At a glance
- A rally stage is timed at the flying finish; the car then slows for the stop control.
- The stop control records the finish time. Stopping there does not add to the completed stage time.
- Crews must follow the event’s signs and control-zone rules. Distances and procedures should not be copied from another championship.
Flying finish and stop control do different jobs
The flying finish is the end of the timed special stage. The stop control is the checkpoint farther along the road where officials deal with the time card. A crew can therefore cross the finish, slow down and stop for a marshal without losing the stage time it has just recorded.
Think of the two locations as a timing line followed by a paperwork checkpoint. They are separated to give the driver space to decelerate before reaching people and stationary cars. “Flying” means the crew does not stop at the timing line; it is not an instruction to cross at the car’s maximum possible speed.
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What the signs mean
The 2026 FIA WRC Sporting Regulations, version 13 January, Article 49, distinguish the finish line from the stop point. The finish uses a chequered-flag symbol on red; the later stop point uses a red STOP board. The timing is taken at the finish, and the crew reports to the stop point for its finish-time entry.
Advance warnings and the end-of-control marker identify the wider zone. The RallySport Ontario timing handout gives a regional explanation of that sequence. Its distances are guidance for that setting, rather than universal WRC dimensions. The road book and current event instructions identify the actual locations.
What the crew needs to check
The driver should decelerate under control and stop where directed. The co-driver presents the card and checks the entry before leaving. A discrepancy should be raised with the officials; competitors should not alter an official entry themselves.
An overshoot or a car problem does not make reversing through the control safe. Follow the marshals’ directions and the applicable event procedure. Control zones have specific restrictions; the mandatory stop must not be confused with a general permission to park, repair the car or obstruct the route.
For the document used at these checkpoints, see our rally time-card guide.
Image credit: Representative image; not a photograph of the reported event. · Modifications: None; original downloaded file · Image source