How Co-Drivers Track Control Posts and Stage Timestamps

The Physical Document Governing Stage Schedules

During rally events, observers watching cockpit routines often wonder what is the time card rally co drivers hand to officials at arrival posts, stage starts, and stop controls. Far from an informal checklist, this physical sheet of durable card stock serves as the primary legal audit trail of a crew's itinerary across an event. Issued after clearing pre-event administrative and technical checks, the card contains dedicated spaces for marshals to enter certified clock timestamps alongside personal notation boxes kept by the navigator.

Managing Due Times Between Controls

Rallies operate using target timing, meaning regulations assign a specific duration to travel between consecutive control posts rather than measuring liaisons as a continuous open race. Navigators calculate their Due Time of Arrival by adding that target allocation to the departure time stamped at the previous post. On road transit sections, marshals record arrivals only to the whole minute, whereas competitive stages are timed to the second or fraction. Crews must remain vigilant regarding their schedule, as arriving early yields a heavy penalty of one full minute per minute or fraction gained, while lateness incurs added time and risks crossing the cumulative Over Time Limit that causes event exclusion.

Stage Procedures from Arrival to Flying Finish

When approaching a special stage arrival post, a car pauses before the advance yellow marker until the precise due minute elapses before proceeding to the red control board. There, marshals enter the official clock time and assign a provisional start time with a three-minute buffer, during which crew members secure restraints and safety equipment without performing mechanical repairs. After launching under start lights and traversing the stage, the car triggers an electronic beam at the flying finish before coming to a halt at the stop line, where marshals record the elapsed competitive stage time onto the card before the crew continues to the next liaison section.

Official reference: FIA 2026 WRC sporting regulations and standard time cards.