WRC future roadmap 70% complete, says FIA

The world motorsport governing body stated a desire in January to map out the regulations that will form the WRC’s future pathway from 2025 onwards by the end of this year.

This season the WRC introduced new Rally1 hybrid regulations representing a significant shift from the previous ruleset and a first step towards a more sustainable future. The regulation cycle is set to run until the end of 2024. 

Toyota, Hyundai and M-Sport-Ford committed to building all new cars based around a stronger and safer space frame chassis that is powered by a 1.6 litre internal combustion engine married to a 100kW control hybrid unit, which can produce 500 horsepower in short bursts. The vehicles use 100% sustainable fuel and also feature a reduction in aerodynamics and suspension travel, while trick centre differentials have been removed. 

The regulations were originally devised to attract new manufacturers to the discipline, but the ruleset is yet to bring a new marque into the fray. 

FIA deputy president Robert Reid stressed in Monte Carlo in January that it was important for the WRC to set out its future direction, which has resulted in the FIA consulting with manufacturers currently involved in rallying and those that are not, this year, in order set out its new rule cycle.

Rally director Wheatley has been heavily involved in the consultations and says the FIA is still on target to deliver its roadmap for the future by the end of the year.

“I would say percentage-wise 70%,” Wheatley told Motorsport.com when asked for an update as to how close the FIA is with its plan for the future.

“We have done a lot of canvassing of manufacturers that are involved in WRC, we have spoken to some manufacturers that are involved in rally generally. We have also had some discussions with manufacturers that are not involved with WRC to try and understand the direction the automotive world is going in when we talk about vehicles that are relevant to WRC. 

“There is a lot of feedback and opportunities, it is clear that nobody has a very fixed view or one view of what the future is going to look like. 

“So what we are looking at, at the moment is to make a proposal to the World Motor Sport Council of a vision of what WRC is going to look like in the future to make sure we have a clear view.

“Absolutely, everybody [we have spoken to] is enthusiastic about the future because there are so many opportunities and possibilities.”