The 2017 calendar retained twelve rounds but replaced the previous Argentine event with the new South African round in Cape Town. Half of the rounds were supported by the RX2 International Series, formerly known as RX Lites. All RX2 cars were designed and produced by Avitas Motorsport in cooperation with Olsbergs MSE, providing a uniform technical base for the junior category.
The Spanish round at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya opened proceedings, and the season built through events across Europe and beyond before concluding in South Africa in November.
Johan Kristoffersson clinched the Drivers' Championship at the Neste World RX of Latvia. The Teams' Championship was won by PSRX Volkswagen Sweden, the factory-backed outfit that fielded Kristoffersson and established itself as the dominant force in the Supercar class during this period.
A notable feature of the 2017 season was the significant number of championship point deductions applied for technical infractions in the Supercar class, highlighting the close scrutiny placed on the category's high-performance turbocharged machinery.
The regulations imposed strict limits on engine seals and turbocharger usage across the season. Drivers received penalties ranging from five to fifteen points for offences including: use of unregistered tyres in qualifying, sealing an additional turbocharger after initial scrutineering, deploying a third or fourth turbocharger during competition, and exceeding the permitted number of engine seals across the season. One competitor received a five-point deduction for accumulating a third reprimand during the championship. In several cases, penalties of ten points were applied for presenting a turbocharger for sealing after initial scrutineering had taken place. The heaviest individual deductions of fifteen points were handed out for exceeding the permitted engine seal count.
These penalties could meaningfully alter final championship standings in a category where individual rounds often separated competitors by fine margins.
The World RX Supercar class formed the main championship, with single-car teams ineligible to score Teams' Championship points. Teams of two or more cars were required to maximise their opportunities in the constructors' standings. The RX2 International Series ran alongside as a support category at selected rounds, offering a development pathway for drivers looking to progress toward the Supercar class.
The 2017 season consolidated the FIA World Rallycross Championship's position as the sport's premier rallycross series after three prior seasons. The inclusion of the South African round represented an expansion beyond the series' primarily European focus and demonstrated ambitions to grow the championship across new territories. Kristoffersson's title, achieved with PSRX Volkswagen Sweden, was the first of what would become a back-to-back championship run for the Swedish driver.
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