World Council proposes major WRC rule changes

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has made a series of cost-cutting recommendations to the World Rally Championship Commission that could have a major effect on how the World Rally Championship is run. The biggest change would see rally's switch to a four-day format that would incorporate the reconnaissance into the actual event

Jun 25, 2003, 2:37 PM

This would allow for one extra day of TV coverage, whilst also reducing the length of the total event by three days, saving 42 days across the season. The FIA suggests that this could allow the number of events on the WRC calendar to be increased from 14 to 16.

The Council has also recommended that works WRC teams are only allowed to test in one country of their choosing, that the concept of flexi-servicing is extended so that team's can only service one car at a time, and that telemetry, both base-to-car and car-to-base, is banned.

For the 2005 season, the Council has suggested the introduction of control tyres and standard sealed components with improved durability. It has also suggested the use of normally aspirated engines, instead of the current turbo-based units, from the start of 2006.