The WRC is in the midst of major reforms. The technical regulations for the top category will change next year, with hopes that the sport will attract more competition and new teams to the highest level.
The regulations are intended to remain in force for up to ten years.
“This is a long time. But if you look at the history of the WRC, the cars have usually stayed for ten years,” Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala told RallyJournal.com.
“The championship has moved in ten-year cycles. Group A cars lasted a decade, the first 2.0-litre WRC cars stayed for just over ten years before the 1.6-litre WRC cars, which were in use for slightly under a decade. Then the cars gained more aero and larger restrictors,” Latvala added.
Another major change will come already next year. The WRC is set to receive a new promoter, with an announcement expected in the coming days.
Until now, the commercial rights of the championship have been held by the German company WRC Promoter GmbH, owned by Austrian energy drink firm Red Bull and the German investment group KW 25. Several stakeholders have expressed over recent years that they have not been fully satisfied with the way the promoter has attempted to market the series and increase its appeal.
The search for a new owner for the commercial rights has been ongoing for more than a year. Two potential buyers visited WRC rounds late last season and presented their visions for the future of the championship.
According to Latvala, the arrival of a new promoter could be even more significant for the WRC’s future than the regulations coming into force in 2027.
“The technical aspects are not the only issue – we must get this promoter matter over the line. We need to be able to promote the sport.”
“This will influence the sport’s future. I believe the technical regulations are now in a very good place, but we also need the support of a promoter,” Latvala stressed.
