Full electric, hybrid and internal combustion engine powertrains remain as options for the World Rally Championship’s 2027 regulations, according to FIA technical director Xavier Mestelan Pinon.
The FIA has been working for more than 18 months to devise the future direction of the Rally1 and Rally2 WRC classes and is expected top present its 2027 regulations at the World Motor Sport Council in December.
The world motorsport governing body is hoping to create a rule set that will safeguard the involvement of current marques and attract new brands to the discipline. While firm decisions on the 2027 regulations are yet to be made, it appears the proposal the FIA’s taskforce published in February offers a relatively accurate framework for what could be the future of Rally1 and Rally2 classes.
The Rally1 spaceframe chassis, which has increased safety levels and accommodated various car model body shapes, since it was launched in 2022, is expected to continue with adaptations. Plans to expand chassis construction out to tuning companies, and not locked to only manufacturers, is being discussed.
The FIA is working to reduce costs with the previously touted figure of 400,000 euros for a Rally1 car among the ongoing talks. Rally1 cars are expected to based on road-going vehicles and are likely to undergo a drop in performance and aerodynamics to help make the category more accessible to developing drivers.
Internal combustion engines, hybrid and EV powertrains remain on the table for discussion alongside the possibility of some form of equivalence of technology should the rules develop to be open to various technologies.
“We can consider that all technologies are suitable but what is important is to take the best decision what is good for rally in terms of technology and which championship is good for each technology,” Mestelan Pinon told Autosport.
“Today we strongly believe that biofuel or synthetic fuel is a good business and now after that we want to open the rules to electrify the engine and when I say that it could be hybrid or full EV. This is something again we need to finalise but this is the target.
“This would be based one the same chassis so with the same suspension, body shell and so on because it is important that an ICE car and an electrified vehicle have the same performance. Of course we would have to define an equivalence of technology and this something that we can manage well in other categories.
“The target again is to have more cars in the Rally1 category so that means the basic car will be ICE.
“We strongly believe that an electrified version could make sense and we have had some discussions with potential newcomers and current manufacturers so it is very difficult to say.
“We need to be openminded. It is too difficult to say if the direction will be ICE and full EV or ICE and full EV plus hybrid, it is too early.
“My personal opinion is that full EV could make sense because for stages that are 35 kilometres it is easy to manage with the same level of performance as the ICE car and you can have some charging unit at the end of each stage.
“This is a thing we need to decide altogether with the WRC Commission president but with the manufacturers the promoters and World Motor Sport Council so it is a global decision.”
Rally1 has adopted hybrid power since 2022 with 1.6 litre turbocharged engines married to a control Compact Dynamics hybrid kit generating around 500 horsepower in short bursts.
While rallycross has adopted full electric power, it is still in its infancy in rallying. Although, the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup, based around the 100kW two-wheel-drive Opel Corsa-e Rally car, is in its fourth season of competition with its final round at the World Rally Championship's Central European Rally next week.
