Tracking Tyres from Factory to Service Park
World Rally Championship sporting rules restrict how many tyres each crew can consume across an event. To prevent crews from introducing unauthorised rubber or exceeding their quotas, officials monitor every four-wheel-drive competition tyre using permanent identifiers. During manufacturing, RFID microchips are vulcanised directly into the tyre carcass, and corresponding exterior barcodes are registered under FIA supervision before the rally begins. For top-tier P1 crews, specific tyre codes are tied directly to an individual car entry.
Scrutineering Checkpoints on the Road
Officials verify these identifiers whenever cars leave service parks, Tyre Fitting Zones, or Remote Service Zones. As part of having WRC tyre marking explained to new followers, these checkpoints require cars to pass scanning points where scrutineers log active compounds and spares before competitive running. Each crew may send one team assistant into service exit zones to aid with scanning, though shakedown procedures differ slightly by keeping personnel out of the technical area.
Enforcement and In-Competition Sanctions
Rules require any spare wheels loaded during service to stay with the vehicle until the next permitted tyre change point, stopping teams from swapping rubber irregularly on road sections. Technical delegates and supplier personnel can inspect tyres at stage finishes to assess wear and check codes. If a car enters a competitive stage on unregistered or non-conforming tyres, scrutineers report the breach to the event stewards, who issue formal sporting penalties.
Official reference: https://www.fia.com/system/files/documents/wrc_2026_sr_version_13_january_2026.pdf.
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