The decision marks a significant step forward, as the rules set to take effect in 2027 aim to attract more manufacturers to the top tier of the WRC. The most notable change is a price cap of €345,000 for future cars, reducing the cost to less than half of the current Rally1 vehicles.
At the heart of the new cars will be a standardized safety cell, around which teams can build virtually any production or concept car body.
Powertrain options will include traditional internal combustion engines, hybrid powertrains, or fully-electric solutions. According to the FIA, the initial focus for 2027 is on combustion engines running on sustainable fuels, with teams having the option to adopt hybrid or fully electric technologies at a later stage.
The new regulations are planned to remain in place for ten years, providing stability for manufacturers and teams to invest in and grow the sport.
For the next two seasons, the top tier of the WRC will continue to use Rally1 cars, albeit without the hybrid units featured from 2022 to 2024. The major transformation will come after the 2026 season.
The upcoming regulations, particularly the price cap, have sparked discussions among WRC teams. Current Rally2 cars cost around €300,000, so the price cap means a top-tier car would only cost slightly more.
Hyundai WRC Program Manager Christian Loriaux and Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala expressed concerns during last weekend’s Monza Rally Show, stating that the cap might be too low. Latvala reiterated his position in the FIA’s statement on Wednesday.
“We believe the main headlines of draft regulations are well formulated and heading in the correct direction. We still believe there is important work to do in order to finalise and improve some of the details but at this stage that is totally normal,” Latvala commented.
Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul and M-Sport Ford Managing Director Malcolm Wilson shared similar sentiments, praising the regulations for steering the WRC in the right direction.
“It is always positive for manufacturers to have a long-term roadmap for the championships that we can assess and improve altogether,” said Abiteboul.
“We need to have new entries, more teams and drivers competing at the top level, and these regulations for 2027 will encourage this. It will allow us to give more young drivers a chance, which is essential for the long-term success of the sport, and it’s also really important that we make the WRC more affordable, allowing teams to compete alongside manufacturers,” emphasized Wilson, whose M-Sport team does not receive full factory support from Ford.
