Why the WRC could be on the verge of a revival

“We have never had in my book this sort of interest in the highest level of rallying.” This is a bold claim concerning the World Rally Championship’s new 2027 technical regulations and, when it comes from the mouth of M-Sport founder and now FIA deputy president for sport Malcolm Wilson, it carries even more weight.

The WRC is less than 12 months away from arguably its most significant shift in regulations, designed to lower costs, increase participation levels and effectively reinvigorate top-level rallying.

It’s fair to say that the WRC has been in need of a boost in several areas, and for some time. This is perhaps most evident in the state of the top tier, which currently comprises three teams. Toyota, Hyundai and M-Sport Ford operate in Rally1, where costs have spiralled to an unsustainable €1million per car.

It is this situation that has prompted the FIA to act and develop the 2027 regulations, which are intended to run for a 10-year period. For the first time, tuners – in addition to manufacturers – will be eligible to construct and homologate cars from the ground up.

“It took a long time to get the technical regs where they are, but I think it has sent a clear message that these guys have gone in the right direction” Malcolm Wilson

Cars will be built to a €345,000 cost cap, deliver approximately 300bhp, comprise a spaceframe chassis and utilise some Rally2 componentry. The rules will begin by allowing only internal combustion engines, and will initially have WRC27 cars and current Rally2 machines competing under the same umbrella, but there are plans to open up the technology on powertrains in the future.

As ever, the success of new regulations will only be determined by participation levels. And once the WRC’s new commercial rights holder is announced (within the next two months) and its vision outlined, it should only help push those currently contemplating a possible WRC programme.

“It took a long time to get the technical regs where they are, but I think it has sent a clear message that these guys have gone in the right direction, and it can only be a benefit for the sport and a real plus for the potential new promoter as there will be more teams/manufacturers and constructors,” reckons Wilson.

“We know there is work to do with the promoter to get the manufacturers interested to get the return on investment.”

Elements of WRC2 tech are utilised in the new €345,000 cost-capped cars

Photo by: FIA

Even so, the regulations have already captured the imagination, certainly among the tuner community. “The tuner side is a massive success,” proclaimed FIA technical and safety director Xavier Mestelan Pinon during a media roundtable at January’s Monte Carlo Rally. “We have a lot of contacts, more than 10. I don’t say that all 10 will finalise the project but they are working out how to do that.”

Regarding how many will enter in 2027, Mestelan Pinon said: “It is impossible to say. It is an ambitious project because when you take the decision to homologate the car you need also to produce a minimum of 10 over two years and the car for all the people that want to buy the car. That is a massive challenge for them.”

At this stage, Toyota is known to be developing a new car for the 2027 regulations, while Hyundai and M-Sport are yet to confirm plans. But the WRC will have at least one new team in 2027 following confirmation of Belgian operation Project Rally One – the first tuner to enter the WRC under the new rules.

Project Rally One is the brainchild of experienced motorsport engineer Lionel Hansen and former FIA rally director and Citroen WRC boss Yves Matton, working in tandem with Belgian team Prospeed Competition. The pair have recently combined to develop the homologated Porsche 992 Rally GT car that made its competitive debut last year.

“The first major point is the opening of the WRC to private teams, tuners and preparation specialists. Until now, the category was reserved exclusively for factory teams” Yves Matton

Significant progress within the project has already been made. The chassis design and build have been completed, with prototype assembly now under way. Once finalised, the car will begin a comprehensive development campaign, including more than 3500 miles of gravel and asphalt testing ahead of its homologation, with the first shakedown scheduled for the spring.

“It’s an idea Lionel Hansen had last summer, following the development of the Porsche 992 Rally GT kit and somewhat as a continuation of that project, which is now a success in terms of the car’s performance and commercial success,” explains Matton. “He started thinking, during the summer, about the possibility of developing a 2027 WRC car through a private entity.

“The first major point is the opening of the WRC to private teams, tuners and preparation specialists. Until now, the category was reserved exclusively for factory teams. The second thing is that in the future, the Rally1 and Rally2 categories will be equivalent. And behind that, there’s a real economic reality. With the current Rally1 cars, there’s no economic reality. They’re cars reserved for manufacturers.

“There was an economic reality for Rally2. Now, since there will be a single class in the future, it allows a private team to finance development while having a commercial vision behind it.”

Former FIA rally director and Citroen WRC boss Matton’s new project is blazing a trail

Photo by: DPPI

And, since the announcement, the phone at Project Rally One headquarters has been ringing from potential drivers and teams. “We could already take orders,” adds Matton. “But it’s a bit early. We could do it, but our priority right now is to finalise the project and get the initial test runs done. We’re looking for partnerships for our project, because after that, there’s the whole operational side.

“We don’t have an operational team, I’d say, in a broad sense. That is to say, mechanics, truck crew, etc. So, we’re going to put together a team and that’s what we want to finalise as a whole first, before starting to enter a purely commercial phase with taking solid orders.”

Being the trailblazer under a new set of regulations and setting up a WRC team from scratch can be seen as a gamble, which Matton acknowledges. But the Frenchman is a firm believer in the WRC’s new direction and that a tuner could have the potential to compete alongside manufacturer giants such as Toyota.

“When you undertake this kind of project, there is a risk involved. It’s also a gamble that we’ll find the right partners” Yves Matton

“The first thing is to see what resources we’ll have,” he points out. “And once we have those resources, we’ll be ambitious. But even if our resources aren’t equivalent to a factory team’s, what we can hope for is to reach a level of car development, a level of performance still similar to the factory teams. And then, aim for some spectacular results. To say tomorrow that we’ll be fighting for the 2028 championship is perhaps wishful thinking.

“And again, it depends on the partner we have. We might have a partner with big ambitions. I’d say it’s still a bit too early in the project to say what our level of ambition will be.

“When you undertake this kind of project, there is a risk involved. It’s also a gamble that we’ll find the right partners for this kind of project. And we really think that, given the arrival of a new promoter, these new regulations, and a whole host of other things, there will be a renewal, an increased appeal for the WRC.”

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Costs have risen unsustainably under the WRC’s current Rally1 rules

Photo by: M-Sport