The hybrid system of the WRC officially maintained until 2026
After months of discussions, the WRC has decided to keep its regulations for two more seasons. In February, the FIA had suggested removing the hybrid system introduced in 2022 and reducing the importance of aerodynamics on Rally1 cars to bring them closer to the performance of Rally2 cars, which would have received a kit to make them faster.
The goal was to increase the number of competitors in the World Championship and facilitate the transition to a completely new regulation in 2027. However, the manufacturers strongly opposed this and requested that the current technical framework be maintained due to the lack of time and costs required to work on the proposed changes. As reported by Motorsport.com this Tuesday, this request was acknowledged by the FIA.
The World Council meeting held this Tuesday confirmed that the Rally1 and Rally2 regulations will remain unchanged for the next two years, with a focus on “technical stability.” The future regulations will be presented in December, giving manufacturers two years to develop their cars.
“All stakeholders are working positively and collectively on the direction for the 2027 regulation and beyond, and there is good consensus between the World Council members and the manufacturers on the key objectives to increase the number of participants at the highest level, as desired by the FIA,” the federation said in a statement citing the heads of Toyota, Hyundai, and M-Sport, who welcomed this decision.
The FIA specifically wants manufacturers to be actively involved in drafting the future regulations. “The WRC is very important to the FIA, it is the pinnacle of rally competition, and I have had many discussions with manufacturers about its future direction in recent weeks,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President. “It is now clear that we all need technical stability for the next two years, but at the same time, for the FIA, it is important that while providing this stability, we receive the same positive commitment from manufacturers.”
The FIA also mentioned that the sporting regulations will be reworked after the establishment of the WRC sporting working group, which will propose changes at the World Council meeting scheduled for October.