The FIA is confident it is not too late to attract new manufacturers to the World Rally Championship in 2027 amid plans to announce new technical regulations in December.
The world motorsport governing body has been working for more than 18 months to devise the future direction of the Rally1 and Rally2 WRC classes in a bid to safeguard the involvement of current marques and attract new brands to the discipline.
The championship’s future 2027 technical rules are on course to be submitted to the World Motor Sport Council in December, when it is hoped the pathway will be ratified and communicated.
WRC teams have however raised concerns regarding the timeframe for the release of the rules, urging for a decision to come sooner, given 18 months is regarded as the minimum ballpark figure for a brand to commit to a programme and develop a new car.
There are also worries that Hyundai could leave the WRC as a manufacturer team at the end of 2025 following the Korean brand’s recent announcement of its plans to join the World Endurance Championship under its Genesis brand. Should Hyundai leave the WRC, the championship could face a future with Toyota as the only fully works Rally1 operation with Ford a semi-works outfit via M-Sport.
Speaking to Autosport, the FIA technical director Xavier Mestelan Pinon reiterated that the regulations are on schedule to be delivered in December and that the FIA has been involved in meticulous discussions to ensure it makes the best decision for the WRC.
Mestelan Pinon admitted that the process to ratify the 2027 regulations is not ahead of schedule, but equally not “too late” in its arrival to attract new brands.
“Time is running but again today, OK we are not in advance, but we are not too late also. For me, there is much pressure to deliver a good regulation and something that will make sense for the future of the World Rally Championship,” said Mestelan Pinon.
“If you release something in a rush it could be not good in the end. We have already discussed this topic for one and half years I would say, but now we must take a good one [decision].
“We are not too late and the most important thing for me is to attract newcomers even if the newcomer will take the decision for 2028 instead 2027, I don’t care. What is important is to give the right direction and right vision.”
When asked if it was critical the FIA make the right decision moving forward given the rumours surrounding Hyundai’s uncertain WRC future, he added: “I agree to not lose a manufacturer is a key point and we want to attract newcomers of course.
“But for me, the most important thing is to be brave and take a good decision regarding the direction rally needs to go in the future. If we are very clear in what we do and where we want to go with the promoter, and working together, this is the best way to keep our current manufacturers and attract newcomers.
“If we are only working to serve the current ones [manufacturers] or a potential future one then I’m not sure this is the best way to address the current situation. What we need, for me, is a clear vision of where we want to go, and of course, we need to take into consideration the position of our current manufacturers and the potential ones. But again at the end it is our duty as the FIA to take the good decision for the development of the World Rally Championship.
“Of course, we are discussing with the current three manufacturers and new ones but it is more or less impossible to have a common consensus. We need to take a decision and maybe some of them may not be very happy. But it is all about how the World Rally Championship grows and develops, this is what is most important to me.”
What we know so far about the 2027 regulations
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.
The target for Rally2 is to continue its growth as a category and maintain the current performance deficit compared to Rally1 cars.
