malcolm Wilson | 2, 6, 13 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Björn Johansson | 2 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Håkan Eriksson | 2 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Hannu Mikkola | 4 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Sepp Haider | 4, 8 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Derek Bell | 13 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | David Metcalfe | 13 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Chris Birkbeck | 13 |
| Volkswagen Motorsport | Volkswagen | Golf GTI 16V | P | Erwin Weber | 3–4 |
| Volkswagen Motorsport | Volkswagen | Golf GTI 16V | P | Lars-Erik Torph | 4 |
| Volkswagen Motorsport | Volkswagen | Golf GTI 16V | P | Konstantinos Apostolou | 6, 13 |
| Volkswagen Motorsport | Volkswagen | Golf GTI 16V | P | Raimund Baumschlager | 12 |
| Toyota Team Europe | Toyota | Supra Turbo Celica GT-Four ST165 | P | Kenneth Eriksson | 4–5, 10, 12–13 |
| Toyota Team Europe | Toyota | Supra Turbo Celica GT-Four ST165 | P | Juha Kankkunen | 4–6, 10, 12–13 |
| Toyota Team Europe | Toyota | Supra Turbo Celica GT-Four ST165 | P | Björn Waldegård | 4, 6, 13 |
| Toyota Team Europe | Toyota | Supra Turbo Celica GT-Four ST165 | P | Jimmy McRae | 13 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Per Eklund | 4 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Alain Ambrosino | 4, 11 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Mike Kirkland | 4 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Jayant Shah | 4 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Stratis Hatzipanayiotou | 6 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Flory Roothaert | 6 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Paddy Davidson | 8 |
| Fuji Heavy Industries | Subaru | RX Turbo | D | Peter 'Possum' Bourne | 4, 8 |
| Fuji Heavy Industries | Subaru | RX Turbo | D | Ian Duncan | 4 |
| Fuji Heavy Industries | Subaru | RX Turbo | D | Patrick Njiru | 4 |
| Fuji Heavy Industries | Subaru | RX Turbo | D | José Celsi | 9 |
| Bastos Motul BMW | BMW | M3 | P | Bernard Béguin | 5 |
| Bastos Motul BMW | BMW | M3 | P | François Chatriot | 5 |
| Bastos Motul BMW | BMW | M3 | P | Marc Duez | 5 |
| Bastos Motul BMW | BMW | M3 | P | Ari Vatanen | 10 |
| Bastos Motul BMW | BMW | M3 | P | Andrea Zanussi | 12 |
| Gema Racing | Alfa Romeo | 75 V6 | P | Paul Rouby | 5 |
| Gema Racing | Alfa Romeo | 75 V6 | P | Jacques Panciatici | 5 |
| Suzuki Sport | Suzuki | Cultus GTI | Y | Alan Carter | 7 |
| Suzuki Sport | Suzuki | Cultus GTI | Y | Nobuhiro Tajima | 7 |
| Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe | Mitsubishi | Galant VR-4 | M | Kenjiro Shinozuka | 8, 13 |
| Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe | Mitsubishi | Galant VR-4 | M | Ari Vatanen | 13 |
| Lancia Rally Team Austria | Lancia | Delta HF Integrale | M | Franz Wittmann | 9 |

## Events

* 1 2 Event not included in the Manufacturers' Championship