The FIA’s unveiling of its concept for the future is extensive, featuring changes to the technical rules, sporting regulations and right down to the promotion of the WRC.
The overhaul has been led by a working group created by the FIA last December and headed up by FIA deputy president Robert Reid and former WRC team boss David Richards. An FIA fan survey, that attracted more than 11,000 responses, has also contributed data to help the decision-making process.
The group’s aim was to address the future of the WRC that has seen its top Rally1 class entries drop below 10 cars this year. Ultimately Rally1 has failed in its objective to attract a new marque to the WRC, but it has kept the current players Toyota, Hyundai and Ford through M-Sport committed.
Some of these changes revealed at Wednesday’s World Motor Sport Council will take effect from next season, meaning the current Rally1 hybrid rules won’t complete the five-year homologation cycle Hyundai, Toyota and M-Sport Ford signed up for.
How the WRC cars may change
Plenty of the debate surrounded the future of the Rally1 class, with suggestions the successful Rally2 class could become the top tier, or the creation of a Rally2 Plus class would usurp Rally1.
The big news is that Rally1 will continue next year but without the hybrid power element that was a key staple of the original regulations and important in keeping the current manufacturers committed to the category. Next year the control 100kW hybrid units will be removed from the current cars that will also feature a reduction in the air restrictor and aerodynamics, but will still be powered by 100% sustainable fuel.
While the removal of the hybrid will decrease the weight of the cars by 87 kilograms, the overall performance will be less. The combination of the 1.6 litre turbo internal combustion engine and hybrid resulted in the cars producing 500 horsepower in short bursts, making them the fastest cars ever, and the safest thanks to a new tougher space frame chassis.
Grégoire Munster, Louis Louka, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
While ditching hybrid power is a seismic rule change, the FIA has already allowed teams to run Rally1 cars without hybrid this year as part of a new regulation, although entries are not eligible to score championship points.
The FIA has previously openly admitted that the cost of the Rally1 cars exceeded its original…
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