The new WRC rules for 2025 have only been announced a few weeks ago, but have already led to discussions and a lot of discontent due to the abolition of hybrid propulsion – which lasted just 3 years – and the reduction of aerodynamics.
These conditions, combined with the strengthening of the Rally2, should have overcome the lack of new manufacturers by adding Skoda Motorsport and Citroen Racing to the mix. Yet the adoption of new transitional rules and the imminent disappearance of the Rally2 due to the choices made by the manufacturers on the respective models has brought everything back into question.
Andrew Wheatley, director of the road sports categories of the International Automobile Federation, gave an overview of the situation – at least through official words.
“The position we're in at the moment is to find harmony with the manufacturers and I honestly don't think we're that far off,” Wheatley said at the roundtable with media, including Motorsport.com.
“We have another World Automobile Council coming up in June, where we have to make preparations six weeks beforehand, and now we are right in the sand process, where we are constantly meeting with manufacturers and exchanging ideas.”
“The last useful date [per comunicare le regole tecniche] it's the World Motorsport Council in June. One gets the impression that there is a war between the FIA and the manufacturers, but this is not the case. We had a meeting in Geneva which was not 100% negative, we had a very good two-day discussion on a number of topics.”
“We are fully aware of the position of the manufacturers. They don't want to do anything, absolutely nothing.”
When asked if the plan is to work on a compromise on regulations with manufacturers, he added: “I think that's where we are at the moment. That's where the discussion is. We have all the options on the table . We know what the goal is and what the purpose is.”
Wheatley also clarified the three reasons why the FIA intervened by proposing changes for 2025 and 2026 instead of focusing only on 2027.
“There were three key elements: the first was Pirelli's lack of commitment [per un nuovo accordo sui pneumatici]. The second was the fact that the drivers didn't want to participate in the championship and the third was, and we always discuss Ford, whether it's a winner or not, but there was a further layer and that was the continuation of Hyundai [nel WRC]. This was a fundamental shift in the discussion going forward.”
The WRC Commission will be held on April 25th. That could be the appointment at which it will be decided whether to continue pursuing the newly introduced rules, or whether they will instead be modified or even cancelled. It would certainly not be a surprise if this last point was the one chosen…
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