The WRC’s technical regulations will be overhauled next year with the introduction of the so-called WRC27 cars. The new cars will be largely based on current Rally2 machinery and will be subject to a cost cap of €345,000.
In addition to WRC27 cars, Rally2 machinery will also be eligible to compete in the top class. This alone is expected to increase the number of teams in the category, which currently features three WRC outfits.
However, discussions have also been held behind the scenes with potential new teams. As early as December, it was confirmed that a WRC27-based car is being developed in Belgium under the name Project Rally One.
During the season-opening Rally Monte Carlo, FIA’s chief technical and safety officer Xavier Mestelan Pinon revealed that several parties have expressed interest in the new regulations. Under the new framework, a team no longer needs the backing of a full-scale car manufacturer, as entries can also come in as tuner projects.
“It’s a massive success. We have a lot of contacts – more than ten,” Mestelan Pinon said.
Mestelan Pinon stressed that the championship is not about to gain ten new teams, but that the figure reflects interest in the WRC27 concept. Even so, if only half of those projects were to materialise, it would represent a major boost for the WRC.
“Honestly, for sure not ten (will enter in 2027). That would be a big surprise. So it’s impossible to say more,” he added.
Mestelan Pinon hinted that some of the new projects may already be well underway, but he did not want to elaborate further on potential newcomers to the championship.
Of the current WRC manufacturers, only Toyota has confirmed that it is developing a car built to the WRC27 regulations, with the aim of having it ready for the start of the 2027 season.
M-Sport has previously stated that it could be ready to introduce a new car during the 2027 season, while Hyundai has indicated that it would initially enter with a developed version of its Rally2 car.
According to the FIA, progress on current manufacturers’ projects has been slowed by the delayed process of appointing a new WRC promoter. The promoter plays a crucial role in determining the level of exposure and return manufacturers receive on their investment.
“We need to admit that, as long as we cannot announce a new promoter, there are a lot of questions that need to be fixed and discussed with the new promoter. So for sure this is something we need to solve soon,” Mestelan Pinon said.
FIA deputy president for sport Malcolm Wilson nevertheless underlined that the new regulations have clearly sparked interest and discussion.
“This is such a significant step. We’ve never had, in my view, this level of interest at the highest level of rallying. And the fact that, as Xavier said, there are ten tuners interested shows that,” Wilson said.
“It took a long time to get the technical regulations to where they are, but I think it has sent a clear message that we’ve gone in the right direction.
“It can only be a real benefit for the sport. It can be a real plus for a potential new promoter. The fact that there will be more teams, manufacturers and constructors involved is a very positive thing.”
