The FIA has been developing the next set of WRC regulations over the past two years, following the launch of the hybrid era Rally1 last year.
The Rally1 regulations have given rise to all-new cars, built on a more robust space frame chassis, producing 500 horsepower from a 1.6-litre turbo engine, paired with a 100kW hybrid kit. Cars that are powered by 100% sustainable fuel.
Full details of the 2027 technical regulations have not yet been confirmed, although the FIA has released some details. In September it revealed that the cars will be based on a hybrid powertrain, after examining the possibility of switching to all-electric or hydrogen power.
FIA road sport commission director Andrew Wheatley said the 2027 regulations will see changes, but told Motorsport.com the cars will retain 80% of the current Rally1 DNA.
While progress is being made to formalize the WRC’s technical roadmap for the future, a confirmed set of regulations is not expected to be announced until 2024.
A key aspect of the new rules is cost reduction: the FIA has openly admitted that the current Rally1 cars are too expensive.
“We have great collaboration between stakeholders on the future of technical regulations,” Wheatley said.
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Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1
“We have an agreement in principle on what the future will look like, but as always the devil is in the details. 80% of the current Rally1 car will remain.”
“I think we all know that there are problems with the speed of the cars, that they are quite fast and that they are expensive. More expensive than we imagined. These are two key elements in trying to improve the second generation of Rally1.”
“The challenge is how to achieve these two goals. Obviously no one wants to change anything, but in reality we all know that we should change some details.”
“It will be a hybrid car, but that’s really the discussion about the details, because there are many ways to get a hybrid car. The development cycle will start in early 2025 and 2026 leading up to the launch in 2027. The manufacturers they need two years off, but we’re talking about relatively small changes.”
“We don’t want to release the proposal until we have general consensus, but we are very close to getting it.”
However, Wheatley is encouraged by the initial interest from manufacturers in the technical proposal currently being developed.
The FIA has set the target of having four manufacturers as the ideal proposition for the future of the WRC. One brand known to have studied the possibility of returning to the WRC is Subaru, which is reportedly evaluating a potential collaboration with Toyota regarding engines.
“What I can say is that I am pleasantly surprised that there are manufacturers who are showing positive interest in the championship,” he added.
“Some of them are already involved in the championship, some are new and some have been involved in the past.”
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