The rally world’s attention was focused on the technical regulations to be continued next year. In February, the FIA and the WRC promoter announced a substantial reform package, which included the removal of hybrid units from Rally1 cars and a significant reduction in aerodynamics and engine power.
However, on Tuesday, it became clear that the FIA yielded, for very understandable reasons, to the demands of the WRC teams. The current teams, M-Sport Ford, Hyundai, and Toyota, made a joint appeal to the FIA, stating that major changes to the technical regulations for the 2025-26 seasons would only drastically increase costs. Instead, all efforts should be concentrated on 2027 when the current homologation period ends.
“We have a very solid commitment to the World Rally Championship, and we are really supportive of a continued collaborative approach to ensure the strongest competition for all of us,” Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala commented in the FIA’s statement.
Hyundai team principal and head of the entire motorsport division, Cyril Abiteboul, emphasised that maintaining a stable working environment for the next two years was the most crucial step.
“We have worked very closely together with the FIA over the past months and while we all believe that stability of the technical regulations for 2025 and 2026 is the right thing,” Abiteboul says.
“The very substantial steps made on the governance will provide for a more unified and positive approach towards the short term improvements and long term breakthroughs that we all agree the sport needs.”
Undoubtedly, the private team M-Sport Ford was particularly against the reforms. It is clear that the British team does not want to waste large sums of money for just a few seasons. If the reforms had gone through, the WRC teams would have had to develop practically a new rally car at a rapid pace for just two seasons.
“This is a really positive step for us in the coming years. We have seen some good proposals on the promotion side, on the marketing side and the plans for event operations and now the work to make those things happen needs to start, and with a consistent proposition on the technical side, I think the scope is there to achieve our ambitious targets for the WRC,” says M-Sport director Malcolm Wilson.
