The WRC event director, Simon Larkin, is being happy with the fact that WRC became a pioneer sport after switching to hybrid cars and believes that more car brands can join the World Rally Championship with the revolution on Rally1 rules from 2025.
FIA decided that the WRC will run with hybrid cars at the top tier from the start of 2022 and this change created the most powerful rally cars. The total output of a Rally1 car is at 380 hp when it uses the internal combustion engine while the hybrid unit offers a 134-hp extra power. According to the current sporting regulations, each driver is provided with the maximum power in specific sections of stages while they have to drive on EV mode around the service park and on the road sections.
However, FIA is thinking of changing the Rally1 rules from 2025 with the view of attracting more manufacturers to the WRC. So far, Alpine, Skoda and Stellantis Group have expressed their interest to join WRC if the series go full electric. But it must be mentioned that FIA has already modified some rules, such as the time penalties that a driver will receive when he retires due to a hybrid issue and is going to restart the next day after his retirement.
"When it comes to the technical regulations our sporting director Peter Thul has been heavily involved with the FIA", Larkin said.
"It has been shared goal to announce the evolution of this current technical homologation in the next couple of months because we want to have clarity and security of what is going to happen from 2025.
"We started talking about this publicly and privately in Monte Carlo last year on the debut of these technical regulations.
"It will be an evolution, not a revolution.
"Everyone is happy about the story of the hybrid and we can do more with the hybrid.
"And as WRC Promoter, we know we need to do more about the fact that we are the first world championship to start using sustainable fuel.
"We beat everyone and Formula 1 is making a big deal about it starting to use sustainable fuel in 2026.
"I think that says everything about this championship, we are ahead of the curve in many ways.
"We need to do more with the hybrid, we know.
"I think it needs to be a bit of louder part of our championship, particularly EV mode, and we need to make it a bit more of a dominant part in the sporting competition as well.
"That hybrid unit still has actual capacity left in it in terms of battery and greater re-gen.
"We can see whether we can increase boost and relevance through road sections on EV mode.
"I do believe it will entice new brands because I think it gives a stability of rules and we know that makes it far more likely for someone to be willing to invest, because they know there is a fixed window to advertise that initial investment.
"I think everyone in this service park will agree that only one more manufacturer would be the ideal number.
"I think four is a useable number in terms of how we can give a return on investment, any more than four then, I think it is a struggle.
"We have a stable TV and promotion platform and our audience numbers are good.
"One more manufacturer slotting in there wouldn't be to the detriment of the existing three".
Source: Motorsport.com
Photo Credits: Hyundai
Post a Comment