The governing body announced that from next season the top tier of rallycross will no longer feature electric cars. For the past two years, drivers have been able to fight for the title in either a fully electric car or a combustion-powered car.
However, the so-called battle of technologies has not given the championship the boost it needed. The series has sunk close to rock bottom. This year only a handful of drivers have entered events, and for this weekend’s season finale in Turkey just four drivers are competing for championship points: Johan Kristoffersson, Niclas Grönholm, Ole Christian Veiby and Klara Andersson.
From 2026, rallycross’s top tier will run exclusively with combustion-engine cars. The aim is to simplify the competition and strengthen the grids.
At the same time the FIA announced an even more dramatic change. The world championship will be scrapped altogether, with the top category reverting to the European Rallycross Championship.
Next year the European Rallycross Championship will feature six rounds held within Europe. According to the FIA, the races will be staged at some of the continent’s most iconic rallycross circuits.
The FIA, which also acts as the series promoter, does not plan to abandon global ambitions entirely. There are plans to launch a new FIA-sanctioned Rallycross World Cup, intended to bring together the best drivers and teams from across the world. The project still requires approval from the World Motor Sport Council, but the aim is to ensure the discipline retains an international presence.
In 2028, rallycross’s top tier will adopt the same technical framework as the top category of the World Rally Championship. The WRC’s Rally1 cars will be replaced in 2027 by new tubular-frame cars under the WRC27 rules, using technology derived from today’s Rally2 machines.
In practice, from 2028 the same cars could be used at the highest level in both rallycross and rallying. The FIA’s goal is to bring more competition into rallycross – and ultimately to reinstate the World Rallycross Championship with strong grids.
The World Rallycross Championship was established in 2014, while the European Championship has existed since 1976.
