| Calendar |
| Waiver | Mitsubishi and Skoda are granted a waiver to skip a maximum of three events in 2006, two in Europe and one in overseas. They cannot both be absent from the same event. Neither uses this option and instead withdraw from WRC. |
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| JWRC |
| JWRC cars | In addition of S1600 cars, Junior WRC is now open to N3 and regular A6 kit cars as well. |
| Junior calendar | Number of events is increased to nine but number of events drivers must nominate is dropped back to six. |
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| Sporting |
| Manufacturer championship | Manufacturers' Championship undergoes significant change of principle. The term "manufacturer" is no longer used to refer only to actual manufacturers or teams officially designated by a such manufacturer, but also to teams taking part with a single make of car, official or privateer.
In a related move, competing teams (or manufacturers) are divided into two categories, Manufacturer 1 and Manufacturer 2 as follows:
Manufacturer 1
- A Manufacturer 1 undertakes to take part in all the rallies of the Championship
- A Manufacturer 1 must enter only cars corresponding to the latest homologated version of a World Rally Car in conformity with the 2006 Appendix J
- A Manufacturer 1 must inform the FIA of the name of the first driver entered for the season at the time of registration for the Championship. No change of the first driver is authorised, except in a case of force majeure. The driver of the second car may be changed for each of the rallies in the Championship
- In order to score points in the Championship, a Manufacturer 1 must take part with two cars of the same make in the 16 rallies of the calendar
Manufacturer 2
- A Manufacturer 2 undertakes to take part in 10 or more Championship rallies which it has nominated
- A Manufacturer 2 cannot enter World Rally Cars homologated during the year 2006 and cannot use parts homologated after 2 January 2006
- A Manufacturer 2 cannot enter a driver who has been classified among the first six in the final classification of the FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers in the last five years
- In order to score points in the Championship, a Manufacturer 2 must take part with two cars of the same make in 10 or more rallies it nominated on registering for the Championship. The Manufacturer can only score points in the events it nominated on registering |
| J/PWRC championship registration | Both in Junior and Production WRC, the registration for the Championship may now be in the name of a driver, in the name of a team, or in the name of an ASN designated team. Points are still scored in the name of the driver, ie. if team uses more than one driver during the season, each score only for him/herself. |
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| Technical |
| Engine and chassis pairing | In order to limit costs by increasing lifespan of parts and components, FIA decreed that some rallies were "paired" so that teams were oblidged to use same components in both events of the pair. In the first of the paired events, parts in question were sealed and seals were checked at the of the second paired rally.
Paired rallies for 2006 were (engines, chassis):
-- Monte Carlo & Sweden
-- Mexico & Argentina
-- Spain & France
-- Italy & Greece
-- Germany & Finland
-- Japan & Great Britain
-- Cyprus & Turkey
-- Australia & New Zealand
These pairings applied to Manufacturer 1 teams only, for Manufacturer 2 pairing was for two consecutive rallies that the team entered. |
