Hybrids are being ditched from the WRC’s Rally1 class after this season. A WRC kit will be available for Rally2 cars. In 2026, the power of Rally1 cars will be further reduced. And the cars will have a price cap of 400,000 euros.
All this, and much more, was offered by the FIA in its announcement.
Read more: Farewell to hybrids! Major changes in the World Rally Championship
It must be said that the upcoming reforms are bold. It seems that finally, the anemia of the WRC has been taken seriously by the governing body. Something had to be done to prevent the series from drying up. And now something is being done.
The price of the top-level cars is set to drop to less than half of the current in few years. If this were to be simplified, Rally1 cars are almost brought to the starting line as the Rally2 cars.
The most peculiar point of the reform list approved by the World Motor Sport Council came right after the price cap: in the future, WRC manufacturers must be ready to sell their cars immediately after the event.
What kind of bizarre rule is this?!
This is, of course, aimed at keeping costs in check, now that they have been started to be cut. It also ensures that cars are available for private teams.
But this clause easily lets the imagination run wild. Imagine this scenario: Kalle Rovanperä wins Rally Finland in the summer of 2026. After the rally, Hyundai team boss Cyril Abiteboul walks up to Toyota boss Jari-Matti Latvala.
“Do you have Google Pay? Or could you give me your IBAN number?”
“Sorry, what?”
“Just thought I’d throw 400k into your account for Kalle’s car.”
Think about that.
