1980 World Rally Championship

The 1980 World Rally Championship was the eighth season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) World Rally Championship (WRC). The season consisted of 12 rallies. While this number was the same as the previous year, one change was made to the schedule, replacing Quebec with the Rally Codasur, marking the first WRC event to be held in South America.

A new driver's champion was crowned, with Fiat backed German driver Walter Röhrl taking the championship convincingly while simultaneously earning for Fiat its third and final manufacturer's title. Finn Hannu Mikkola and Swede Björn Waldegård again battled to a one-point difference in the standings, though this time for second place overall, and this time with Mikkola coming out on top. Fiat's position in the standings was challenged by both Datsun and Ford, but neither could overcome the Italian company's initial lead, settling instead for second and third, respectively. 1980 also saw Mercedes-Benz's best and final effort to compete for a WRC title, placing fourth overall.

For purposes of the championship, neither the Swedish or Finnish rallies were applied to the WRC for Manufacturers.

Championships edit

Manufacturers edit

1980 World Rally Championship for Manufacturers
RankManufacturerEventTotal
points

MON

POR

KEN

GRC

ARG

NZL

ITA

FRA

GBR

CIV
1 Fiat18181518171816(11)120
2 Datsun18171418138593
3 Ford81218118161790
4 Mercedes131617151879
5 Opel12131310101371
6 Talbot16151849
7 Toyota991432
8 Peugeot2121630
9 Porsche101828
10 Lancia16420
11 Vauxhall12416
12 Volkswagen1414
13 Renault1212
14 Triumph99
15 Mitsubishi279
16 FSO22
1980 World Rally Championship point awards for manufacturers
Overall
finish
Group finish
12345678910
118
21716
3161514
415141312
51413121110
61312111098
71211109876
81110987654
91098765432
109876543211

Drivers edit

1980 World Rally Championship for Drivers
RankDriverEventTotal
points

MON

SWE

POR

KEN

GRC

ARG

FIN

NZL

ITA

FRA

GBR

CIV
1 Walter Röhrl2020820152015118
2 Hannu Mikkola101512121564
3 Björn Waldegård121210182063
4 Ari Vatanen20151550
5 Anders Kulläng102010848
6 Markku Alén15122047
7 Timo Salonen41562045
8 Guy Fréquelin12101234
9 Shekhar Mehta201030
10 Henri Toivonen82028
11 Per Eklund8312427
12 Jean-Luc Thérier2020
13 Vic Preston, Jr.12820
14 Jorge Recalde31518
15 Björn Johansson81018
16 Bernard Darniche1515
Stig Blomqvist1515
Rauno Aaltonen1515
19 Attilio Bettega63615
20 Alain Coppier21214
21 Carlos Reutemann1212
Alain Ambrosino1212
23 Michèle Mouton4812
24 Ove Andersson6612
25 Jean-Claude Lefèbvre8311
26 Mike Kirkland1010
George Fury1010
Bruno Saby1010
Russell Brookes1010
Samir Assef1010
31 Ingvar Carlsson189
32 Andy Dawson639
33 Jean-Pierre Nicolas88
Lasse Lampi88
35 Timo Mäkinen167
36 Pentti Airikkala66
Andrew Cowan66
Domingo De Vitta66
Paul Adams66
Sandro Munari66
41 Jochi Kleint325
42 Carlos Torres44
Yoshio Iwashita44
Harry Källström44
Francisco Alcuaz44
Tapio Rainio44
Paddy Davidson44
Angelo Presotto44
Christian Gardavot44
Tony Pond44
51 Johnny Hellier33
Nestor García-Veiga33
Erkki Pitkänen33
David Parkes33
Antonillo Zordan33
Paul Rouby33
57 Salvador Servià22
Bengt Nilsson22
Raymond 'Ray' Rué22
Tasos 'Siroco' Livieratos22
Federico West22
Heikki Enomaa22
Glenn McIntyre22
Giorgio Bernocchi22
Jean-Felix Farrucci22
Bror Danielsson22
Jean-François Vincens22
68 Maciej Stawowiak11
Jorge Maggi11
Peter Geitel11
Morrie Chandler11
Massimo Paolieri11
Jean Bagarry11
George Hill11
Naguib Saad11
1980 World Rally Championship point awards for drivers
Points awarded by finish1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th
20151210864321

Events edit

1980 World Rally Championship event map
Black = TarmacBrown = GravelBlue = Snow/IceRed = Mixed Surface
1980 World Rally Championship schedule and results
RoundRally nameStagesPodium finishers
RankDriverCo-driverCarTime
1
Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo
( 19 – 25 January)
30 stages
601 km
Tarmac
1 Walter Röhrl Christian GeistdörferFiat 131 Abarth8:42:20
2 Bernard Darniche Alain MahéLancia Stratos HF8:52:58
3 Björn Waldegård Hans ThorszeliusFiat 131 Abarth8:53:48
2
Swedish Rally[1]
( 15 – 17 February)
29 stages
413.5 km
Snow/Ice
1 Anders Kulläng Bruno BerglundOpel Ascona 4004:17:52
2 Stig Blomqvist Björn CederbergSaab 99 Turbo4:19:22
3 Björn Waldegård Hans ThorszeliusFiat 131 Abarth4:21:39
3
Rallye de Portugal
( 4 – 9 March)
47 stages
673.5 km
Gravel/Tarmac
1 Walter Röhrl Christian GeistdörferFiat 131 Abarth8:45:35
2 Markku Alén Ilkka KivimäkiFiat 131 Abarth8:59:54
3 Guy Fréquelin Jean TodtTalbot Sunbeam Lotus9:16:04
4
Safari Rally
( 3 – 7 April)
95 controls
5333 km
Gravel
1 Shekhar Mehta Mike DoughtyDatsun 160J+3:27 pen
2 Rauno Aaltonen Lofty DrewsDatsun 160J+4:02 pen
3 Vic Preston Jr. John LyallMercedes 450 SLC 5.0+5:07 pen
5
Acropolis Rally
( 25 – 29 May)
56 stages
964 km
Gravel/Tarmac
1 Ari Vatanen David RichardsFord Escort RS180012:55:44
2 Timo Salonen Seppo HarjanneDatsun 160J12:58:26
3 Markku Alén Ilkka KivimäkiFiat 131 Abarth13:02:48
6
Rally Codasur
( 19 – 24 July)
18 stages
1224.4 km
Gravel/Tarmac
1 Walter Röhrl Christian GeistdörferFiat 131 Abarth12:48:36
2 Hannu Mikkola Arne HertzMercedes 500 SLC13:04:35
3 Carlos Reutemann Mirko PerissuttiFiat 131 Abarth13:35.26
7
1000 Lakes Rally[1]
( 29 – 31 August)
48 stages
472 km
Gravel
1 Markku Alén Ilkka KivimäkiFiat 131 Abarth4:24:11
2 Ari Vatanen David RichardsFord Escort RS18004:25:07
3 Per Eklund Hans SylvanTriumph TR 7 V84:35:25
8
Rally New Zealand
( 13 – 17 September)
40 stages
1040 km
Gravel
1 Timo Salonen Seppo HarjanneDatsun 160J12:06:57
2 Walter Röhrl Christian GeistdörferFiat 131 Abarth12:09:38
3 Hannu Mikkola Arne HertzMercedes 500 SLC12:29:22
9
Rallye Sanremo
( 6 – 11 October)
50 stages
821 km
Gravel
1 Walter Röhrl Christian GeistdörferFiat 131 Abarth10:22:42
2 Ari Vatanen David RichardsFord Escort RS180010:29:17
3 Hannu Mikkola Arne HertzFord Escort RS10:36:52
10
Rallye de France
( 24 – 25 October)
18 stages
1128 km
Tarmac
1 Jean-Luc Thérier Michel VialPorsche 911 SC14:51:43
2 Walter Röhrl Christian GeistdörferFiat 131 Abarth15:02:06
3 Alain Coppier Josépha LalozPorsche 911 SC15:17:21
11
RAC Rally
( 16 – 19 November)
70 stages
708 km
Gravel/Tarmac
1 Henri Toivonen Paul WhiteTalbot Sunbeam Lotus8:17:33
2 Hannu Mikkola Arne HertzFord Escort RS18008:22:09
3 Guy Fréquelin Jean TodtTalbot Sunbeam Lotus8:31:24
12
Rallye Côte d'Ivoire
( 9 – 14 December)
62 controls
5336 km
Gravel
1 Björn Waldegård Hans ThorszeliusMercedes 500 SLC+2:36 pen
2 Jorge Recalde Nestor StraimelMercedes 500 SLC+3:47 pen
3 Alain Ambrosino Jean-Robert BureauPeugeot 504 V6+5:17 pen
  1. ^ a b Event not included in Manufacturers' Championship

See also edit

External links edit