The FIA confirmed on Tuesday during its meeting in Macau the direction in which the WRC will head after the 2026 season. The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council decided that from next year onwards, car manufacturers will enjoy significantly more freedom in the design of their competition vehicles.
“The World Council today approved one of the final pieces of the compelling puzzle that is coming together to mark the start of a brand-new era for the FIA World Rally Championship from 2027,” the FIA said in a statement.
“The WRC27 ruleset, given the green light by the World Council in December 2024, has been undergoing its final refinements and updates over the past six months, and today the confirmation of the reference volumes for bodywork cements the commitment set out by the FIA to put flexibility at the core of these regulations.”
In practice, this means that for the 2027 season, manufacturers can base their rally cars on a hatchback, a sedan, an SUV, or even a custom-built design. While certain constraints still apply to body panel dimensions, the degree of freedom is significant.
“To achieve this, the rules define a zone in which all of the bodywork panels must be located, but within this volume, manufacturers and constructors have the freedom to scale and integrate almost any design,” the statement explained.
“This crucial feature of the regulations means that, without effecting performance, cars ranging from saloons to hatchbacks, cross-overs and completely bespoke designs could be entered over the ten-year regulation cycle through to 2037.”
The upcoming regulations are intended to remain in place for ten years, aiming to provide long-term stability to the championship. The FIA had already outlined that manufacturers will also gain greater freedom in choosing their powertrain solutions. From 2027 onwards, a manufacturer may choose to power its rally car with an internal combustion engine, a hybrid system, a fully electric drivetrain, or even hydrogen.
However, the engine must comply with Rally2 specifications and be powered by sustainable fuel produced in line with current environmentally responsible methods. Perhaps most importantly, the FIA aims to introduce a price cap for rally cars from 2027, limiting the cost to €345,000.
