Coefficient
Also: Age coefficient, Car coefficient, Handicap factor
A factor that penalty points are multiplied by, usually to balance older cars or harder tests.
A coefficient is a factor that your penalty points are multiplied by. It balances out different conditions and makes the results fairer.
Age coefficient
The most common type is based on the year of manufacture. Older cars have simpler instruments, weaker brakes and less power. To give them a chance, their points are multiplied by a smaller factor.
An example: a car from the 1930s has a coefficient of 0.8, a car from the 1970s has 1.0. Both score 150 penalty points. The older car ends up on 150 × 0.8 = 120 points, the younger one stays at 150.
These numbers are only an example. Each organiser sets their own tables, and some use no coefficient at all.
Other coefficients
- Test coefficient: harder tests count more than easy ones.
- Equipment coefficient: crews with basic equipment get a bonus over crews with a rally computer.
What it means for you
Check the entry form to see which coefficients apply. At an event with an age coefficient, a pre-war car can finish ahead of a younger classic despite more raw points.