WRC main class in 2025

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Originally Posted by macebig

WRC needs to open back the doors to privateer firms.

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Unless there is manufacturer support, this has never been the past.

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Originally Posted by Mirek

Eddie, you can't judge from your fan's point of view. It's not the decisive one. The world is different than in 2011 and what worked for the manufacturers in that time makes no sense for them now.

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Same as suggesting Rally2 though.

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Originally Posted by macebig

WRC needs to open back the doors to privateer firms. Prodrive has the capability to produce a WRC level car. Help them do it. Oreca can too. Holzer created a Corsa R5. Melvyn Evans did the Proton and the Mitsubishi Mirage. That's 5-6 cars that can definitely work on WRC level with reasonable budget and minimum manufacturer expenses. Even Richards says in the video with Howard Davies posted here that R1s are going nowhere and R2s are the best solution for now. Ben Sulayem should probably stop fiddling around with Liberty and F1 teams and focus on fixing WRC.

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I agree that the system of homologation is a one of the features which needs to be changed. WRC is the only major motorsport which doesn't allow privately built machines in the top class. Obviously it doesn't work nowadays.

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Originally Posted by Mirek

I agree that the system of homologation is a one of the features which needs to be changed. WRC is the only major motorsport which doesn't allow privately built machines in the top class. Obviously it doesn't work nowadays.

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This is one of the things I am saying last 10-15 years. And both attempts to allow privateers (RGT, R4) were killed by FIA...

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Originally Posted by PLuto

This is one of the things I am saying last 10-15 years. And both attempts to allow privateers (RGT, R4) were killed by FIA...

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See, we agree with first point of the radical redesign :)

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Originally Posted by Mirek

I agree that the system of homologation is a one of the features which needs to be changed. WRC is the only major motorsport which doesn't allow privately built machines in the top class. Obviously it doesn't work nowadays.

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That's because in every other major motorsports the rules are usually made by some other government body/organization than FIA. In Le Mans/WEC it's ACO and IMSA, in Dakar/W2RC it's ASO, in F1 it's FOM. These don't really care about manufacturers (it's ofc more complicated in F1, but they still allow privateers).

In rally it's all about FIA without any other outside force. All they care about is the manufacturer's money. I don't know how much do current manufacturers pay for homologations and stuff, but I guess that if they allow privateers at any level, they could get same or even more money by them from homologation fees. Don't forget that there are only 6 manufacturers now that currently make rally cars - Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Skoda, Renault and Stellantis. Even if some of the would leave, average fan wouldn't notice as someone would for sure make a car based on these.

But imo to make it work, there have to be more freedom in technical aspect. Both Dakar and Le Mans are pretty free yet cheap.

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Originally Posted by Kenneth

But imo to make it work, there have to be more freedom in technical aspect. Both Dakar and Le Mans are pretty free yet cheap.

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Actually the most important step for allowing private cars was already done - allowing use of the spaceframe. IMHO it was a lost opportunity not connecting it with allowing privately built cars.

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Originally Posted by Mirek

Actually the most important step for allowing private cars was already done - allowing use of the spaceframe. IMHO it was a lost opportunity not connecting it with allowing privately built cars.

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Yes definitely. But they would need to allow production-based engines. Maybe that would even bring some more manufacturers.

Since Rally1 cars are not based on actual road cars I can't see why they wouldn't allow private cars now. But not sure it would be viable. It works in F1 because there is constructors prize money and it is commercially succesful enough to attract large sponsorship income.

Even with some support from Ford and Red Bull, M-Sport have struggled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ_KrIlY8eE

5m30: David Richards saying they should've flooded the market with R2's and gone that route