FIA aims to develop the WRC and attract more car manufacturers to the series. This goal has been pursued through various means aimed at reducing costs.
Toyota’s team principal, Jari-Matti Latvala, reveals that discussions with the FIA have already begun.
“Absolutely. The first meeting has already been held, and from now on, we will have a meeting every week. It’s a very good thing. Things are moving forward, and we now have a clear direction,” Latvala rejoiced to RallyJournal.com during the Rally Finland route announcement.
“Mostly it’s positive, but there are also a few things that, in my opinion, are a bit too radical. Overall, however, I see this as positive,” Latvala continued.
Latvala firmly believes that a direction and compromise solution that pleases all parties will be found for the World Rally Championship.
“The idea is that the FIA also wants all manufacturers to stay involved. They don’t want a manufacturer to withdraw from the series because the changes are too radical,” Latvala assessed.
“Reforms had to be made. The sport is really great, but we’ve maybe been going with the same formula for a too long time,” Latvala admitted.
The FIA’s change package includes many different changes. Sporting changes have mainly received praise.
“The sporting side, like remote servicing, smaller service parks, and fewer personnel are the positive things because they reduce costs. Rallies can be run as longer or shorter versions, and the events can be different. This diversity is a positive thing,” Latvala saw.
However, Latvala is not completely satisfied with the technical reforms, at least not in all aspects.
“We still need a few tweaks on the technical side. We don’t want to make too many changes to next year’s car. It again increases simulation work and development work. We want to keep costs under control,” Latvala said.
One of the proposed changes is that teams should be ready to sell their cars immediately after the event. This practice is familiar from amateur classes but doesn’t necessarily fit well into the World Rally Championship.
“It’s a bit too aggressive a solution for the World Rally Championship, where we’re talking about cars worth hundreds of thousands. It’s a different matter if we were talking about a few thousand euros. Nobody probably wants to sell their developed technology so that another can directly use it,” Latvala criticized.
FIA’s goal is clear. It wants to prevent the World Rally Championship from dwindling and wants more manufacturers involved. This would naturally increase competition. Latvala believes that the goal will be achieved.
“As long as we fine-tune a few things. There are many good things, but not everything will go through as it is. A few corrections, and I believe we’ll get new manufacturers involved,” Latvala trusted.
FIA aims to develop the WRC and attract more automakers to the series. This goal is pursued through various means intended to reduce costs.
Read also: Team principal Jari-Matti Latvala faced harsh criticism – now the Finnish boss fires back
