The top category of the World Rally Championship will undergo a major transformation in 2027, when the current Rally1 cars will be phased out and replaced by new vehicles under the WRC27 classification.
The FIA first presented its direction for the new cars at the end of last year. The WRC27 cars will be capped at €345,000, and technically they will be closer to today’s Rally2 cars. The goal is to attract not only official manufacturer teams but also private teams, who will have the opportunity to build their own cars.
The FIA previously announced that the new regulations are expected to be finalised by the end of August. Current WRC manufacturers are hoping to get clarity as soon as possible, as development time is limited.
The FIA WRC Commission held a meeting on Thursday to discuss the upcoming rule changes.
“The refinements we are working through on the WRC27 technical regulations will allow us to make more detailed communication in the coming months about the exciting new era that was defined at the end of last year,” said Pernilla Solberg, WRC Commission President.
According to the FIA statement: “The biggest update was the inclusion of a new chapter relating to bodywork, including requirements for sustainable materials, homologation criteria and the definition and shape of inner volumes.”
“With freedom surrounding this volume to allow manufacturers and constructors to create their designs with unprecedented levels of flexibility. This is a core feature of WRC27 and one that is designed to encourage both manufacturers and constructors to compete in the series.”
Preliminary research and crash test simulations are already underway. The first physical crash tests are scheduled for July and August 2025.
The final adjustments to the regulations are currently being completed, and the proposal will be submitted to the commission before being officially ratified by the FIA World Motor Sport Council in June.
“We have had a strong start to the 2025 WRC season across a fantastic range of different events, and the work has been equally strong between these events in our working groups to make progress across key areas of our regulations and safety matters,” Solberg added.
In addition, the FIA’s Technical Department provided an update on the tender process to select a single sustainable fuel supplier for the 2026–2028 WRC seasons. The commission is currently reviewing the submitted proposals, and the final recommendation will be brought to the World Motor Sport Council for approval in June.
French company TotalEnergies took over as the WRC’s fuel supplier at the Rally Islas Canarias at the end of April and will continue in the role for the remainder of the season. TotalEnergies stepped in after German company P1 Fuels entered administration during the winter.
The next round of the WRC season will take place next week in Portugal.
