On Monday, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) made a surprising announcement, confirming that it would immediately take over the rights to the World Rallycross Championship and the European Rallycross Championship.
The news comes as a surprise, as in November last year, the FIA had announced the opening of a bidding process for the role of the WRX promoter. At that time, there was no indication that the governing body itself would step in as the new promoter.
In recent years, the World Rallycross Championship has been in decline, failing to generate significant interest among teams. Last season, only six drivers competed in all ten rounds of the championship.
However, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem believes the series has significant untapped potential.
“The FIA is making an investment not only in Rallycross, but in the future of our sport. We are fully committed to take this category to the next level by securing new global audiences, delivering the opportunity for an improved competition for the drivers, teams, our commercial partners, and crucially the fans,” Ben Sulayem stated.
“When I was elected, I pledged to deliver strong regulations and a stronger FIA, building an essential foundation for the success of motor sport at every level. Securing the future growth of our World Championships reflects my commitment to do just this,” he added.
The calendars for the 2025 seasons of both the World and European Rallycross Championships are currently being finalised. The World Motor Sport Council is set to announce them on 14 March. According to the FIA, the WRX season will consist of seven race weekends, while the European series will have six.
One of the FIA’s key goals is to increase the visibility of rallycross events by ensuring they are broadcast more widely on free-to-air channels.
In the upcoming season, the top category of the WRX will once again allow competition between both internal combustion engine cars and fully electric vehicles, as was the case last year. In 2024, Swedish rallycross superstar Johan Kristoffersson claimed the title, driving a Volkswagen equipped with a combustion engine.
