The 2006 World Rally Championship season began on January 20 with the 74th Monte Carlo Rally. Finland's Marcus Grönholm, in a Ford Focus RS WRC, took the win ahead of France's Sébastien Loeb. After the Swedish Rally ended with the same top-two, Loeb and Kronos Citroën went on to win five rallies in a row. Despite an injury in a mountain-biking accident before the Rally of Turkey, Loeb secured his third drivers' title, whereas Ford won their first manufacturers' title since 1979.
Rule changes banned active differentials and water injection, as well as mandating that teams must re-use cars and engines on selected ‘pairs’ of events.
Read more about 2006 World Rally Championship Season: Calendar, Teams and Drivers, Events
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