Will the WRC stand to benefit from Wilson's new FIA role?

When it comes to passion for rallying there are few that can hold a candle to Malcolm Wilson, who hopes to put the discipline front of mind at the FIA as the governing body’s new deputy for sport.

A former driver and team founder, Wilson has seen it all when it comes to the WRC and his enthusiasm for it is showing no signs of waning.

As Autosport walks with the man who for so many years was the day-to-day face of M-Sport's WRC squad through the Rally Italy Sardinia service park to find a quiet place to conduct an interview, a Lancia Stratos that had been on static display fires up and rumbles by M-Sport’s tents. Its iconic sound on idle is enough to stop Wilson in his tracks and he describes the noise as music.

This unbridled passion for rallying is perhaps why there are plenty in the service park that are behind Wilson taking up this new role as Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s second in command to replace 2001 WRC co-driver champion Robert Reid, who stepped down earlier this year.

Wilson is one of those people in the motorsport industry that makes things happen. And the M-Sport team, now run by Richard Millener, is a prime example of what he’s able to achieve.

It operated factory programmes for Ford in WRC from 1997 to 2012, and even after losing full works status has remained an ever-present in the championship. Famously, it swept the drivers’, co-drivers' and manufacturers’ titles when new technical regulations arrived for 2017, then defended its drivers’ and co-drivers' crowns in 2018 with Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia. This year, M-Sport has reunited with Ford to run the blue oval’s Dakar Rally programme.

Wilson often trots out the line “rallying has been my life”. In fairness, it's true, and it appears it will continue to be for the foreseeable future.

Wilson, pictured celebrating M-Sport's 2017 title with Sébastien Ogier, is set for a new role in governance

Photo by: Sutton Images

“I don’t think you find anyone with the level of experience that Malcolm clearly has as a driver and team owner and in the commercial and business side of it,” former M-Sport driver and current WRC points leader Elfyn Evans told Autosport. “He has got a wealth of experience and if it goes ahead then I wish him all the best.

“It is clear there are going to be some difficult decisions and some immediate decisions that need to be made. I would say they would be right up Malcolm’s street to be fair and I think that would be one of his strengths.”

Now Wilson is set to embark on a new chapter working at the FIA. As Evans alludes, Wilson’s appointment arrives at an incredibly important time for rallying’s top tier as it gears up for what is seen as a critical and highly anticipated new set of technical regulations for 2027, and all while the championship’s promoter is in the process of being sold. The WRC's future is a hot topic as the championship attempts to re-engage with manufacturers and attract a new audience.

"All I want to concentrate on, to start with, is rally. We need positivity in this sport and we have to grow it again"
Malcolm Wilson

But what is encouraging for those of a rally persuasion is that it appears Wilson’s immediate priority will be largely focused on helping the WRC achieve its potential. Autosport understands he will play a role in helping push through a potential sale of the promoter.

“Believe me, I know what I want to achieve. All I have been doing for the last month is working on that [programme],” Wilson tells Autosport. “All I want to concentrate on, to start with, is rally. We need positivity in this sport and we have to grow it again.

“The most positive thing at the moment is the interest and the funds interested in investing a substantial amount of money into the WRC. I know there are people that want to get involved in this sport and take it to where it should be. It tells you what this sport still has to offer.”

Another aspect likely to be high on the agenda is the finalisation of the 2027 regulations. This week, the FIA confirmed refinements to the bodywork rules that will allow manufacturers and tuners to run various body shapes on top of the space frame chassis. The WRC27 cars will be built to a cost cap of €345,000, one area that has Wilson’s full support.

As the new era for WRC looms in 2027, Wilson will have a pivotal role in finalising regulations

Photo by: FIA

“I think the basics of the regulations are there, but we need to have variety [in models and powertrains],” he added. “I agree with the basic technical regulations and I agree with the cost cap. If you look back to 1980 you could buy a Ford Escort at the very most for £20,000 that could go and win a world rally. If you look at cumulative interest since 1980, that car today with cumulative interest of 418% would be £126,000.

“If you look at a current Rally1 car to go and win a rally, let’s say a million euros, it is 3360% cumulative inflation, so we have done something wrong. If you look at a road car Mini at that time was £4,000 and the cheapest one you can buy now is something like £26,000. The road car has stayed in line with inflation, the car that is capable of winning a rally has skyrocketed [in price].

“I’m absolutely 100% aligned with the cost cap, but the sad thing is the big costs now are labour, transportation and flights. Before you even come to a world rally, you have got to spend £35,000 per round before you do anything, with logistics, hotels, etc. The other big key thing is the promotion of the sport.”

Wilson is also a big advocate of the use of torque meters in cross country rallying, which allows manufacturers flexibility to run various powertrains and equalise performance across the field. He believes this could prove valuable for the WRC moving forward.

“The one thing that is amazing, that works on cross country, is the torque meter,” he adds. “You can have a V6 or a V6 turbo, a V8 or V8 turbo, you can have whatever you want. We are all basically the same.

“Now we have this torque meter in Dakar, it is the answer. It may be €10,000, but if you look at the costs in relation to the £35,000 before you even get to the event, it is a small price. In the world championship I want to see 30 cars that are capable of winning and I want to see variety.”

It's fair to say that Wilson will have plenty on his plate, as he starts his new life at the FIA. But if he is able to channel his enthusiasm for the WRC into results, then rallying should be on the trajectory to a brighter future.

Evans is optimistic that Wilson's appointment will be beneficial to the wider world of rallying

Photo by: Toyota Racing