Last month’s Rallye Monte-Carlo marked the opening of the WRC’s 50th season and Alexandru Dobai’s The World Rally Guide traces the series from its launch in 1973 until the end of the 2021 campaign.
Such is the wealth of facts and figures that it is probably less time-consuming to itemise what is not covered than list what is featured.
The third edition, which has switched from softback to hard cover, includes a history of the WRC’s 49 years as well as a fascinating insight into Pirelli’s first major motorsport victory at the 1907 Peking to Paris race.
But it’s the vast array of statistics within its 552 pages that truly marks out this book as something special.
Each page spotlights two rounds, including the top 10 classification, rally leaders, special stage winners, distances and starters / finishers. Each is accompanied by the rally plate and a photograph of the winners in action.
The event stats are supplemented by a complete WRC record of the 80 drivers who have won a WRC round and more than 35 pages of other statistics and tables touching on pretty much everything you could ever wish to know.
This book is a real labour of love from the Romanian author and one he admits was not only a difficult challenge but also a complex one.
For devoted fans, this is a superb addition to any bookcase. For those working in the sport, it is an invaluable record of the history of the WRC and a one-stop reference for information, some of which you would struggle to locate via an internet search.
The World Rally Guide is available on Amazon.
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