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| Category | Snowmobile racing |
|---|---|
| Country | International |
| Inaugural season | 2004 |
| Riders' champion |  Magnus Reiten |
 Current season | |
TheFIM Snowcross World Championship is a racing series[1] held annually by theInternational Motorcycling Federation (FIM) since 2004. It replaced the Snowcross World Cup, which was held in 2002 and 2003.[2][3] Finnish rider Janne Tapio won both of these Cups.
From 2004 to 2009, the championship consisted of several stages (from three to four), each of which could include one or two races. The longest championship in terms of the number of races was in 2007 (four stages, eight races). Since 2010, the championship has consisted of two races within a single stage, except for 2016, which included two stages. The championship was not held in 2020 due to restrictions related to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[4]
Over the years, the World Championship stages have been hosted by Sweden (2004-2005, 2007-2010, 2014-2015, 2017, 2019), Finland (2004-2006, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2024), Norway (2004-2009, 2016, 2023-2024), Switzerland (2006-2007), Italy (2009), Russia (2012), and Turkey (2024). Turkey was supposed to host the championship in 2023, but due to anearthquake, the competition was moved to Norway, and the stage in Turkey was rescheduled for 2024.[5]
From 2014 to 2023, under the auspices of the FIM, the FIM Women's Snowcross World Cup took place, except for 2020 and 2022, which were skipped due to COVID-19 restrictions. All Cup events consisted of one or two stages, including 1 or 2 races.[6] Cup stages were held in Sweden (2014-2015, 2017, 2019), Finland (2016, 2018, 2021), and Norway (2016, 2023).
In 2024, the Cup was elevated to Championship status. The inaugural FIM Women's Snowcross World Championship comprised four races held in Finland and Norway.
A standard championship weekend consists of several sessions:[7]
The points scoring system in the World Championship has remained unchanged since the inception of the first World Cup in 2002 until the 2023 season, and it was the same for both the overall and women's championships. Points were awarded to the top 20 pilots regardless of whether they finished the race or not.
| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 25 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Starting from 2024, points are awarded to the top 16 pilots according to the following system:[7]
| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 25 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
Also, starting from 2024, points are awarded to the top ten pilots who achieve the highest positions in the qualifying heats. During the weekend, two qualifying heats are held, with two different groups of pilots participating in each heat. The times recorded by them are then compiled into a single table.
| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Thus, during one weekend, a pilot can accumulate a maximum of 60 points (if they are the fastest in the qualifying heats and then win both races).
1In February 2021, Malen Andersen married the pilot Cole Cottew and, starting from the 2023 season, competes under the surname Cottew.[8].
