The WRC program manager of Hyundai Motorsport, Christian Loriaux, says that the testing regulations must be changed considering the facts that every team has created its test base and chooses to compete in national rallies.
FIA has introduced new testing regulations since 2022 where the teams can have a 21-day test during a WRC season. This means that each driver from Toyota and Hyundai can spend seven days during their preparations for a WRC round apart from M-Sport which has two drivers and can schedule more test days for Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster. It is usual for the first two teams to participate in some national rallies with the view of their drivers spending more time inside their car before the start of a WRC event. FIA suggested this rule as a cost cap measure, but all WRC teams have created their own test space around their factories which means that the WRC drivers can test their cars on these sites apart from their regular pre-event tests. The national rallies and the test sites give the chance to the mechanics and the drivers to choose the right set-up of the car before the start of a WRC round, but also to test the car reliability and new car parts.
"For me, what doesn’t make sense is the testing rule with the permanent base because it’s forced manufacturers in some ways to try to make their own tarmac and gravel test tracks which defeats the object of saving money", Loriaux said.
"So I think the testing regulations should be reviewed to really save money and not having to do silly pretend rallies where you have everybody travel out for a week to achieve 100km of stages.
"It’s a waste of money, that".
Source: DirtFish.com
Photo Credits: Hyundai
Post a Comment