The WRC has been struggling for a long time, with no new car manufacturers joining the series. This season, hybrid units were abandoned, and the tyre supplier changed, but the decline seems to continue. Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported on Thursday that P1 Fuels is insolvent.
P1 Fuels’ financial situation has deteriorated to the point where the company was unable to pay customs fees in Kenya, where the next WRC rally is scheduled to take place in a couple of weeks. However, the FIA stepped in and covered the fuel costs to ensure that the legendary Safari Rally could go ahead.
Iltalehti also reports that Saudi Arabian company Aramco is set to replace P1 Fuels as the official fuel supplier for the WRC. The championship will continue to use synthetic fuels in the future. Saudi Arabia will host its first-ever WRC event in November, having signed a ten-year agreement with the WRC promoter last year.
Earlier, it was also revealed that the German DTM series had ended its collaboration with P1 Fuels.
The Kenyan WRC round will take place from 20–23 March. By April’s WRC round in the Canary Islands, Aramco is expected to be the new fuel supplier.
Sources: Iltalehti / SportMotores
