The Deathly Group B Rally Cars of the 80’s

Spectators: A Share of Blame.

Passats de Canto’s YouTube channel recently obtained approval from Telesport, the holder of the rights to televise the World Rally Championship, to post a 38-minute recap of the final Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo featuring Group B vehicles. Viewers will find the video both gripping and terrifying at the same time.

Today, elder Millennials, Millennials, and Gen Z may not be as knowledgeable about Group B vehicles, which competed from 1982 to 1986. This particular category included exceptionally rapid cars, with the FIA intending to roll out even speedier automobiles in categories they branded ‘Group A’ and ‘Group S.’

Yet, as demonstrated in the video, given the freedom to do almost anything the end result was unrestrained pandemonium. You could come equipped with anything from a rear-wheel drive, four-wheel drive to a concours, zero limits on the measure of turbo you could utilize. All in all, by 1986 these competition-ready vehicles had essentially no security infrastructure and were producing nearly five hundred horsepower.

Rallye Monte-Carlo 1986 | Group B [Passats de canto] (Telesport)

This clip is definitely worth viewing to listen to the commanding sound of the Audi Quattro’s 5 cylinders and to view the tremendous driving skills exercised by the racers. Now, modern day Formula 1 competitors might express nervousness if there were only a slight hint of dampness on the track. Conversely, Juha Kankkunen, Michele Mouton (who led the way when it came to women in motorsport), Stig Blomqvist, and Walter Rohrl raced along wintry tracks without any reluctance. As you can see in this video, moments when the drivers have wholly no control over the car can be seen due to the amount of snow on the ground.

The inaugural event of the 1986 season, hailing from Monte Carlo (18 – 24 Jan 1986), is what the Group B cars were unaware would come up against its final close at the Tour de Course in May. In a region that was difficult to reach, Henri Toivonen and his co-driver Sergio Cresto met disaster when their Group B Lancia Delta S4 ignited. When medical responders arrived on thesite, all that remained was the incinerated remains of the car.

It wasn’t simply the extreme velocity that led to the downfall of Group B cars. Truthfully, present-day rally automobiles are even more daunting. The foremost tier of WRC autos such as the Toyota GR Yaris, Hyundai i20 N Rally and M-Sport Ford Puma are hybrid models which generate in excess of 500hp. Without a doubt, safety measures have been upgraded, however the greatest variation is in crowd control. To see the distinction, we’ve produced a montage from the WRC Rallye Monte-Carlo 2023.

Crowd command in 1986 was uncomplicated. Attendees could come along to wherever the auto competition was occurring, and commonly poured onto the track for a better prospect of famous cars such as the MG Metro 6R4, Ford RS200, Toyota Celica TCT, Porsche 911 RS (which carefreely verified Porsche’s decision to fabricate the 911 Dakar), Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2, Lancia Delta S4, plus most trendsetting, the Quattro Sport S1.

Put generally, if desiring to take a seat in front of the corner where a car flew out of control at nearly two hundred kilometers an hour, you were free to do it. We could voice that those devoted to the ’80s opted to persevere like courageous individuals, yet such an assertion would undermine Michele Mouton’s pertinacity, as she had more figurative backbone than the remaining drivers combined.

“The FIA officially put a stop to Group B after Toivonen and Cresto both tragically passed away, as well as three spectators unable to survive the incident. There were additionally 31 people who were severely hurt. Realistically, no one could just recover from being struck by an automobile designed with 500-horsepower without any lingering consequences; many of those impacted lacked certain body parts due to the unpleasantness.”

The FIA needed to emphasize crowd management more, however, they lacked the necessary tools for this. Gathering individuals into the bend is the most successful strategy, yet certain delinquents still manage to slip away. Nowadays, AI is responsible for crowd control. Helicopters, drones, and even the WRC vehicles are used to regulate those in attendance. If one does not adhere to the rules, they run the risk of being apprehended by officials, and banned from following their cherished sport forever.

Final Day Highlights | WRC Rallye Monte-Carlo 2023