One of the biggest issues in the top class of the World Rally Championship is that there are only three manufacturers capable of offering a limited number of driving spots. This has led to little turnover in the top class over the past few years.
The same drivers have been part of the top class year after year. It is hoped that more spots will be available in the future to include new entrants.
The WRC Promoter has started a new project aimed at assisting drivers aspiring to reach the top of the sport. The programme kicked off last week with the announcement that Latvian Martins Sesks would participate in the Poland and Latvia rounds of the WRC with M-Sport’s Ford Puma Rally1.
Read more: Latvian hope gets first taste of a Rally1 car – “My legs were stiff”
Sesks will get a proper test for both rallies. In the Rally Poland, his Ford will not have a hybrid unit, but in his home event in Latvia, he will drive a full-fledged Rally1 car with hybrid boost.
The WRC Promoter is funding Sesks’s drives in the Ford Puma. According to WRC Promoter’s event director Simon Larkin, Sesks’s contract was a breakthrough.
“It’s part of our new commitment to invest in drivers to bridge the gap between Rally2 and Rally1, and also to have more Rally1 cars out there,” Larkin explains.
“I think this is exciting news, and it’s the first of what we believe will be quite a few announcements for 2024,” Larkin promises.
The future direction of the World Rally Championship is currently being planned. At the same time, both the future technical rules for the cars and the concept of the WRC events are under consideration.
In all this, the Promoter plays a significant role, just as the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the manufacturers do. All parties want to elevate the WRC to new heights, but each stakeholder views things from their own perspective.
Larkin trusts that the Promoter can play its part effectively.
“In terms of our role as a promoter, we’re not perfect. I think any promoter or any commercial rights holder will always need to evolve: constant change, constant discussion, and constant new initiatives are necessary. And I think we need to push a little bit harder.”
“We’re not afraid to self-reflect and understand where we need to improve and where we need to go. But again, like any business, you can’t turn things around overnight. However, if we get the strategy right, then we are very certain that we can turn the ship as a group, with everyone on board,” Larkin says.
